Hoàng Hoa Thám

Hoàng Hoa Thám (1858-1913) also known as Đề Thám (Colonel Thám), was the Vietnamese leader of the Yên Thế Insurrection, holding out against French control in Northern Vietnam for 25 years.

Born Trương Văn Thám (chữ Hán 張文探）in Tiên Lữ, Hưng Yên, Hoàng Hoa Thám (chữ Hán 黃花探) was the better known adopted name whilst his nom-de-guerre was Đề Thám (chữ Hán ). "Đề" is the shortened form of "Đề đốc" (chữ Nho: 提督), denoting the rank of a colonel or admiral, an appellation adopted by Hoàng Hoa Thám as he was never commissioned by the Nguyễn court.

Hoàng Hoa Thám's parents had both died after joining a resistance group in the mountains rallying against the Court of Hue. Seeking anonymity, his paternal uncle fled to the Yên Thế area, changing the family name from Trương to Hoàng.

As the Protectorate consolidated control in Tonkin, French troops under Joseph Gallieni swept thru Yên Thế in 1890-91, routing most of the resistance fighters. Gallieni's campaign however was halted when Đề Thám attacked the railway, seizing trains, supplies and even capturing a local official for ransom. Against Gallieni's wishes, the French authorities agreed to make peace, granting Đề Thám a regional fiefdom. This made him the rallying cry for other anti-French movements. Subsequent military campaigns chipped away at the fiefdom but Đề Thám's exploits and fame proved to be a thorn in the flank of the Protectorate well into the 20th century.

Đề Thám's rule came to an end when he was killed in Thái Nguyên on 10 February (or March 18) 1913 at the hands of one of his men, Lương Tam Kỳ; Kỳ was a former Black Flag Army commander who later turned, working as a spy for the French.

Hoàng Hoa Thám is respected as a nationalist hero in Vietnam. Many buildings and streets are named after him, but also Operation Hoàng Hoa Thám during the Vietnam War.

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