WAS HO CHI MINH A NATIONALIST OR A

COMMUNIST? .

. Ho Chi Minh 1890-1969

 YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT A
NATIONALIST IS (I HOPE)

• THINKING BACK TO OUR EARLIER DEFINITIONS OF NATIONALISM, NATIONALISM

IS ALSO WHEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE CONTROLLED BY ANOTHER COUNTRY,
AND THEY WANT THEIR INDEPENDENCE TO CONTROL THEIR OWN AFFAIRS.
• VIETNAMESE NATIONALISM IS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS.
• SO NOW THAT YOU KNOW WHAT NATIONALISM IS, WHAT IS COMMUNISM?
 WHAT IS
COMMUNISM?
 WHAT IS COMMUNISM?
A THEORY DESIGNED BY:
• KARL MARX (1818-1883), A
GERMAN WRITER AND
PHILOSOPHER AND
• FREDRICH ENGELS (1820-1895),
WRITER AND SON OF A GERMAN
BUSINESSMAN
• MARX AND ENGELS LIVED IN
BRITAIN MOST OF THEIR ADULT
LIFE AND CO-AUTHORED MANY
BOOKS

COMMUNISM IS OFTEN CALLED

MARXISM OR MARXISM-ENGELISM
 • COMMUNISM IS A THEORY ABOUT ECONOMICS AND
HISTORY
• MARX SAW HISTORY FROM AN ECONOMIC
VIEWPOINT
• HISTORY, HE SAID, IS THE STORY OF “CLASS
STRUGGLES”. CLASS IS DETERMINED BY THE
OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY. SO HISTORY WAS A
STRUGGLE BETWEEN:
PROPERTIED CLASSES VERSUS PROPERTY-LESS

MARX’S CLASSES
I.E. RICH VERSUS POOR
THEORY
REVOLUTION. A word often connected to
communism. The Russian revolution, the Chinese
revolution, the Vietnamese revolution.
Revolution means the overthrowing of an idea or
government and therefore establish a new
government. In the case of Russia, the
revolution overthrew the Tsar and established a
new government.
 REVOLUTION
“WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE, YOU HAVE
NOTHING TO LOSE BUT YOUR CHAINS”, KARL
MARX, THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO, 1848

IN MARXIST THEORY, WEALTHY BOURGEOIS CAPITALISTS, THE

OWNERS OF INDUSTRY, EXPLOITED THE PROLETARIAT. AS THE
CAPITALISTS GREW RICHER AND RICHER, THE PROLETARIAT
GROW POORER AND POORER.

EVENTUALLY THE PROLETARIAT WILL RISE UP, OVERTHROW THE

CAPITALISTS AND SEIZE THEIR PROPERTY.
 MARXIST HISTORY
THROUGHOUT HISTORY SOCIETIES HAVE BEEN
DIVIDED BETWEEN RICH AND POOR:
ANCIENT
MASTER VS. SLAVE

FEUDAL
(AN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY)
LORD VS. SERF

CAPITALIST
(AN INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY)
BOURGEOISIE VS. PROLETARIAT
(MIDDLE CLASS VS. WORKING CLASS)
 COMMUNISM

After the revolution the proletariat would rule but eventually true communism would emerge:

“From each according to his means, to each according to his needs”

Everyone would be equal

Communism would be a classless state, all the people would work honestly and in return receive what they need for a comfortable
life

No one would own property. Property was to be shared by all the people.
Marx expected this
revolution would take
place in one of the
industrial countries like
Germany or Britain
But it took place in Russia
which was a feudal,
agricultural country with
little industry
Why?
 LENINISM

• BECAUSE RUSSIA WAS A BACKWARD

AGRICULTURAL COUNTRY LENIN’S THEORY
WAS THAT THE SMALL WORKING CLASS
WOULD FORM AN ALLIANCE WITH THE
PEASANTS.
• RUSSIA WOULD SKIP THE CAPITALIST STAGE
• REVOLUTION WOULD TAKE RUSSIA FROM
FEUDAL TO COMMUNIST IN ONE STEP
 THE RUSSIAN
REVOLUTION 1917
• LENIN AND THE BOLSHEVIKS (RUSSIAN
COMMUNIST PARTY) OVERTHREW THE
GOVERNMENT AND SEIZED POWER IN
NOVEMBER 1917.
• UNDER LENIN A FEW COMMUNIST IDEAS
WERE INTRODUCED BUT CIVIL WAR FROM
1918 TO 1922 POSTPONED ITS FULL
INTRODUCTION
 WAS HO CHI MINH A NATIONALIST OR A
COMMUNIST?

WATCH VIDEO “HO CHI MINH” 0-26 MINUTES-(HISTORY CHANNEL

DOCO)
ALSO READ P. 13 OF WOOD
TAKE BULLET POINT NOTES ON NEXT SLIDE
 WAS HO CHI MINH A NATIONALIST OR A
COMMUNIST?
Nationalist Communist
HO CHI MINH
 PROBLEM SOLVING

• I WILL READ OUT DIFFERENT SCENARIOS

• IN GROUPS YOU WILL DECIDE, TRY TO GUESS WHICH ONE HO CHI MINH CHOSE.
• AFTER EACH EVENT I WILL SHOW YOU WHICH ONE HE ACTUALLY CHOSE!
HIGHLIGHT THIS IN YELLOW
 PROBLEM 1

FRANCE WAS DEFEATED BY GERMANY IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN 1940. THIS MADE IT
IMPOSSIBLE FOR FRANCE TO PROTECT HER VAST OVERSEAS EMPIRE. JAPAN SAW INDOCHINA AS A
STEPPING STONE TO THE REST OF SOUTH EAST ASIA. WHEN THE JAPANESE MADE A ‘REQUEST’ TO
MOVE THEIR TROOPS INTO THE REGION IN 1940, THE FRENCH WERE TOO WEAK TO REFUSE.
JAPANESE PROPAGANDA ASSERTED THAT THEY WERE THERE TO FREE THE PEOPLES OF ASIA FROM
COLONIAL RULE BY EUROPEAN POWERS.
A. WELCOME THE JAPANESE AS LIBERATORS (PEOPLE WHO HAVE SET YOU FREE) AND ASK
THEM TO KICK OUT THE FRENCH COMPLETELY AND MAKE VIETNAM INDEPENDENT.
B. DECIDE TO FIGHT BOTH THE FRENCH AND THE JAPANESE.
C. DECIDE TO JOIN FORCES WITH THE FRENCH TO REMOVE THE JAPANESE FROM VIETNAM.
 PROBLEM 2

IN MAY 1941 HO CHI MINH FORMED THE RESISTANCE MOVEMENT THE VIET MINH. ITS AIM WAS TO REMOVE THE FRENCH
AND JAPANESE FROM VIETNAM AND MAKE IT AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY, FREE FROM ANY FOREIGN INFLUENCE. HO
CHI MINH WAS A COMMITTED COMMUNIST.
A. ALLOW ANY GROUP TO JOIN THE VIET MINH, EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT COMMUNISTS; ANY POLITICAL OPINION
WILL BE ACCEPTED AS LONG AS THEY ARE PREPARED TO FIGHT FOR VIETNAMESE INDEPENDENCE.
FURTHERMORE YOU WILL ACCEPT HELP FROM THE CHINESE NATIONALISTS LED BY CHIANG KAI-SHEK WHO
ARE FIGHTING THE JAPANESE IN THE CHINA.
B. DO OPTION A BUT DO NOT ACCEPT HELP FROM THE CHINESE – THEY HAVE BEEN VIETNAM’S TRADITIONAL
ENEMY FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE THE FRENCH CAME. ALSO CHIANG KAI-SHEK DOES NOT LIKE COMMUNISTS.
HE HAS BEEN AT CIVIL WAR WITH THEM IN CHINA.
C. WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. IF THE CHINESE CAN DEFEAT THE JAPANESE FOR YOU, YOU WILL STILL BE
STRONG ENOUGH TO FIGHT THE FRENCH. HOWEVER YOU DON’T KNOW HOW LONG THIS WILL TAKE.
 PROBLEM 3

AS A RESULT OF THE JAPANESE HOARDING OF RICE, MILLIONS OF VIETNAMESE WERE STARVING BY

1945.
A. START TO SEIZE JAPANESE RICE SUPPLIES AND DISTRIBUTE THIS TO THE PEASANTS LIVING IN
THE COUNTRYSIDE. IF YOU DO THIS AND GET CAUGHT THE JAPANESE SOLDIERS WILL
ALMOST CERTAINLY KILL YOU.
B. ASK THE FRENCH TO PERSUADE THE JAPANESE TO RELEASE ENOUGH RICE TO FEED THE
WOMEN AND CHILDREN. THE JAPANESE MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO LISTEN TO THE FRENCH
GOVERNORS.
C. DO NOTHING. WAIT UNTIL THE PEASANTS ARE SO ANGRY THAT THEY RISE UP AND WANT TO
FIGHT THE JAPANESE.
 PROBLEM 4

THE JAPANESE SURRENDERED IN AUGUST 1945 AFTER NUCLEAR BOMBS WERE DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA
AND NAGASAKI. THERE WAS NOW A POWER VACUUM (WHEN NO-ONE IS IN CHARGE) IN VIETNAM.
A. DECLARE THAT VIETNAM IS NOW A COMMUNIST REPUBLIC. LOCK UP ANY NON-COMMUNISTS AND
MEMBERS OF THE FRENCH RULING CLASS. ASK THE USSR (COMMUNIST RUSSIA) FOR AID AND
SUPPLIES.
B. HOLD NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ASKING THEM TO DECLARE VIETNAMESE
INDEPENDENCE AND A SMOOTH TRANSFER OF POWER FROM FRANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF VIETNAM.
C. DECLARE THAT VIETNAM IS A DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC. USE THE SAME PHRASES THAT ARE IN THE
AMERICAN CONSTITUTION, CALLING FOR THE RIGHTS TO ‘LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF
HAPPINESS’.
 PROBLEM 5

AT THE END OF WORLD WAR TWO BRITAIN AND THE USA WANTED TO HELP FRANCE TO RECOVER
FROM THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FIGHTING. ALTHOUGH THE AMERICANS HAD PREVIOUSLY SAID
THAT THEY WERE IN FAVOUR OF INDEPENDENCE FOR ALL COLONIAL PEOPLES, THE COLD WAR
AGAINST THE COMMUNIST USSR HAD BEGUN AND THE AMERICANS NEEDED TO KEEP FRANCE HAPPY
AND ON THEIR SIDE. THEY DECIDED TO ALLOW THE NORTH OF VIETNAM TO BE OCCUPIED BY THE
CHINESE NATIONALISTS, WHILST THE SOUTH WOULD BE OCCUPIED BY THE BRITISH ARMY. THE
BRITISH GENERAL GRACEY BEGAN TO PREPARE SOUTH VIETNAM FOR THE RETURN OF THE FRENCH.
A. NEGOTIATE WITH THE BRITISH. PERHAPS THEY WILL GRANT INDEPENDENCE INSTEAD?
B. ASK THE CHINESE NATIONALISTS FOR SUPPORT TO FIGHT THE BRITISH AND FRENCH.
C. ORGANISE BOYCOTTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING.
 PROBLEM 6

THE BRITISH LAUNCH A VIOLENT CRACKDOWN AGAINST THE VIETMINH IN THE SOUTH.
MEANWHILE 185, 000 CHINESE NATIONALIST SOLDIERS HAVE OCCUPIED THE NORTH. THEY HAVE
TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE POWER VACUUM IN VIETNAM. THEY BEGIN TO USE VIOLENCE
AGAINST THE VIETNAMESE, STEALING AND LOOTING.
A. NEGOTIATE WITH THE FRENCH TO TRY AND GET THE CHINESE OUT. YOU WOULD RATHER
DEAL WITH FRANCE THAN VIETNAM’S TRADITIONAL ENEMY, THE CHINESE.
B. NEGOTIATE WITH THE CHINESE TO TRY AND GET THE FRENCH OUT. YOU WOULD RATHER
DEAL WITH ASIANS THAN EUROPEANS, WHO HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR CULTURE.
C. ASK BRITAIN TO TAKE OVER THE WHOLE OF VIETNAM.
 PROBLEM 7

IN 1946 THE FRENCH OFFER TO MAKE VIETNAM A FREE STATE THAT IS STILL PART OF
THE FRENCH UNION OF INDOCHINESE STATES. CHINESE TROOPS WOULD LEAVE
NORTH VIETNAM. HOWEVER COCHINCHINA WOULD NOT BE PART OF VIETNAM AND
25, 000 FRENCH TROOPS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN VIETNAM FOR 5 YEARS.
A. ACCEPT THE AGREEMENT.
B. DECIDE TO FIGHT THE FRENCH IMMEDIATELY.
C. ACCEPT THE AGREEMENT BUT BEGIN TO BUILD UP YOUR ARMED FORCES AND
TO PREPARE FOR WAR.
 JAPANESE OCCUPATION
1940-45

• FRANCE WAS DEFEATED BY THE

GERMANS IN 1940. BECAUSE THE
GERMANS AND JAPAN WERE AXIS
PARTNERS, GERMANY ALLOWED JAPAN
TO TAKE OVER SOME FRENCH
COLONIES.
• FRENCH OFFICIALS CONTINUED TO RUN
THE COUNTRY
• 1941 HO CHI MINH FORMED THE
VIETMINH, FOUGHT AGAINST THE
JAPANESE
Ho Chi Minh 1890-1969
 WWII: REVOLUTION
REVIVED
• LEAGUE FOR THE
INDEPENDENCE OF VIETNAM
Giap and
(VIETMINH) 1941 – A BROAD the Vietnamese
FRONT OF NATIONALIST AND Liberation Army
COMMUNISTS – OPPOSED TO
JAPANESE OCCUPATION AND
FRENCH COLONIALISM
• VIETNAMESE LIBERATION
ARMY 1944 – COMMANDED
BY GIAP
KEN BURNS EP.1. START 22MINS
.50
MINS END 27 MINS.30 SEC
 CONCLUSION

SO, WAS HO CHI MINH A

NATIONALIST A COMMUNIST, OR
BOTH…..?