2. Revolt, Revolution and Liberation

In January 1941 while staying and hiding in China, close to the VN border, Ho established the Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi (VN Independence League), or Viet Minh the most recognized label to represent his group resisting the French. Very adept at setting up new entities, he already founded the Vietnam Thanh Nien Cach Mang Dong Chi Hoi (VN Revolutionary Youth Association) in Dec,1924. Then in May 1929, the Indochinese Communist Party (IPC)...While in France he already produced the Socialist Front and the French Communist Party was also of his making, the main motive was to reinforce his trademark and persuade public opinion about his importance and prestige.

Ho Chi Minh was keenly aware that his forces alone, still in its infancy would not be enough to succeed in the monumental and ambitious task of defeating the French and liberating the whole country while under Japanese occupation. He then devised a coalition of all political groups, with mostly anti-communist parties the Vietnam Cách Mạng Đồng Minh Hội (VN Revolutionary League) in Oct 1942. The reader should not confound this with the earlier established VN Independence League of 1941. With this new entity (not to be called Viet Minh by other groups!), Ho and his partners remained the principal force among nationalists and downplayed his Communist allegiance to maintain confidence from other groups and foster national unity. Ho also was looking toward more contact with the Allies affirming his position as the leader of the uprising movement against the French in Indochina.  The Viet Minh should be the main interlocutor of the Allies with the Japanese on the way out and the French being in hamstring. 

On March 9, 1945 the Japanese decided to send an ultimatum for the unconditional surrender of the French garrisons in Indochina. The French colonial regime would be discarded and replaced by Japanese military occupation. It was a fatal blow to French image that a western power would easily crumble under the attack of an Asian army itself on the brink of being defeated. It's clear  to the Indochina observers that France colonial grip was hollow and short lived, even after more than 80 years of occupation. This new situation was well understood by Ho and his troops who saw a golden occasion to prepare for the day of national uprising.

One other event during that phase played into the hands of Ho, while adding to the mounting misery of the people. A catastrophe was occurring in the Tonkin and central VN, a terrible famine that was killing thousands of people due to bad harvest and harsh conditions of the war. And that just tilt the balance in favor of the Communists who blamed the French and the Japanese for hoarding rice harvest for their troops while the populace was dying of malnutrition. Ho ordered his troops directing the peasants to storm the stockpiles of grain and distribute foods to the needy around the Red River Delta and simultaneously seized control of the rural areas and recruiting followers. Vo Nguyen Giap and his hard core elite forces were sprung into action and combined with other units now were constituting the Vietnamese Liberation Army (VN Giải Phóng Quân). By May 1945, the VLA forces had reached 5000.

The Viet Minh growing presence in Tonkin did not remain unnoticed by the Americans in the Pacific theater. Now that both Japan and France forces in Indochina were neutralizing each other, the US has to rely on a new ally, Ho and his troops, for intelligence gatherings in the last months of the war. It was an occasion that Ho didn't want to miss, the opportunity to meet the US officials and promoting his image toward the only superpower. Ho always believed that the 20th century belongs to the US, already after the victory over Germany during WW1.

Ho Chi Minh already set up his HQ in Pac Bo, Cao Bang province near the Chinese border since 1940. From his hidden base, he officially declared the formation of the VN Communist Party in 1941 and the Revolutionary League for the Independence of VN (VN Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi) with the specific aim of liberation and national independence. During the fall of that year, Ho and his few troops organized a first uprising that had been crushed by the French. He had to wait another 5 years to materialize a successful attempt. 

Sensing a void created by the Japanese coup de force in March 1945, Ho and his forces enlarged their control of the Tonkin area and prepared for the coup de grace while the French were being neutralized by the Japanese. With the Japanese surrender in August after Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, Ho took the occasion to launch a concerted attack against French garrisons in Hanoi and other cities all over the country. It was a well prepared and coordinated operation that allowed Ho to finally declare VN independence on August 26th, a few days after the end of WW2. No doubt he and his party single handily attained VN liberty after more than 80 years under French domination. A new chapter in VN history had been written. And it was just the beginning. 

Ho was about to enter Hanoi for the first time although he traveled the world over during his youth as a political activist for the oppressed people in Indochina. Using the name Nguyen Ai Quoc for the last time (Nguyen the Patriot), Ho already issued an appeal to the people of VN to stand up and liberate the nation under the banner of the Communist flag. Every detail was choreographed to demonstrate Ho as the 'master of events' but the circumstances indicated otherwise. Again the Viet Minh would not be able to seize control of the situation had not been for the conjunction of events that favored them, namely the unconditional surrender of Japan and the confinement of the French forces since the March coup staged by the desperate Japanese military. And also the ill timed famine that further exacerbated the dire situation of the whole country that only the Viet Minh could have benefited to create more social disturbances. 

Ho and Chuong Trinh, the first general secretary of the Communist party entered Hanoi under the greetings of thousands of people in the streets to acclaim them. And on September 2, the same day that Japan signed the act of surrender on the US battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Ho presented his government during a public rally in front of hundreds of thousands of people, and he pronounced the speech of his lifetime proclaiming VN independence that became the DRV (Democratic Republic of VN). That date marked the National Day of North Vietnam and remains so today.

There's no doubt that Ho didn't need a speechwriter for that solemn occasion, the declaration of national independence for a new nation, a gigantic achievement of any national political leader to that point. More will come in due course but at a greater expense in blood for the people. Ho the strategist and diplomat who tried to reconcile contradicting opinions and obtaining recognition of the world particularly the US was awe inspiring and has pulled out all the stops during his proclamation, with reference to the French Revolution, the US Declaration of Independence with phrases like: '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...' 

The Vietnamese witnessing that historic gathering in Ba Dinh square, Hanoi were overwhelmed with pride and emotion. No doubt that 'uncle Ho' subjugated the crowd with his simple and direct words, expressed with sincerity and genuine candor. My own mother was charmed and years later described to me the speech that I never heard before, with the introductory passage: 'dear citizens, do you hear me clearly?...' And she was a fervent catholic, from a rich landowner family and anti communist to the bones.

Needless to say, Ho's address were also directed at the Americans, to win them over in his ensuing battle against the French. Ho Chi Minh, an adept observer of history, undoubtedly knew that Washington was lukewarm to the idea of French return to its former colony, being itself a colony under the British. But he also knew that American sympathy and affinity go to France, after all that she went through during WW2.  For the US political establishment, pragmatism and realpolitik went deeper than philosophical consideration. The US would never abandon France, an uncomfortable but essential ally in the fight against Nazism (before) and Communism (now). And under Truman, the new US administration was more concerned about Western Europe stability with the surge of the Soviet Union than the unresolved questions of national identity of the Far East.

In my opinion, the idea that the US has made a fatal mistake by ignoring Ho's insistence for help and cooperation during the first few months of VN independence was a non issue. Fredrik Logevall argued in his book that the US had snubbed Ho's message of friendship and his call for partnership. Logevall also mentioned that Ho was not acting alone and apart from his other colleagues who were more ideological than him in their approach. Ho was considered a moderate or he tried to convey that feeling. But the Americans knew full well that others, Vo Nguyen Giap, Truong Chinh and Pham Van Dong, to name just a few were fanatical 'commies' according to those in contact with them from the American side during that early period.

The central question remained: had the US helped Ho and his comrades persuade the French to leave Indochina under an agreed formula i.e a negotiated accord for VN independence under the communist regime, would the future of Indochina been any different today? Or knowing what had happened, the US could have done anything differently in 1945? I have my doubt. But a possible answer will depend on an understanding of Ho Chi Minh personality and real motive. Not a simple evaluation task to perform.