Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh was one of the most well known Vietnamese leaders of all time. Ho Chi Minh was the leader of North and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War between 1954 and 1975. Ho Chi Minh was also the leader of the Vietnamese communist regime at that time. Ho Chi Minh was leading his country towards a nationalist movement at the end of the war. Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter to the French with the following five demands: The French Gov will recognize the Viet Minh Government, The Viet Minh will recognize the authority of the French Gov and during a period of 5 to 6 years-after which time the Vietnamese will be granted their independence, During this time the Vietnamese will be “autonomous� in their affairs, The French Gov will have privileges in area of industry and commerce, and the French will be permitted to advise on foreign affairs. These demands were met for quite sometime, but eventually fell apart.
Ho Chi Minh was nominated president of Vietnam in 1955 as the Geneva Convention guaranteed a national election, however South Vietnam refused to have free elections and instead “prepared for war�. In 1959 Ho's government began to provide active support for the “National Liberation Front in South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which escalated the fighting that had begun in 1957. In late 1964 North Vietnamese combat troops were sent southwest into neutral in Laos. During the mid to late 1960s, Ho permitted 320,000 Chinese volunteers into northern North Vietnam to help build infrastructure for the country, thereby freeing a similar number of North Vietnamese forces to go south.
Ho Chi Minh died while the Vietnam War was still undecided. To this day Ho Chi Minh is considered to the people of Vietnam to be God-like and continues to be idolized for efforts in Vietnam.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho_Chi_Minh
Jodi Kurth