Early Life

Source : https://jacobin.com/

Ho Chi Minh was born Nguyen Sinh Cung on May 19, 1890, in Kim Lien village, central Vietnam. His parents were Hoang Thi Loan and Nguyen Sinh Sac. During this time, Vietnam was part of French Indochina, which also included Laos and Cambodia. His father, a low-ranking official, opposed French rule in Vietnam. Ho attended the National Academy in Hue but was expelled for protesting against Vietnamese Emperor Bao Dai's collaboration with the French.

In 1911, using the name Ba, he found work as a cook on a French ship. For over three years, he sailed to African ports and American cities like Boston and New York. Living in London from 1915 to 1917, he moved to France, where he worked various jobs such as gardener, sweeper, waiter, and ovenman. In France, Ho Chi Minh joined the French Communist Party, adopting the name Nguyen Ai Quoc, meaning "Nguyen the Patriot." He gathered Vietnamese residents in France to petition for equal rights in Indochina, but their plea was ignored.

Inspired by Lenin's Russian Revolution, Ho joined the French Communist Party in 1920. Invited to Moscow in 1923 for the Communist International, he criticized French Communists for not opposing colonialism strongly enough. Conversely, Ho faced criticism for prioritizing nationalism over communism. Ho then recruited members for the Vietnamese nationalist movement, laying the groundwork for the Indochinese Communist Party in Hong Kong by May 1929. His global travels included Brussels, Paris, and Thailand, representing the Communist International. Sentenced to death by the French colonial government for his activism, Ho spent the 1930s in China and the Soviet Union.

Japanese Colonization and The Founding of the Viet Minh

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During World War II, after France's defeat by Germany in 1940, Ho Chi Minh and his colleagues planned to return to Vietnam. In January 1941, Ho Chi Minh, along with Vo Nguyen Giap and Pham Van Dong, established the Viet Minh (League for Vietnamese Independence). Initially, the Viet Minh sought aid from China’s nationalist government, but Ho was imprisoned for 18 months until he made a deal with a local warlord to support Chinese interests in Indochina. Ho then formed alliances with various groups, including the United States, to combat Japanese forces. The US, through the OSS, provided weapons and training to the Viet Minh. Ho Chi Minh's guerrilla tactics successfully targeted Japanese forces and food supplies. Following Japan's surrender, Ho Chi Minh’s troops entered Hanoi on August 19, 1945. On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence in a speech in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh square, echoing the US Declaration of Independence.

First Indochina War

After Vietnam declared independence, the country faced many challenges. According to World War II treaties, Chiang Kai-shek's troops were supposed to push the Japanese north of the 16th parallel, while France, led by Charles de Gaulle, wanted to take back control of Vietnam. French forces took over southern Vietnam, including Saigon. Ho Chi Minh tried to negotiate with France to get Chinese troops out and to recognize Vietnam's independence and reunification. However, in October 1946, a French ship attacked Haiphong, leading to the First Indochina War on December 19, 1946.

In July 1949, France brought back Bao Dai and created the State of Vietnam (South Vietnam) with Saigon as the capital. The Viet Minh, led by Vo Nguyen Giap, used guerrilla tactics to fight French and Bao Dai's troops, controlling most of the countryside by the end of 1953. The war ended with the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954. The Geneva Accords, with Pham Van Dong representing Ho Chi Minh, divided Indochina and planned elections for Vietnam's reunification in 1956.

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President of North Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh became president of North Vietnam and aimed to unite his country under communist rule. North Vietnam, unlike the wealthier South, was economically poor and cut off from the fertile farmlands of the south. To survive, North Vietnam relied heavily on support from communist allies like China and the Soviet Union.

In 1954, Ho Chi Minh started a land reform effort inspired by China, but it failed within two years and angered Vietnamese farmers, leading to widespread rebellion. Faced with difficulties, Ho's government became stricter and more controlling. Efforts to change farming practices in 1955-1956 were harsh and caused many casualties.

In international relations, Ho Chi Minh traveled to Moscow and Beijing in 1955, and to New Delhi and Jakarta in 1958. He skillfully balanced relationships with his powerful allies, even acting as a peacemaker between the Soviet Union and China during his visit to Moscow in 1960. Throughout the Vietnam War, he received substantial support from both communist giants, maintaining North Vietnam's position between them.

Second Indochina War (Vietnam War)

Starting in 1959, North Vietnam joined a new war. Viet Cong guerrillas rebelled against South Vietnam's government, supported by the United States. They sought help from their former leaders in North Vietnam. By July 1959, North Vietnam decided that achieving socialism depended on reuniting with the South. Ho Chi Minh then passed his role as Secretary General to Le Duan but remained the head of state, working mostly behind the scenes. Ho Chi Minh became a symbolic figure for Vietnam, affectionately known as Uncle Ho, symbolizing unity for the divided nation. Meanwhile, the United States increased support for South Vietnam, sending money and troops starting in December 1961. American airstrikes on North Vietnam began in 1965, escalating the conflict significantly.

The End of His Life

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In 1967, Ho Chi Minh's health got worse. He is seen as the father of the nation and a hero in North Vietnam. On September 2, 1969, Ho Chi Minh died of heart failure at his home in Hanoi at age 79. His death came almost six years before the South Vietnamese government fell and American troops left, ending the Vietnam War and uniting the country.

During his life, Ho Chi Minh fought and won against three types of colonialism: from France, Japan, and the powerful United States. He worked with Yugoslav leader Joseph Broz Tito to develop "national communism" in the 1960s, focusing on the importance of peasants in revolutions.

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