The Vietminh and Their Impact on Indochina

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
<Tab/>Sentiments such as this stated by Mao Zedong (leader of the Chinese Communists) were the philosophies of the Viet Minh belief system and the motivation for the Viet Minh's everlasting passion for independence.
The Viet Minh, in full, Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi (League for the Independence of Vietnam), nationalist organization in Vietnam, led the struggle for independence from French colonial rule. Founded by Ho Chi Minh, Pham Van Dong, Vo Nguyen Giap, Truong Chinh, and others, in 1941, the Viet Minh enjoyed unflagging success throughout the Indo-Chinese war by mobilizing diverse elements of the Vietnamese nation, including peasants, urban workers, intellectuals, and sectors of the landowning and business classes. This was illustrated convincingly when the Viet Minh utterly defeated French troops at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
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