Ho Chi Minh
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
 |
This can be discussed on the article's talk page. |
Hồ Chí Minh (May 19, 1890 - September 2, 1969) was the leader (at one time Premier, then later President) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (later the Socialist Republic of Vietnam).
'Hồ Chí Minh', meaning 'Hồ (a common Vietnamese last name) with the will of light', was not his real name. He took this name around the time of the August Revolution in 1945. His name was Nguyễn Sinh Cung when he was born. At age ten, he changed his name to Nguyễn Tất Thanh, according to Confucian tradition. He would later use many 'pseudonyms' (false names). Other than 'Hồ Chí Minh', his most famous name was probably Nguyễn Ái Quốc meaning 'Nguyễn (by far the most common Vietnamese last name) who loves his country'. Communist Vietnamese people commonly refer to him as Bác Hồ (Uncle Hồ).
President Hồ Chí Minh is often called "the Vietnamese George Washington" by Communist Vietnamese. He devoted his life to expelling the French, who had conquered Vietnam, and introducing Communism to Vietnam.
When his Communist-led rebellion against France succeeded, a Communist republic was set up in the northern half of the country. A non-Communist government was set up in the southern half of the country, because the United States did not want the whole of Vietnam to be Communist. But Hồ Chí Minh wanted to unite all of Vietnam. He especially wanted the rice fields of the South, so that Vietnam could survive without trading too much with other countries (độc lập) (see juche and autarky). When South Vietnam and America did not keep their promise to hold an election and unite the two halves into one country, Hồ led Vietnam into into a military and political struggle to reunify the country. Two decades of terrible war followed, killing millions of Vietnamese. The United States helped South Vietnam, even after its government of Ngô Đình Diệm was overthrown and replaced by a military dictatorship.
In the end, North Vietnam won the war several years after Hồ Chí Minh died.
Ignoring his stated last wish to be cremated, and that his ashes be buried in hills in the north, center, and south of Vietnam, those who took his place put his body in a mausoleum where he is still honored.
Some Vietnamese blame Hồ Chí Minh for the repression carried out by Communist Vietnamese in general, both before and even after he died. He has also been blamed by some for the starvation caused by the policies of the Communist government.
In 1976, Saigon was renamed after his name, Ho Chi Minh city.
