Ho Chi Minh

Historical Context

Rise to Prominence

Background

Japanese conquest during WWII

Rise of Asian Nationalism and Communism

Decolonisation in Indochina

The Cold War and the policy of Containment

19 May 1890 - Born as Nguyen Sinh Cung in Hoang Tru (Annam)

Aged 11 named Nguyen Tat Thanh

9 May 1908 - First political action - interpreter for peasants protesting high taxes

18 June delivered plan to French president and Allied delegation plan at Versailles

1919 - Founding member of Association of Annamese Patriots

As youth, influenced by nationalistic ideas from dad/family friend Vuong Thuc Qui

Dec 1917 - Lived in Paris

5 June 1911 - Left by ship, wandered world, visiting France, North/West Africa, Arabia, India, Madagascar and South America.

1912 - Arrived in US then London

Next day expelled from school - National Academy - Went on the run

Saw it necessary to understand enemy in order to defeat them

"I saw that i must go abroad to see for myself. After i had found out how they live, I would return ... to help my country men

Developed interest in social justice and human rights

Created 8 point plan demanding political reform

1920 - Began regularly attending French Socialist Party meeting

1921 - Ho became active in the French Communist Party

22 Oct - Invited to Russia by Dimitri Manuilsky

30 June 1923 - Arrived in Moscow, invited to study at University of Toilers of the East

Got instruction from Marx's Theory of historical materialism and the Communist interpretation of the Russian Revolution

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23 June/1 July 1924 - Addressed Fifth Congress of Comintern

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1924 - Appointed to the Executive Committee of the Dalburo

1924 - Sent to Asia as a secret agent to make contact with communists

Primary objective - create a new Vietnamese revolutionary part

created the 'Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League'

1927 - Escaped to Canton, escaping a raid by Chinese Officials.

Returned to Moscow, travelled to Germany,France, Italy,Thailand

1930 - "Unity Conference" in Hong Kong - Formed the ICP

1931 - Arrested in Hong Kong

1934 - Returned to Moscow

1938 - Released from Moscow commitments - Sent back to China as a secret agent

1939 - Took up residency in southeast China - Became familiar with Mao Zedong's concept of a peoples war

1941 - Started 60 km journey back to Vietnam

1941 - Eight Plenum chaired by Ho - created Viet Minh (League fo Independence of Vietnam)

1945 - (General Order Number One)

Wrote instruction manual for guerrilla warfare

Armed uprising would end in defeat against French/Japs

1945 - Took Hanoi in a bloodless coup

Directed Viet Minh to encourage civil disobedience and create chaos

Consolidation of already occupied land