Ho Chi Minh example essay topic

September 2nd, 1945, first President of an independent Vietnam Ho Chi Minh, delivered his address of a free nation in Hanoi's Ba Dinh square. The first lines of his proclamation repeated verbatim the famous second paragraph of America's 1776 Declaration of Independence: "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness". (Logevall, 96) Similar to the American Declaration of Independence, it was not willing to compromise. Ho Chi Minh's intentions were not to set his country free, rather to claim the freedom that already existed. Vietnam was literally in chaos, finding itself run by several different nations at different times.

With the help of the Chinese ridding Vietnam of the Japanese, France found its way back in to the country with terms of French troops settling there. This was no free nation; it was a nation that could not stop itself from being divided. Like America in the late 18th century, the nation was forced to recognize its own patriotism. After France tried to reclaim its colonies in Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos), they faced opposition, which it had been able to beat many times before the war. Ho had founded the nationalist political party known as the Vietnamese Communist Party, in 1930. Ho expanded his political base in 1941 when he founded a broader nationalist coalition, the Viet Minh (Vietnamese League for Independence).

The Viet Minh fought a guerilla war against both the Japanese and the French forces, making the Viet Minh an ally of the United States at that time. Ho Chi Minh was looking for recognition from the United States and other Western countries, but instead, the West turned their attention to French claims. "President Truman failed to respond to any of Ho's letter's concerning the independence of Vietnam" (Video #1), and the first Indo-China War was fought with the French from 1946 to 1954, only to result in the division of Vietnam in the South and the North. Only one year after the Nation's claim to independence, what is known as the first Vietnam War took place.

The Vietnamese believed that if FDR had lived, the U.S. would have supported the Revolution and Ho Chi Minh's leadership of the Vietnamese. They saw Truman as more anti-Communist and as altering the direction of FDR's anti-colonialism. Without support from the U.S., there could be no military victory, rather an uprising of loyal patriots and freedom seekers. Ho won his people over with confidence, and knew he could do it again if he must. "It was confidently assumed that the people, having risen once, could be persuaded to rise again". (De Groot, 27) Peace is only the time between war.

Vietnam's war had been going on for so long that the country needed a man who would stand up for the right's of the people and demand their freedom. Peace was attempted in Ho Chi Minh's Declaration of Independence, if anyone dared to listen. One thing about Peace, however, it does not come so cheap. Ground rules had to be placed and standards had to be set.

Determined to free Vietnam from outside rule, the document read: "The whole Vietnamese people, animated by a common purpose, are determined to fight to the bitter end against any attempt by the French colonialists to re-conquer their country". (Logevall, 98) Obviously this meant that the people were willing to die for their freedom. The document was not only targeted to the French, who were looking for ways to stay in the country, nor was it aimed solely at the Japanese, but at the entire world. .".. We, members of the Provisional Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, solemnly declare to the world that Vietnam has the right to be a free and independent country, and in fact it is so already.

The entire Vietnamese people are determined to mobilize all their physical and mental strength, to sacrifice their lives and property in order to safeguard their independence and liberty". (Logevall, 98) The concerns of Ho Chi Minh and the document's authors were first and foremost freedom and liberty. Ho mentions that his people have fought with courage for more than eighty years, either attempting to fight off the French, or fighting side by side with Allies against the Fascists in the later years. One could not blame him or the people of Vietnam for their resentment of the French.

The people of Vietnam had tolerated the French for years and treated them with respect, with nothing but harsh treatment in return. In a way, the nation's Declaration of Independence was a retort to the French. It was also a good source of information for those who were unaware of Vietnam's past and present situation. The authors' accomplished what was needed, for the whole world was aware of the situation.

What was supposed to be a cry of freedom led to be a world scare. What would become of Vietnam? Would the whole country fall like their neighbors to communism? "Ho Chi Minh was first a nationalist, then a communist". (Video #1). The self-proclaimed day of independence for Vietnam proved his nationalism, as well as his ability to instill hope in the hearts of his people.

If only a country could be recognized for its efforts, there would be no need for a Declaration of Independence, and peace would not be so hard to come by.