Sisters in war. Carrying on as caregivers in French Indochina (1939-1946)

Although there is now a rich historiography of the Second World War in Indochina, it does not address the place of the women’s missionary congregations, their experience of the war, and how their activities evolved during the period. This paper is aimed at bridging this gap. It is based mainly on the archives of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary and the Daughters of Charity, focusing on the sisters’ caregiving activities. Three periods stand out: prior to the Japanese invasion of 9 March 1945, continuity with the colonial period prevailed, with Vichy France’s Révolution nationale policy being implemented in Indochina; the Japanese occupation increased shortages and the need to cope with them, but because of the special status granted to the sisters, they were less affected than the European population. It was above all the Viet Minh takeover after the August Revolution in 1945 that brought about the most important changes.