Wikipedia:Today's featured article/April 7, 2011

Phan Dinh Phung (1847–1896) was a Vietnamese revolutionary who led rebel armies against French colonial forces in Vietnam. He was the most prominent of the Confucian court scholars involved in anti-French military campaigns in the 19th century and was cited after his death by 20th-century nationalists as a national hero. Born into a family of mandarins, Phan quickly rose through the ranks under Emperor Tu Duc, gaining a reputation for his integrity and uncompromising stance against corruption. Upon Tu Duc's death, the regent Ton That Thuyet disregarded Tu Duc's will of succession, and three emperors were deposed and killed in just over a year. Along with Thuyet, Phan organised rebel armies as part of the Can Vuong movement, which sought to expel the French. This campaign continued for three years until 1888, when the French captured Ham Nghi and exiled him to Algeria. Phan and his military assistant Cao Thang continued their guerrilla campaign, building a network of spies, bases and small weapons factories. However, Cao Thang was killed in a campaign in late 1893. The decade-long campaign eventually wore Phan down, and he died from dysentery as the French surrounded his forces. (more...)

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