Vietnam

Content:

• General Information
• Ho Chi Minh
• The Rise of "Uncle Ho"

General Information

• One of five remaining communist states
• Marxist-Leninist ideology
• Hanoi - Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City
• Independence from France - War -->Vietnam War (North v South)

Ho Chi Minh

• Leader of North Vietnam
• Communist, but with nationalistic ideals
• Extremely popular in Vietnam, personality cult comparable to Mao and Lenin

The Rise of "Uncle Ho"

• Born in 1890 in central Vietnam
• Went to multiple schools but dropped out
• Got a job on a liner to Marseille (France), introduced to European politics and how France was really oppressive towards the Vietnamese

THE TWO WARS

• The independence of Vietnam was won through a military conflict against their overlord France
• After the war Vietnam split into North and South. Ho Chi Minh was in control of the north and managed to win the war
• After 20 years of constant warfare Uncle Ho was in control of a war torn country

INDEPENDENCE FROM FRANCE

• France was struggling politically right after WW2 because of the German occupation
• Japan had occupied Vietnam during the war as well
• This meant that the Vietnamese didn’t really have any connection to France, and therefore they desired an independent state. But France still wanted Vietnam and opposed the declaration of independence and that escalated into a 9 year long war leading to an independent Vietnam

NORTH V SOUTH

• North Vietnam was communist, South was not
• A lot of political tension as both the US and Soviet/China backed opposing sides
• A part of the Cold War between two ideologies: capitalism and communism
• Casualties are estimated at around 3-3,5 million people, mainly civilians
• Even though the US bombed North Vietnam heavily and actually ruined huge cities like Hanoi, North Vietnam was still able to proclaim victory and annex South Vietnam, forming the Vietnam we know today

TODAY’S VIETNAM

• More liberal society because of the tourism in the country
• One party system with the communists as the only eligible party
• Faces a lot of corruption and censorship through cracking down on journalists and other media outlets the government disagrees with