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| | '''Ho Chi Minh''', born on May 19, 1890 as Nguyen Tat Thanh, was a [[Vietnam]]ese revolutionary who imposed one-party rule on North [[Vietnam]], dashing any hopes of it becoming a [[Democracy|democratic]] [[country]]. He was [[prime minister]] of the Viet Minh, a [[communist]] proto-state, from 1945 to 1955. The Viet Minh became the government of North Vietnam in 1954. Ho became president in 1955 and held this position until [[death]] on September 2, 1969. Ho was more a figurehead than a leader. Although Le Duan, the [[political party|party boss]], maintained a lower profile, he was a more powerful leader. "Ho" is a surname while "Chi Minh" means "the one who brings light." [[Vietnamese]] generally call him ''Bác Hồ'' (Uncle Ho). This phrase was coined in imitation of "Uncle Joe," one of [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]]'s nicknames. Official [[propaganda]] stresses that Ho was celibate and dedicated only to welfare of the nation. Few Vietnamese are aware that he was married to [[Tang Tuyet Minh]], a [[Chinese]] [[Catholic]] who lived in [[Guangzhou.]] After the [[Vietnam War]] ended in 1975, [[Saigon]] was renamed [[Ho Chi Minh City]]. | | '''Ho Chi Minh''', born on May 19, 1890 as Nguyen Tat Thanh, was a [[Vietnam]]ese revolutionary who imposed one-party rule on North [[Vietnam]], dashing any hopes of it becoming a [[Democracy|democratic]] [[country]]. He was [[prime minister]] of the Viet Minh, a [[communist]] proto-state, from 1945 to 1955. The Viet Minh became the government of North Vietnam in 1954. Ho became president in 1955 and held this position until [[death]] on September 2, 1969. Ho was more a figurehead than a leader. Although Le Duan, the [[political party|party boss]], maintained a lower profile, he was a more powerful leader. "Ho" is a surname while "Chi Minh" means "the one who brings light." [[Vietnamese]] generally call him ''Bác Hồ'' (Uncle Ho). This phrase was coined in imitation of "Uncle Joe," one of [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]]'s nicknames. Official [[propaganda]] stresses that Ho was celibate and dedicated only to welfare of the nation. Few Vietnamese are aware that he was married to [[Tang Tuyet Minh]], a [[Chinese]] [[Catholic]] who lived in [[Guangzhou.]] After the [[Vietnam War]] ended in 1975, [[Saigon]] was renamed [[Ho Chi Minh City]]. |
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| − | ==Life and Career == | + | ==Life and career == |
| | Nguyen Tat Thanh left Vietnam at the age of 20. He traveled to [[London]], [[New York]] and [[Paris]] and took different jobs (among others: worked as a [[ship]] steward, gardener, cook in a restaurant). While working on a ship he used name Nguyen Van Ba, then he returned to his original name. | | Nguyen Tat Thanh left Vietnam at the age of 20. He traveled to [[London]], [[New York]] and [[Paris]] and took different jobs (among others: worked as a [[ship]] steward, gardener, cook in a restaurant). While working on a ship he used name Nguyen Van Ba, then he returned to his original name. |
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| | In 1925 he was sent to [[China]], officially as a staff member of the [[Soviet]] Consulate in [[Canton]], in fact as a [[Comintern]] agent. Then he became the Director of the Comintern Office in [[Shanghai]]. Since then, until the start of the [[Second World War]] he traveled a lot over [[Asia]]. | | In 1925 he was sent to [[China]], officially as a staff member of the [[Soviet]] Consulate in [[Canton]], in fact as a [[Comintern]] agent. Then he became the Director of the Comintern Office in [[Shanghai]]. Since then, until the start of the [[Second World War]] he traveled a lot over [[Asia]]. |
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| − | * Ho throughout his life was a dedicated [[Communist international]]ist. In 1938 Ho went from [[Moscow]] to Moa's side at [[Yenan]].<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=NJcolGHWfzoC&pg=PA288&lpg=PA288&dq=chi+minh%2Bmao%2Byenan&source=bl&ots=MqYmygssrY&sig=HuS7BoXeptzMYrD_EJfYeEaZTMk&hl=en&ei=cVHDTY7UA5CPsgav0qneAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CC4Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=chi%20minh%2Bmao%2Byenan&f=false [[OSS]] in China: prelude to Cold War]], By Maochun Yu.</ref><ref>http://www.oldwardogs.us/2006/12/understanding_r.html</ref> | + | * Ho throughout his life was a dedicated [[Communist international]]ist. In 1938 Ho went from [[Moscow]] to Moa's side at [[Yenan]].<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=NJcolGHWfzoC&pg=PA288&lpg=PA288&dq=chi+minh%2Bmao%2Byenan&source=bl&ots=MqYmygssrY&sig=HuS7BoXeptzMYrD_EJfYeEaZTMk&hl=en&ei=cVHDTY7UA5CPsgav0qneAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CC4Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=chi%20minh%2Bmao%2Byenan&f=false [[OSS]] in China: prelude to Cold War], By Maochun Yu.</ref><ref>http://www.oldwardogs.us/2006/12/understanding_r.html</ref> |
| | * Ho Chi Minh was a [[Nationalism| | | * Ho Chi Minh was a [[Nationalism| |
| − | nationalist]] in the sense that he had a special affection for Vietnam’s people and favored Vietnamese unification and independence, but, from his reading of [[Lenin]]’s Theses onward, he firmly adhered to the [[Leninist]] principle that Communist [[nation]]s should subordinate their interests to those of the international Communist movement. <ref>http://www.triumphforsaken.com/index.php?pr=Excerpt</ref> | + | nationalist]] in the sense that he had a special affection for Vietnam’s people and favored Vietnamese unification and independence, but, from his reading of [[Lenin]]’s Theses onward, he firmly adhered to the [[Leninist]] principle that Communist [[nation]]s should subordinate their interests to those of the international Communist movement.<ref>http://www.triumphforsaken.com/index.php?pr=Excerpt</ref> |
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| | ==External links== | | ==External links== |