Basic Information
Name: Hồ Chí Minh, born Nguyễn Sinh Cung
Nickname: Bringer of Light, Nguyen the Accomplished, Despot of Vietnam, Communist Warlord, Uncle Ho
Born: May 19, 1890
Died: September 2, 1969
Nationality: Vietnam
Hometown: Nghệ An Province
WORK & EDUCATION
Occupation: Politician, Prime Minister, Revolutionary
Education: Communist University of the Toilers of the East
FAMILY & FRIENDS
Parents: Nguyễn Sinh Sắc, Hoàng Thị Loan
Siblings: Bạch Liên, Nguyễn Sinh Khiêm, Nguyễn Sinh Nhuận
Spouse: Zeng Xueming, Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Nông Thị Xuân
Children: None
Friends: Confucius, Marcel Cachin, Phạm Văn Đồng, Karl Marx, Joseph Stalin, the Viet Cong
Foes: Ngô Đình Diệm, Lyndon B. Johnson, General Westmoreland, most of France, some of America, JFK, Dwight Eisenhower
Analysis
The Accomplished…
Ho Chi Minh is remembered as the man with perhaps the greatest goatee ever lovingly groomed.
Oh, and yeah: he's also remembered as the guy behind Vietnam's independence. He set Vietnam on a path against France, successfully fought for his country's freedom, and became the first president of the nation. He was also the leader of the Northern forces (Viet Cong) during the Vietnam War against the South and the U.S.
Pretty impressive, but then again his father did name him "The Accomplished" by age ten. (We wonder what effect such a nickname has on a young kid's ego…)
Mr. Accomplished is usually seen as the bad guy of the Vietnam War, since he led the forces that America was fighting against. But he could also be compared to a kind of George Washington, a man who rises up and fights for his country's independence. With Ho Chi Minh's help, Vietnam won its independence from France, just like Washington helped the U.S.A. win independence from Britain.
But the big difference between them (besides wearing wigs vs. having awesome facial hair, of course) was that Ho Chi Minh was strongly communist. And we know how America has always felt about communism.
…Or Red Menace?
The Vietnam War was all about communism, and America was fighting to stop Ho Chi Minh from spreading his beliefs across the whole country. America saw communism as evil; Ho Chi Minh saw it as helpful for his people. Different strokes for different folks, we guess.
When the Tonkin Gulf Resolution was passed by the U.S., Ho Chi Minh was not a part of any discussions. He was the enemy, and the U.S. intended to take him out. He didn't lead any soldiers in battle, but he was certainly calling the shots. He gave the order for the disastrous Tet Offensive (well, disastrous for the U.S., not for Mr. Minh), which shocked America into realizing they were dealing with a deadly foe.
Ho Chi Minh didn't live to see the full end of the Vietnam War. An illness took his life in 1969, four years before the war would actually end. His death didn't change the outcome of the war though, as the U.S. still pulled its forces out and Ho Chi Minh's successors took over South Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh is remembered today in Vietnam thanks to the capital city being renamed Ho Chi Minh City (changed from Saigon).
Villain, or hero? Guess it depends which side you're on.