▁At ▁this ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁French ▁were ▁in ▁a ▁colonial ▁race ▁with ▁Great ▁Britain ▁and ▁were ▁pushing ▁hard ▁for ▁stronger ▁relations ▁with ▁Ind och ina . ▁This , ▁just ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Min h ▁M ạ ng , ▁also ▁brought ▁up ▁Christian ▁mission aries , ▁mostly ▁Spanish ▁and ▁French , ▁who ▁ignored ▁the ▁ban . ▁When ▁Tr ị ▁began ▁to ▁imprison ▁the ▁mission aries , ▁it ▁prompt ed ▁an ▁immediate ▁response ▁from ▁France . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 3 , ▁the ▁French ▁government ▁sent ▁a ▁military ▁expedition ▁to ▁Ind och ina ▁with ▁orders ▁to ▁protect ▁and ▁defend ▁French ▁interests , ▁free ▁the ▁illegal ▁mission aries , ▁if ▁possible ▁without ▁causing ▁an ▁international ▁incident . ▁ ▁Tr ị ' s ▁determ ination ▁to ▁eliminate ▁all ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁mission aries ▁from ▁his ▁country ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁recon ci led ▁with ▁a ▁peace ful ▁relationship ▁with ▁France . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 5 , ▁this ▁almost ▁prompt ed ▁a ▁cl ash ▁between ▁Vietnam ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁war ship ▁USS ▁Constitution ▁which ▁attempted ▁to ▁force ▁Tr ị ▁to ▁free ▁the ▁mission ary ▁Domin ique ▁Le f è b vre , ▁who ▁had ▁repeatedly ▁come ▁to ▁Vietnam ▁il leg ally ▁multiple ▁times . ▁The ▁French ▁task ▁force ▁reached ▁Tour ane ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁March ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁and ▁demanded ▁that ▁the ▁safety ▁of ▁French ▁national s ▁be ▁assured ▁and ▁for ▁Th i ệ u ▁Tr ị ▁to ▁ce ase ▁the ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁mission aries . ▁ ▁The