Ho Chi Minh (1954-1969)
Ho Chi Minh was born on May 19, 1890 and died on September 2, 1969. In 1941, he found and led the Viet Minh, a national organization organized to seek independence from Japan. When Japan began occupying Vietnam, the Viet Minh received support from the United States and the Republic of China to stop Japan’s invasion. When World War II ended, Japan surrendered to the allies and lost control of Vietnam. Vietnam became independent; Minh was elected president of North Vietnam and established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. However, the French intended on reestablishing their supremacy in Vietnam. Their interference resulted in the First Indochina War. The war which began in 1946 ended in 1954 with the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Conference which led to the Geneva Accords of 1954, an agreement that ended the First Indochina War, forced the withdrawal of the remaining French troops, and divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel. In the meantime, Ngo Dinh Diem who opposed Communism was governing the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). Due to the Geneva Accords, in 1956, a national election was held to reunify Vietnam. However, Diem found the election unjust because most of Vietnam’s population was in North Vietnam which Ho Chi Minh was the communist ruler of. Consequently, the election was canceled. Though Minh wasn’t president of South Vietnam, he sent his advisor, Le Duan to check it out. After finding out that Diem had been imprisoning leaders who had opposed him for cancelling the election, Minh decided the only way he could reunify Vietnam was if North Vietnam promoted armed resistance. Therefore, his Viet Minh trained and sent their guerillas to South Vietnam to spread the word of communism. At the same time because he despised how Diem cancelled the elections, he began encouraging different armed forces to join together. By 1960, this organization came to be known as the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong traveled to South Vietnam to get civilians to support Communism but, to persuade them, they performed good deeds to them such by aiding them in their daily work, not damaging their land or their crops, not spoiling their houses or belongings, and by not buying or borrowing what they are not willing to sell or lend.
The United States who was non-communist did not appreciate North Vietnam buying its way into making South Vietnam become Communist so President Lyndon B. Johnson who was elected in 1964 launched the Operation Rolling Thunder. His plan was for the US forces to destroy the guerillas; in the process the United States dropped thousands of bombs on Vietnam. Ultimately, Ho Chi Minh was important during the Vietnam War because he formed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. He also started and led the Viet Minh and Viet Cong which he sent to crush South Vietnam’s government so that he could reunite North and South Vietnam and turn the country communist.
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The United States who was non-communist did not appreciate North Vietnam buying its way into making South Vietnam become Communist so President Lyndon B. Johnson who was elected in 1964 launched the Operation Rolling Thunder. His plan was for the US forces to destroy the guerillas; in the process the United States dropped thousands of bombs on Vietnam. Ultimately, Ho Chi Minh was important during the Vietnam War because he formed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. He also started and led the Viet Minh and Viet Cong which he sent to crush South Vietnam’s government so that he could reunite North and South Vietnam and turn the country communist.
Return to Homepage or Vietnam War Timeline