when did the french take over vietnam
French Rule: The French colonized Vietnam in the mid 1800s. In 1885, France looked to take over Vietnam and in 1887 they did it. The French started to integrate more Western ideals, education, and religion including, for the first time, introducing Christianity.Their main exports were tobacco, indigo, tea and coffee.ietnam War: After WWII, Vietnam gained independence but France still ruled the country until Ho Chi Mihn took over in 1954. In 1959, North Vietnam began and forced a policy to reunify the country, which led to outbreak of the American War in Vietnam in the early 1960s.