In May 1885, de Courcy arrived in Hanoi and took control of French military power in order to remove the mandarins Thuyết and Tường. Most historians[who?] agree that de Courcy felt France's military might was enough to cow the Vietnamese and that he was a strong advocate of the use of force. However, there appears to be contention regarding the French government's endorsement, if any, of de Courcy's agenda.