The Viet Minh. 1940-1954

Overview

• The Viet Minh, or the Revolutionary League for the Independence of Vietnam, was a resistance movement led by Ho Chi Minh. It was a coalition of communist and nationalist groups who aimed to gain Vietnamese independence from French control. They also opposed the Japanese occupation.

Development

• The Viet Minh was heavily influenced by the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP), which was founded in 1930 by Ho Chi Minh. The Viet Minh itself was founded in 1941, also by Ho Chi Minh.

Aims• Ho Chi Minh released a document outlining his policy for Vietnam in

1938, and this document summed up his aims for Vietnam. The Viet Minh aimed tried to achieve these goals.

• The goals were:

• 1. Indepedence from French Control.

• 2. Freedom of organisation.

• 3. Freedom of assembly.

• 4. Freedom of the press.

• 5. Freedom of speech.

Leadership & Organisation• The Viet Minh were led by Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) and Vo Nguyen Giap.

Ho’s original name was Nguyen Sinh Cuong but this name was was changed.

• Ho Chi Minh was born in Vietnam but left for Europe in 1911. Whilst there, he joined the French Communist Party in 1917 and became involved in the international communist movement. In 1930, he founded the ICP.

• In 1941, Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam and founded the Viet Minh. He oversaw military victories against both French and Japanese occupations in World War II but was imprisoned in China between 1942-43.

• In 1945, Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence of Vietnam that caused strikes across the country.

Ho Chi Minh

Leadership & Organisation

• In 1950, Ho Chi Minh met with Stalin and Mao in Moscow when the soviet union recognised his government. It was agreed that China would back the Viet Minh and train soldiers; this enabled the escalation of the fight against France.

• Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh eventually won against France in 1954 after the important victory at Điện Biên Phủ.

Ho Chi Minh

Actions• The Viet Minh launched a successful guerrilla warfare campaign

against the French and Japanese between 1943 and 1945.

• The Viet Minh took control of Hanoi and Cochinchina in 1945 and Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the indepedence of Vietnam on the second of september, 1945.

• The French did not accept the declaration of independence and peace talks failed to resolve the issue. The First Indochinese War started shortly after in 1946 when the Viet Minh attacked French military and the French responded, attacking the port of Haiphong and killing 6000 Vietnamese.

Actions• The First Indochinese War came to a climax

with the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, which was a French military base, in 1954. Both sides saw this battle as a major opportunity to weaken the other side.

• The Viet Minh eventually gained control of Dien Bien Phu but both sides suffered severe casualties.

• The First Indochinese War came to an end shortly after when French, USSR and United States representatives met in Geneva and held the Geneva Conference. This conference decided what would become of the Vietnam conflict amongst other things.

Bibliography• Anderson M., Keese I., Low A., Challenge, Change &

Continuity: Modern history preliminary course, Pg. 123, Opposition to the French. Pg. 124, Ho Chi Minh and the rise of Vietnamese nationalism/communism. Pg. 125, Impact of World War II. Pg. 125/126/127, Strategies of the Viet Minh. Pg. 127, The defeat of France and decolonisation in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

• Pictures• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_North_Vietnam_1945-1955.svg• http://www.photius.com/images/vn05_02a.jpg• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho_Chi_Minh• http://www.photius.com/images/vn05_02b.jpg