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The name of this article is completely counterintutive to English speakers, who are not familar with Sino-Korean dating practices. I suggest a page move to a page name corresponding to the French language page, Expédition en Corée du contre-amiral Roze. What about French intervention in Korea, 1866? --Niohe 03:02, 31 January 2007 (UTC)Reply
I would agree. When I first began it I knew the name was inadequate but was more eager to get it started than in finding the right name. Also, I could not come up with a succinct and appropriate title. I am not sure about French Intervention...as it sounds as if there were already a conflict in progress (true, there was an anti Catholic campaign going on). How about French Expedition against Korea, 1866? Straitgate 05:39, 31 January 2007 (UTC)Reply
I changed the portions asserting that the encounter resulted in the return of the remaining missionaries. To my mind only three French missionaries survived the crack down (including Father Ridel). None of these were returned per se. Ridel escaped to China first to alert the French authorities there of the massacre and the other two later escaped by boat as well, just as the French expedition was crossing to Korea. By the time the French arrived at Ganghwa there were no more French missionaries in country. Straitgate 07:15, 7 June 2007 (UTC)Reply
I felt I had to give a little more explanation of some major changes/additions. Before I could make them I had to go back and look at some sources. Only on the first exploratory expedition did Roze attempt to steam up the Han River. He almost didnt make it back due to the treacherous currents, shallow waters, and narrow passages that could easily be blocked by scuttled boats, logs, or even chains. So the former account here about the French forces going up to the capital and bombarding it were simply not right; there was bombardment but only of the coastal fortifications and of Ganghwa City, where they destroyed some powderhouses and buildings. Again, there might have been some confusion here with the earlier expedition, where two of the ships did go up nearly to Seoul and did fire along the coast. But even then they were never near enough to fire upon Seoul. Even if they made it to Seoul, the city is way too distant from the Han River to be bombarded. Also, concerning the two missionaries. There was an earlier reference to a French website that did indeed claim the two missionaires were “released”. But there again I can only say he/she is wrong because there are no sources that claim the two were captured. The two missionaires themselves say they eluded capture and finally managed to escape on a Korean vessel. Word then reached Roze from China that the two were safe. I also changed the casuality figures and participant figures for the French after looking at many sources. Almost all sources give 3 dead, though one gives 2. As for injured they vary from 31 to 50 so I said 40+. I could give all the sources but that would be tiresome. I could provide them if interested or maybe make a table some day.Straitgate 07:07, 4 August 2007 (UTC)Reply
In any case, I include here some key quotes from Roze. These are all taken from: Andreas Choe, ed. Han-pul kwan’gye charyo (1986) [Original documents relating to Korea-French relations] Seoul: Hanguk kyohoesa yŏn’guso. This is a collection of original documentation collated into one volume. Page numbers are from there. I only translated a few key passages to hopefully demonstrate: 1. Roze did not go to Seoul nor did he ever plan to; and 2. Roze saw Ganghwa as a strategic military location, highly fortified, and commanding a highway (boulevard) of Seoul. Sorry, I did not want to take the time to put in all the French pronunciation marks.
Roze to Naval Minister (22 October 1866) (from Kanghwa)
Mon intention etais de me render au mouillage de l’Ile Boisee avec la Guerriere et les batiments de ma Division. Mon but etait de frapper un coup aussi rude que possible sur l’Ile de Kanghoa qui est la place la plus fortifiee de la Coree et qui, par sa position geographique, domine la riviere de Seoul…j’avais reconnu, dans l’exploration qui m’avait conduit a la rive la plus raprochee de Seoul, qu’il ne m’etait pas possible de tenter un attaque contre cette Capitale avec les simples moyens de ma disposition, mais un coup de main contre Kanghoa me s’emblait de nature a pouvoir etre effectue…(p. 319)
Nous avions deja decouvert la veille trois grandes poudrieres pleines de poudre et de munition dans la voisinage de nos cantonements. A n’en pas douter, l’ile de Kanghoa devait avoir ete choisie par le Gouvernment de Seoul, comme le boulevard militaire de la Coree. (p. 323)[The previous day we had already discovered three large magazines full of gunpowder and munitions in the vicinity of our encampments. There can be no doubt, the Island of Ganghwa must have been selected by the government of Seoul as the military avenue of Korea].
Je ne pourrais marcher sur Seoul, ainsi que je les deja dit, avec le peu de forces dont je dispose…quoi qu’il arrive, le but que je m’etais propose est atteint: celui de punir le meurtre de nos missionaries en detruisant le place la plus foritifie du Royaume et en montant a ce pays qu’il n’etais pas invulnerable. (p. 326)
Roze to Naval Minister (17 Novembre 1866) (just after the withdrawal from Ganghwa)
Ainsi que jai eu l’honneur de l’ecrire a Votre Excellence, le but que m’etais propose en debarquant a Kanghoa, en detruisant cette place de guerre le plus forte de la Coree, en bloquant vigoreusement la riviere de Seoul, etait de punir et d’humilier dans les limites des seuls moyens fournis par ma Division, un gouvernment qui dans la confiance de son impunite avait ose faire massacre nos missionaries. (p. 332)
Ayant accompli avec tout le success desirable le coup de main que j’avais projete sur Kanghoa, après avoir bloque vigoureusment Seoul precisement au moment ou les jonques chargees de riz arrivent des provinces du Sud pour alimenter la Capitale et avoir cause par ce fait un grand prejudice au Gouvernment qui, dans ce pays, s’est institute le fermier general de presque toutes les productions…j’avais former le projet d’evacuer au premier jour l’ile de Kanghoa…(p. 335)
Roze to Naval Minister (31 Janvier 1867) (after his return to Japan)
Votre Excellence a connu le programme que je m’etais trace après mon exploration de la riviere de Seoul. Ayant reconnu l’impossibilite d’aller, avec les seules forces donc je disposais, venger dans la capitale de la Coree, le meurtre de nos missionaries, j’avais concu la pensee de frapper le gouvernment de ce pays dans l’ile de Kanghoa, place forte que je recontrais sur ma route et qui, par son importance ainsi que par les richesses militaries qu’elle renfermait, meritait de fixer mon attention. (p. 373)
[Your Excellency is aware of the plan which I outlined to you following my return from the exploration of the river of Seoul. Having recognized the impossibility of proceeding to the capital of Korea, with the limited forces of which I was disposed, and there avenging the murder of our missionaries, I conceived the idea of striking the government of this country at the Island of Ganghwa, a place I spotted along my route and which, by its importance as well as the wealth of military stores it held, sufficed to determine me in this strategy].
Sorry for awkward translation but you get the idea.Straitgate 07:56, 9 August 2007 (UTC)Reply
I would have to disagree that the change from "Korea was a nominal vassal of China" to "China had influence in Korean affairs" as being a grammatical error. Where's the grammar error? Intentional or no, this change totally reconstitutes the history and the article. The latest revision overlooks a considerably major aspect of the whole affair. i.e., at a time when Korea was closed off to foreign (=Western) intercourse, Western powers, here France, saw China as being the responsible party for righting what they saw as wrongs. In traditional East Asian foreign affairs, especially between China and Korea, Korea was a "nominal" (meaning in traditional name but not in current fact) vassal of China. It had for many centuries proffered submission to the Chinese emperor in the realm of foreign affairs but not domestic. It was not a case here that China had influence in the modern sense, but that China was the ultimate arbiter of international relations in terms of Korea. Again, I am not saying this was the case in reality, but in the "perception" of Western powers. Certainly I think in this case this view of traditional Sino-Korean relations was exploited by the French to justify their attack (i.e., China was not willing to rectify things so France was forced to act). In reality there was little China could have done to influence things in Korea. They were busy enough as it was. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Straitgate (talk • contribs) 09:22, 11 January 2008 (UTC)Reply
The "c" in "campaign" does not need to be capitalized. Also, the year seems superfluous in the title. 24.11.127.26 (talk) 02:17, 21 April 2009 (UTC)Reply
How is it possible? Koreans barely resisted in one of the last monastery, had their capital bombed, missionaries escaped (so mission accomplished?) and the French captured a good booty. Plus, they had fewer casualties. I don't figure out as a big success for the French, but it is not a Korean victory either. I change the result. "French withdrawal, Korea reaffirms its isolationism" looks good for me. Does everyone agree? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.82.5.32 (talk) 11:03, 27 September 2011 (UTC)Reply
I agree it’s just people being anti-french and reinforcing the stereotype France loses wars Uk5056547 (talk) 20:23, 25 July 2020 (UTC)Reply
This depends on where you stand. Christian missionaries could be martyrs for Christians and evangelists. Korean troops killing them and fighting against the French could be martyrs for nationalist Koreans. So lets not use the word except when talking about the memorial maybe. I added quotes there too.--194.127.8.11 (talk) 12:03, 8 February 2016 (UTC)Reply
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