Download In 1920, after being rejected by the United States in

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Period____________
Ho Chi Minh: Communist or Nationalist?
In 1920, Ho Chi Minh went to Versailles to meet US President Woodrow Wilson. Ho Chi Minh had
heard about Wilson’s Fourteen Points and how the US was in favor of countries gaining their
independence. However, he was never allowed to speak to Wilson and his ideas were rejected. After
being rejected by the United States in his drive for Vietnamese Independence, Ho Chi Minh read
Vladimir Lenin’s writings on Imperialism and Colonialism. Ho Chi Minh later joined the Communist
Party. Ho was quoted as saying “at first nationalism and patriotism, not communism led me to have
confidence in Lenin and his party”.
The following information was written by Ho Chi Minh in 1930 in his bid to end French Colonialism
in Vietnam.
Workers, peasants, soldiers, youth, pupils!
Oppressed and exploited comrades!
The Communist Party of Indochina* is founded. It is the party of the working class. It will help the
proletariat lead the revolution in order to free all the oppressed and exploited people. From now on we
must believe in the communist party, help it and follow it in order to achieve the following goals:
Our Goals (Indochina Communist Party)
1. To overthrow French imperialism, feudalism, and the reactionary Vietnamese capitalist class.
2. To make Indochina completely independent.
3. To establish a worker-peasant and soldier government.
4. To confiscate the banks and other enterprises belonging to the imperialists and put them under the
control of the worker-peasant and soldier government.
5. To confiscate all of the plantations and property belonging to the imperialists and the Vietnamese
reactionary capitalist class and distribute them to poor peasants.
6. To implement the eight-hour working day.
7. To abolish public loans and the poll tax. To waive unjust taxes hitting the poor people.
8. To bring back all freedom to the masses.
9. To carry out universal education.
10. To implement equality between man and woman.
Ho Chi Minh
* Indochina is the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. These three nations were possessions
of France that were combined into the colony of French Indochina.
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Period___________
Ho Chi Minh Worksheet
1. After President Woodrow Wilson rejected Ho Chi Minh, he turned to the writings of Vladimir
Lenin. What do you think Ho Chi Minh believed in first, Vietnamese Nationalism or
Communism? Quote from the document.
2. What do you think Ho Chi Minh’s main objectives were in Vietnam? Do you think Ho Chi
Minh was planning on being a “puppet” of the Soviet Union or to become independent of
France?
3. What did Ho Chi Minh want to do with the possessions of the imperialists and capitalists?
4. What was Ho Chi Minh’s plan for land in Vietnam?
5. What were his feeling on work, education, and gender equality?