Việt Nam Quang Phục Hội

The Việt Nam Quang phục Hội (Vietnamese: [vìət naːm kwaːŋ fùk hôjˀ], Vietnam Restoration League) was a nationalist republican militant revolutionary organization of Vietnam that was active in the 1910s, under the leadership of Phan Bội Châu and Prince Cường Để. Formed in March 1912, its objective was to overthrow French colonial rule in Vietnam and establish a democratic republic. The organization failed to gain momentum, crippled by arrests of its members.

The formation of Quang Phục Hội came after a meeting in March 1912 in the southern Chinese city of Canton. The meeting brought together the remnants of the Duy Tân hội (Reformation Society) which had been the leading revolutionary organization since the start of the 20th century. It had a monarchist bent, but had lost direction. The new organization was patterned after the Chinese republican Tongmenghui. Its stated aim was to "drive out the French bandits, restore Vietnam, establish a democratic republic".

The group debated whether a democratic republican model or a monarchy should be the objective. Châu cited Rousseau's arguments in advocating a republic, asserting that democracy was becoming a stronger force in China, especially among those Chinese who could assist them. Châu gained support from colleagues from northern and central Vietnam, including Thượng Hiền. On the other hand, the southerners, who tended to be more conservative and supportive of Prince Cường Để, a direct descendant of Emperor Gia Long, founder of the Nguyễn dynasty, were more inclined towards a return of the monarchy.

According to Châu's account, a majority of the participants agreed to make Cường Để the President of the newly formed group. Châu was named vice president, while ministries were created, with a delegate from each of Vietnam's three regions in each ministry. The most important of these was the "deliberative ministry", with Châu, Nguyễn Thượng Hiền and Nguyễn Thần Hiến representing the northern, central and southern regions respectively. The various military, financial and propaganda tasks were allocated, and the group dispersed. Some members went back to Vietnam while others stayed in the border provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi along the Chinese border with Vietnam. Châu spent most of his time fundraising. This was an urgent matter, since his usual financial advisor, Lý Tue, had been jailed in Vietnam and funding from Vietnam was beginning to dwindle. Châu decided to raise funds by issuing large numbers of Quang Phục Hội "military bonds". The group promised to reimburse the investors within two years, assuring the purchasers that they would come to power.

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