in contrast with many of his scholar-gentry colleagues who lacked a military training, định was regarded as having a good understanding of the capabilities and limitations of his armed resistance. định hoped to wear down the french over an extended period by exploiting the constant outbreak of malaria among the europeans. during the initial phase of the invasion in 1858, the french had suffered heavily from tropical disease. định calculated that such illnesses would partly compensate for the inferior weaponry of his forces. he attempted to maintain an administration parallel to the one imposed on the districts by the french admirals. these objectives required a high degree of regional coordination, something that was impossible without the support of the imperial bureaucracy. định's appeal among the peasantry was attributed to their gratitude for his administration of the "đồn điền". under such a system, he was responsible for assisting them in matters such as clearing land, educating the community, providing health care and mediating disputes. joining the resistance army was seen as a means of showing trust and gratitude. "hịch trương định" ("the proclamation of trương định"), which was believed to have been written in 1862 or 1863, emphasised such themes. it read: