A Question on Ho Chi Minh

[VNHCM]

Dear comrades

Recently, there have been a campaign in some Vietnamese leading newspapers to portray President Ho Chi Minh to be not a communist but nationalist or pragmatist or even republicanism. To my ignorant, I have only read two bourgeoisie historians, Stanley Karnow's Vietnam a History and Ho Chi Minh: A Life by William Duiker. They indeed portray him in that way. However most of their claims based on early period of his political activities (provide assistance to OSS, citing mottoes of French Revolution and American declaration of Independence in Vietnamese declaration....). The later period of his carrier when he explicitly admitted to be committed communist were either neglected or described as pragmatic political calculation for support of SU and China.

I would be extremely grateful if comrades can name some books or articles on the evolution of HCM's thought. IMO, this is crucial for coming year as there are a lot of developments unfolding next few months (reforming welfare, restructuring economy, revising Constitution...)

[Ocean Seal]

He was indeed a nationalist during his early days. I think the quote is "I am first inspired by nationalism and then by communism" The reason being was that he wanted Vietnamese independence to look like a war of decolonization as that would isolate France and keep the United States from joining the war. Ho Chi Minh was also a strong communist though and his rule was one where the people were his primary consideration. He actively supported the peasant class and trained them to fight for the liberation of South Vietnam from Diem's oppressive rule. However, he died before the end of the Vietnam War, so we can never really know how he would have governed at the end of the war. At the end of the war Vietnam followed what would be called "moderate MLism" by most historians not most *socialist* historians.