Identify forces that contributed to change and continuity in relation to: Ho Chi Minh and his role in the growth of Vietnamese Nationalism/Socialism

Ho Chi Minh used the nationalist Viet Minh to garner political superiority to oppose the military superiority of the French. Harrison states that the “master stroke was the creation of organisational vehicle, the Viet Minh, which would go on to unite what would proved an unstoppable combination of Vietnamese nationalism and communism.” This radicalised nationalism turned into successful communism. Jennings states that due to the strength consequent of the Viet Minh, “Ho was therefore able to negotiate at the Geneva Peace conference from a position of strength”.  Ho Chi Minh used the power and influence he had gained through Vietnamese Nationalism to edify Vietnamese Communism: throughout the late 1940’s the Party under Ho revolutionised the old Vietnamese systems of land allotment and communal land ownership, so as to equalise distribution and establish a communist economy.  

        Ho appealed to the peasants with such policies in areas where the French could not, or were unable to. “The Vietnamese succeeded brilliantly in proving that that the Asian peasant was, if anything, more revolutionary than the European proletariat that inspired Marx and Lenin.”(Communist strengths pg 146). Ho Chi Minh was the man who united the majority of peasants by appealing to their want to simply grow their crops and be done with external threats. Minh succeeded by utilising this Nationalist populace, converting to the ideals of Communism, and leading the Revolution, “which was basically a peasant guerrilla war…The peasants have contributed most to the Revolution.” (Communist strengths pg 147).

        Minh instilled greatly in the people his notions of radicalised Communism: “the mobilisation of the masses became possible only with an almost religious preaching of both nationalism and radical social change (communism), the one to complete the other.” (Communist strengths pg 147). Ho increasingly appealed more to the lower classes and less to the small middle class of Vietnam, and allowed for this organisation of the masses with his continued use of the establishments which he had previously founded, the Revolutionary youth League and the ICP. By 1954 Minh had the most potent control at the time, as “in terms of national organisation, none proved able to compete effectively with the Communists. Therefore a vacuum existed for the leadership of Vietnamese nationalism, and the Communists would fill that vacuum” under Minh (pg 49 hist backward). It was through Ho’s diplomatic abilities of persuasion that several other Nationalist groups joined with the Communists to form and strengthen the Revolutionary League for the Independence of Vietnam (the Viet Minh). Its foremost goal was national liberation, and this was what Minh used to bolster his strengths, appeal to the people, and ultimately develop the radicalised nationalism/ communism of Vietnam. On a broader scale Ho and his communists also used Cadres to appeal to the people in villages, to spread propaganda and encourage the notions of land reform. Ho had an efficient administration.