Was Ho Chi Minh the greatest leader ever?

Question

This man was educated and worked for a while in the Western world. He was disgusted at the social inequalities he saw and at the evils of Colonialism. He trully loved his people and freed his country from French colonial rule before taking on the might of the US who sought to murder his people and destroy his country simply because he wanted a socialist economy rather than see his people exploited by US capitalist corporations. Despite great suffering imposed on his people by the US capitalists he was victorious and he stands as an inspiration for all who love freedom

Answer 1

You seem to be missing out the negative parts of his regime,

1. In 1945, his subordinates executed a number of nationalists that were not part of the Viet Minh, including the leader of the Constitutional Party, the head of the Party for Independence, and Ngo Dinh Diem's brother, Ngo Dinh Khoi.

2. Purges and killings of Trotskyists, the rival anti-Stalinist communists, have also been documented.

3. During 1946, when Ho was out of the country, his subordinates, imprisoned 25,000 non-communist nationalists and forced 6,000 others to flee. Was he aware this was going on? Why wasn't he in control?

4. Hundreds of political opponents were also killed in July 1946.

5. Hồ Chí Minh conducted the Land Reform Campaign due to pressure from China to mimic the Land Reform of Mao Zedong. In the first stage, tens of thousands of landowners were publicly denounced, with their land distributed to poor peasants. Of the identified 44,444 landlords, 3939 were tried and 1175 were executed. In the second phase a further 18,738 were "revealed" as "concealed landlords" (these "revelations" led to further 3,312 trials and 162 executions). Other sources place the death toll significantly higher, between 3,000 and 500,000. President Hồ Chí Minh would later weep as he publicly apologized for the campaign, so he accepted responsibility for this.

6. Another controversial incident occurred on November 2, 1956 when villagers in Hồ's home province of Nghệ An revolted and were subsequently put down by the military. According to one estimate, 6,000 people were deported or executed.

Are these the actions of the greatest leader ever ?

I think not.

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Interesting response James B,

1. "Sorry thats just politics" - I don't see Tony Blair killing David Cameron. Is killing your opponents "just politics"?

3. When a nation screws up, who should take the blame - the man in charge of course. Who takes the blame for US losses in Iraq? - Bush. Would you accept "I was out of the country" as an excuse?

4. Right so its OK to kill your political opponents as long as you call it war?

5. I'm just trying to imagine parallels in a western country. How would we rate a politician who implemented a policy that lead to the death of thousands then said "Sorry lads - at least I tried". That he wept does not make him a great leader - would we have forgiven Hitler for the Holocaust if he had lived and wept tears of regret afterwards?

I do not deny that Ho Chi Minh was an exceptional man, but a leader? Clearly not if he was not in control of his country.

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Touche, James B................nice doing battle with you - I can understand your logic and your arguments are sound.

Answer 2

Ho Chi Minh. become a member of the Peoples military of Vietnam (PAV)and fought against the jap and Vichy French for the time of WW-2 with the OSS, yet he become never a "protection stress chief", yet a political chief. It become Giap who become given the placement of commander of the PAV. It become never the North Vietnamese military (NVA) even after the "1954 Geneva Agreements on Indochina. that's a misnomer utilized by applying the US and the unlawful "Republic of South Vietnam".

Answer 3

Ho Chi Minh was a great leader, and although he had quite a few faults (as we all do) I find the first answer's criticism to be misguided in a few examples.

1. In 1945, his subordinates executed a number of nationalists that were not part of the Viet Minh, including the leader of the Constitutional Party, the head of the Party for Independence, and Ngo Dinh Diem's brother, Ngo Dinh Khoi.

If the answerer will remember, until August of 1945 Vietnam was under the control of the Japanese. After their surrender in August, the Japanese kept many French officials captive to assist Ho Chi Minh's rise to power (a rise that was mostly precipitated by the Viet Minh's efforts to ease the suffering of the people who were being ravaged by a famine that would kill upwards of 2 million people). Although I am more familiar with his brother, I am almost convinced that Ngo Dinh Khoi was at that point a French official. I'm not saying that we should all kill the people who oppose us, but you're trying to place emphasis on someone who deserves no emphasis. First of all, Ngo Dinh Diem was imprisoned in China during 1945, and secondly, Ngo Dinh Khoi was a member of the French administration in Indochina. Sorry, that's just politics.

3. During 1946, when Ho was out of the country, his subordinates, imprisoned 25,000 non-communist nationalists and forced 6,000 others to flee. Was he aware this was going
on? Why wasn't he in control?

During 1946 there was a war in Indochina. Generals are presidents in waiting in many instances of history, and this was no exception. Without their leader to direct them the generals of the Vietminh used their own judgment, which was not that of an educated socialist who had lived in France since 1911. Go figure. Sure it looks bad on Ho, but don't blame the guy 100%.

4. Hundreds of political opponents were also killed in July 1946.

Funny how war works.

5. Hồ Chí Minh conducted the Land Reform Campaign due to pressure from China to mimic the Land Reform of Mao Zedong. In the first stage, tens of thousands of landowners were publicly denounced, with their land distributed to poor peasants. Of the identified 44,444 landlords, 3939 were tried and 1175 were executed. In the second phase a further 18,738 were "revealed" as "concealed landlords" (these "revelations" led to further 3,312 trials and 162 executions). Other sources place the death toll significantly higher, between 3,000 and 500,000. President Hồ Chí Minh would later weep as he publicly apologized for the campaign, so he accepted responsibility for this.

Sometimes you learn the hard way what policies will or will not work. When you consider the vast undertaking of land reform and the conditions under which it was attempted in Indochina, you have to marvel that anything was accomplished at all. Although that does not "unkill" the dead, I would like to see what evidence you have to offer which suggests Ho intended death. Your final comment about his weepy and apologetic state afterward do more to help his case as a great leader than harm it.

I'm not going to say that Ho Chi Minh was the greatest leader ever, and I don't personally believe so myself, but it interesting to see what he had accomplished in Indochina. It fascinates me still today that someone like Ho ever lived in the first place. What a guy!

Edit: To lipsi

You make very valid points and I can't refute them, but when you try to draw conclusions based on comparisons with western countries you are making a grave mistake. Indochina was not a western country. We're talking about a colonial possession on the far side of nowhere from France. Overcoming the grip of imperialism and (despite your points all of which are perfectly valid) actually succeeding in some areas is a fantastic accomplishment. I think we agree on a certain level, but are having a hard go of explaining it right.

Answer 4

He was indeed one of the greatest leaders in our history.

Victor Jara (murdered in the Chilean coup of 73) wrote him this song:

El derecho de vivir, (The right to live)
poeta Ho Chi Minh, (Poet Ho Chi Minh)
que golpea de Vietnam (Strinking from Vietnam)
a toda la humanidad, (The whole Humankind)
ningún cañón borrará (No cannon can erase)
el surco de tu arrozal. (the furrow of your rice field)
el derecho de vivir en paz.(The right to live in peace)

It's more beautiful in spanish but you get the idea... :)

Answer 5

There is no greatest leader ever.. every regime had its own conditions

Answer 6

No.

No, he wasn't.

Answer 7

no