Precious Than Independence and Liberty

¶ … Precious Than Independence and Liberty Ho Chi Minh Ho Chi Minh, which means 'He Who Enlightens', represents a leader whose early background is a mystery. His exact date of birth and birth name cannot be verified and changes depending on the research site. One thing that represents facts in relation to Ho Chi Minh is the loyalty of most Vietnamese people and the contributions he made in making Vietnam the independent country it has become.

The purpose of this essay is to summarize the early life of Ho Chi Minh from birth through the 2nd World War and determine how he was able to gain the admiration of the Vietnamese people. Ho Chi Minh was born in 1890 but the exact date is the topic of debate.

Charles Kirkpatrick, in the Vietnam magazine article, "Ho Chi Minh: North Vietnam Leader," as cited by Historynet.com declares, "He was probably born Nguyen Van Thanh, the youngest son of three children of Nguyen Tat Sac, in Kim Lien Village of Nghe an Province in Central Vietnam, on May 19, 1890" (Kirkpatrick 2010). His father was a teacher but according to one source, Minh was not allowed to teach because of his refusal to learn French as required by the French ruling Vietnam at this period in time (Historylearningsite 2010).

Minh spent time traveling the Vietnamese country using his education to help the poor by composing letters for them and offering basic medical services. According to Rit Nosotro, in the article, "Ho Chi Minh 1890-1969 Father of Guerilla Warfare and Free Vietnam," Minh and his father engaged in rebellious actions including a tax revolt against the French government (Nosotro 2003).

This along with the fierce determination of Minh to end the outside rule of Vietnam by the French, Japanese, and other nations lead to Minh being called 'Uncle Ho' by both his friends and his enemies (Wars and Battles 2010 Overview). Ho Chi Minh joined his father and sister at an early age in the quest to make Vietnam an independent nation.

The French had taken control of the country in the 1860's and the oppression of the people began with the loss of their homes and land to the French people as they established their territories. The Vietnamese could not live the district they inhabited without identity papers and many ended up in China and Thailand as exiles. The people were not allowed to organize, the education of the people caused many to become illiterate, and any form of expression was strictly prohibited.

Ho Chi Minh traveled extensively in his younger life living in England, the United States, and France before he joined the Communist Party and studied in Russia and China. He left Vietnam around 1911 and according to most sources did not return until after the 2nd World War had broken out. Due to the possibility of arrest by the French in Vietnam, Minh lived at times along the Chinese/Vietnamese border. Minh was a member of the French, Indochinese, and Communist International (Comintern) movements.

Ho Chi Minh was highly educated and attended various universities around the world according to the literature from numerous sources including the Eastern Worker's University and Lenin School in Moscow. He was trained in Moscow involving revolutionary tactics (Columbia Encyclopedia 2008). Minh had a strong desire to make Vietnam an independent country and spent his whole life in pursuit of this dream. In southern China, Minh trained the exiles in techniques involving revolutionary tactics.

According to by 1925 he had organized the exiles into the Viet Nam Thanh Nien Cach Menh Dong Chi Hoi (Revolutionary Youth League) and the inner group within the Revolutionary League, the Thanh Nien Cong San Doan, or Communist Youth League (CYL) (Wars and Battles 2010 the Revolutionary). Years of oppression and hardship drove the Vietnamese people to join Minh in his ideals. The seemingly ordinary man was highly educated according to all sources referred and his drive inspired those around him to join his fight.

In 1930, the French crackdown on the popular rising of the Communist supporters sent thousands to jail and Minh to Hong Kong where he served time in prison under the British crackdown on insurgents in the area. Minh was influential in the Japanese defeat in the area in World War 2 assisting the United States and allies in the war with Japan. It was during this time that Minh and his supporters learned the art of guerilla warfare in part from the Americans and Chinese.

They defeated the Japanese and recaptured some of the land from them during the war. Ho Chi Minh based his ideals on the capitalist value system as much as he did the communist. Had the United States been more sympathetic to the Vietnamese call for independence the outcome could have persuaded Minh to be even more.