Immediately following the struggle of World War Two another great conflict was heating up in Vietnam. Revolution was in the air and was being led by the communist leader Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh’s declaration of independence of Vietnam from French rule on September 2nd, 1945 was the first step in securing a Vietnam free from colonization and a Vietnam of complete independence. Ho Chi Minh’s education in communist teachings pulled him to align with the French Communists which helped thrust him into his future role as leader of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Without Ho Chi Minh’s experiences outside of Vietnam and his establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the North Vietnamese may never have won the war in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh was crucial to North Vietnam’s success in the Vietnam War due to his establishment of the communist party in Vietnam, his role in building a strong North Vietnam, and his status as a symbol of revolutionary action. Ho Chi Minh’s first step of establishing a strong communist party in Vietnam was absolutely crucial towards securing the ultimate North Vietnamese win in Vietnam. Ho was the perfect leader when it came to influencing and establishing the communist
Riggs 2 party. Milton Osborne, a journalist for History Today wrote
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History has proved that leaders like Ho Chi Minh are nothing without their supporters. To the Vietnamese people Ho was a symbol of strength and hope that kept the Vietnamese people going, even though the odds were at times overwhelming. The United States launched multiple relentless bombing campaigns on North Vietnam. Soldiers and civilians were being killed in great numbers when Ho Chi Minh said, “Nothing is as dear to the heart of the Vietnamese as independence and liberation” (as cited in Lacouture, 2015). Ho was continuously inspiring and never gave up on his cause, propelling his country to ultimate
When Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh and his political organization, the Vietminh, seized control of their independence from France United States Politicians saw it as another communist take over. When really Ho was more a nationalist than a communist. All Minh wanted was for the United States to recognize its independence from France and to send aid to help it reach its nationalistic goals. "Before the Cold War Ho and the Vietmin...
The Vietnam War: A Concise International History is a strong book that portrays a vivid picture of both sides of the war. By getting access to new information and using valid sources, Lawrence’s study deserves credibility. After reading this book, a new light and understanding of the Vietnam war exists.
protect and care about North Vietnam but he accepted his fate and realized that if he
Vietnam was a highly debated war among citizens of the United States. This war was like no other with regards to how it affected people on the home front. In past war’s, the population of the United States mainly supported the war and admired soldiers for their courage. During the Vietnam War, citizens of the U.S. had a contradictory view than in the past. This dilemma of not having the support of the people originates from the culture and the time period.
In his article, “To Be Patriotic is to Build Socialsim”: Communist Ideology in Vietnam's Civil War, Tuong Vo challenges a standard view of the civil war between North and South Vietnam – the war is power struggle between the two camps. Based on a newly availble documents and other primary sources, Vu argues that “[V]ietnamese communists never wavered in their ideology loyalty during the period when key decisions about the civil war were made (1953–1960).....a modernizing socialist idology rather than a mere for national unification was driving the Vietnamese civil war from the north” (Vu 2009, 34–35).
The United States began sending troops to Vietnam to support the French in the 1950’s. During the next 25 years, the ensuing wars would cost 5 million people’s lives and create a series of domestic tensions in the U.S, like the Vietnam War protest movement and the Military Draft. Even though the Vietnam War had been considered the only war that Americans ever lost, many Americans believed it was a noble cause. Like President Johnson had said in 1965, “We have made a national pledge to help South Vietnam defend its independence. To dishonor that pledge, to abandon this small and brave nation to its enemies, and to the terror that must follow, would be an unforgivable wrong.”
The Vietnam war has been referred to by many names, one of the longer ones was 'the cornerstone of the free world southeast Asia'. It was called that by John F. Kennedy. He was talking about Vietnam being and essential country in a non-communist world. He believed that if Vietnam became a communist country, all of the surrounding countries would also become communists. This is the main reason America was involved in the Vietnam war. Another reason was that America wanted to spread their “political ideas around the globe”. They wanted to do this so that their anti-communism stance was clear. The public also wanted to keep communism from spreading. To soldiers, the war was like a crusade, a great journey to purge the communists from Vietnam. Sadly, this is not what happened. The Viet Cong (VC) had far better tactics than the US. The VC was told to 'nibble at the enemy' so that he could 'neither eat or sleep'. This worked very well. Another demoralizing tactic the VC used was their landmines; they were designed to blow the limbs off the soldiers without killing them. This tied up hospital beds and meant the soldiers had to carry the wounded back to the base.
After having been invaded and conquered by the French in 1850 and the Japanese during WWII, Ho Chi Minh, created an Army of 800 men known as the Vietminh, and with 90 rifles amongst then all, they set force to fight against the Japanese. Using this to their advantage, the United State seen this as a way to fight the Japanese without occurring any casualties. The United States covertly sent the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) into the Jungles of Vietnam to support the Vietminh by training and arming the them. After having defeated the Japanese, and declaring his country’s independence, Ho Chi Minh wrote a Declaration of Independence. Having found great value in the idea’s behind democracy, his Declaration of Independence would include idea’s
He sees that it is the weaker party , which only has a personnel strength of approximately 50,000 personnel to fight against America and its allies with modern equipment and weaponry . In addition to strength in terms of personnel , the leader of Vietnam 's Ho Chi Minh communist movement also realize that military equipment and soldiers fighting capability is very limited . But in terms of mastery of the battlefield as well as the support of the community in the Vietnam war , it is a positive factor and excellence in the fight against the Americans .
When the Vietnam War was heating up, he tried his very best to keep his words very straightforward and honest. He used pathos in his speech through the usage of the phrases, “a celebration of freedom,” and, “forge against these enemies.” By using these phrases, instead of making the war a task for the people, he made it out as saving the country for the people and for their kids. It wasn’t just a "go and fight," but more of a "go, win, and when you come back enjoy what you have accomplished. " Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country.”
In retrospect, it’s clear that the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese ability to combine both methods of warfare played a major role their victory. Their strategy provided them the tools they needed to win. In the end, they recognized that each type of warfare complimented the other to achieve their strategic goals.
Herring begins his account with a summary of the First Indochina War. He reports that the Vietnamese resisted French imperialism as persistently as they had Chinese. French colonial policies had transformed the Vietnamese economic and social systems, giving rise to an urban middle class, however; the exploitation of the country and its people stimulated more radical revolutionary activity. Herring states that the revolution of 1945 was almost entirely the personal creation of the charismatic leader Ho Chi Minh. Minh is described as a frail and gentle man who radiated warmth and serenity, however; beneath this mild exterior existed a determined revolutionary who was willing to employ the most cold- blooded methods in the cause to which he dedicated his life. With the guidance of Minh, the Vietminh launched as a response to the favorable circumstances of World War II. By the spring of 1945, Minh mobilized a base of great support. When Japan surrendered in 1945, the Vietminh filled the vacuum. France and the Vietminh attempted to negotiate an agreement, but their goals were irreconcilable.
The Vietnam War brought many tears and casualties to both the United States and Vietnam. Millions of soldiers lost their lives in the time consuming battle. On February 8, 1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson wrote a letter to Ho Chi Minh, Dictator of Vietnam at the time. President Johnson’s letter expresses his hopes of ending this conflict that has gone on so long in Vietnam. President Ho Chi Minh replied back on February 15, 1967 stating that it had been the United States that prolonged the wicked war. President Ho Chi Minh’s reply to President Johnson was the more persuasive of the two letters, because he appealed more to pathos, used stronger and bolder diction, and asked an important rhetorical question.
Chiang Kai Shek, who started out as military leader, built an enormous legacy that is tied around both China and Taiwan. Chiang was born on October 31, 1887, in a small town in Zhejiang province, China. Though his father died when he was at a young age, it never affected him, he continued to pursue in the military career. While in Japan attending the Imperial Japanese Army Academy, he devoted most of his time studying the work of Sun Yat Sen who was the leader of the nationalist party (Kuomintang) in China. After finishing his military training he joined the Kuomintang, where he worked under Sun. Sun sent Chiang to Moscow for further military training and appointed him to lead the Whampoa Military Academy. Soon after Sun died in 1925, Chiang took over and became the leader and president of the party. Chiang and the nationalist party continued to rule Mainland China until 1949, when they lost to the communist party in the Chinese civil war. Some historians may see Chiang’s legacy as a failure to create democracy in China and himself as dictator after taking full control over the leadership and presidency in Taiwan. However, other scholars see Chiang as the leader of democracy, as he attempted to unify and modernize China while in power. He unfortunately was defeated during the Chinese civil war and fled to Taiwan, where he brought democracy to the country. Chiang is an impressive figure that was able to reunify and lead a country that was recognized to be almost ungovernable, he had an extremely knowledgeable military mindset that was practically able to overthrow the communist party if the United States had continued to support, and most significantly he brought the system of democracy to Taiwan and modernized the country.
Poets were very prevalent in ancient China. Their poems often included vivid imagery of the land, romance, and praising of their leaders (“Chinese Poetry”). One of the most famous poets was Li Bai. Li Bai was also known as Li Po (“Li Bai”). Li Bai is now considered one of the greatest of the ancient Chinese poets, if not the greatest. Beginning at an early age, Li Bai had a deep love for words (“Biography of Li Bai”). When he grew up, he became a “wandering poet” (“Li Bai”). As a wandering poet, he got to meet a lot of people; eventually he became a very influential person in the Tang Dynasty. His influence would continue all the way to modern times. People often wonder what contributes to the influence a poet has on his or her community. For Li Bai, it was his love for travelling, his political positions, and his celebrity status which helped to increase the influence of his poems on everyday life in ancient China.