Ho Chi Minh was born on the 19th May 1890 in Kim Lien, a village within the Nghe An province, Central Vietnam. His early childhood and influence of family embedded within him the ideals that he would hold, believe and fight for during his later life. Ho's family had strong Vietnamese beliefs and practised traditional customs, always maintaining patriotic pride in their country and heritage. His father, a dedicated nationalist, was an official at the Vietnamese Imperial Court and was dismissed because of his critical attitude towards French domination in Vietnam. At an early age Ho found himself following in his fathers footsteps; running messages for the anti-French underground and being expelled from school for not conforming to French rule.
During Ho's travels overseas, he encountered and studied the Marxist ideals of Socialism and Communism. Ho came to believe that the only way to gain independence in Vietnam was with Communism.
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Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi, Vietnam
By ferry across Saigon RiverHis encounters with the Russians and Chinese encouraged the idea of Vietnamese independence under Communist rule. Settling in Paris, Ho set about preparing for the independence of Vietnam. It was at this time that the Versailles Treaty was being conducted. Seizing the opportunity, Ho donned a cutaway coat and tried to present the assembly with a lengthy list of French abuses in Vietnam. Much to his dismay, the paper was rejected, but his determination had not been lost. He founded the French Communist party, and from 1927 to 1930, Ho was encouraged to train at Comintern to help promote communist revolution throughout the world.
During the occupation of Vietnam by Japan at the start of WW2, Ho was forced to return home for the first time in 30 years. What he brought was a spirit of rebellion; against the Japanese, French and later the Americans. This was when he...