The death of Ho Chi Minh
 

I put together a mock up radio transcript concerning the death of Ho Chi Minh leader of communist vietnam in 1969. Including an infomercial that reflects my borderline crass sense of humour. :P

Radio Transcript concerning the death of Ho Chi Minh

Saigon Radio: 3rd September 1969

Commentator: Right here right now with Saigon radio ladies and gentlemen, we have broadcasting special for you today with an exclusive covering the death of Ho Chi Minh, leader of North Vietnam. We’ll be covering the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the failed Fontainebleau talks and the battle of Dien Bien Phu.

Commentator: Before I open the caller lines I want to give you all a bit of background surrounding the formation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam otherwise known as North Vietnam and what implications this had on Ho Chi Minh’s ideas and beliefs. Ever since Ho Chi Minh became an independent thinker he has endeavoured to give greater Vietnam total Autonomy. Ho seized his chance to give Vietnam independence at the end of World War 2 when Japan was defeated. Ho Chi Minh entered Hanoi with his Vietminh and proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam independent on September 2, 1945. This was the most important accomplishment for Ho Chi Minh as it was the moment Ho led North Vietnam to independence. This paved the way for the events that followed; the failed Fontainebleau talks and the first Indochina war which culminated in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. We’ll be covering these events as the morning progresses.

Commentator: Right here right now with Saigon radio, there’s a call coming in on line three.

Caller: Hello my name is Chau; I would like to know a bit more about the Fontainebleau talks and how they pertain to Ho Chi Minh’s ideas and beliefs.

Commentator: Certainly, the Fontainebleau talks are generally accepted as an obscure part of Vietnamese history as they were in large part a failure for Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh. What Ho aimed to achieve at these talks was Vietnamese independence and self determination, but the French would not let it be so. The talks ultimately broke down leaving Ho Chi Minh’s ideas and beliefs defeated. The French Union had affirmed its power and dominance over the Vietnamese state. General Giap however was filled with jubilation as this gave him an excuse to begin his eight year war with France in order to expel them from Vietnam. This war would come to be known as the first Indochina war. We’ll be right back after this infomercial.

Infomercial: What can the Vietmop do? Well the Vietmop is built to do almost all types of cleaning adjusted for filthy Vietnamese living conditions. The Vietmop will clean up bullet cartridges, shrapnel, rubble, barbed wire, razor wire, refuse and copious amounts of mud and other disgusting substances. If you savour cleanliness then the Vietmop is for you!

Commentator: Welcome back right here right now with Saigon radio, there is a caller on line 1, patching you through now.

Caller: What did the Battle of Dien Bien Phu have to do with Ho’s ideas and beliefs?

Commentator: When regarding the chronology of Ho’s life and the formation of the North Vietnamese state the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 is a major event. This battle represented the fall of the French Union in Vietnam; this was significant because Ho and his Viet Minh had been struggling against the French colonialists for independence over the course of many years. Ho Cho Minh had no direct involvement in the battle himself but Ho made sure to employ his best general and long time friend in leading the attack, General Vo Nguyen Giap. General Giap’s ingenuity ensured a Viet Minh pyrrhic victory. The battle was part of a larger war that Ho had been fighting and was in accordance with his ideas and his ideas and beliefs that Vietnam should have total autonomy and communist independence. The battle itself is analogous to the combat arm of Ho’s struggle for Vietnamese autonomy. Since the battle was a victory it can be seen as the ultimate success for Ho Chi Minh, he had finally forced the French to withdraw from Vietnam. Ok, there’s the battle of Dien Bien Phu in a nutshell, right here right now with Saigon radio.

Commentator: Well, thank you for listening to today’s show right here right now with Saigon radio. It’s always a pleasure sharing history with the people of Vietnam.

This thread is for discussion though, lets talk about Ho Chi Minh and what he stood for. What I see in him is what true nationalism should be.

I happen to be reading a book by Truong Nhu Tang.

As the Vietcong's Minister of Justice, Truong Nhu Tang was the highest ranking government official from Vietnam to defect to the West. As a student studying in Paris, he met Ho Chi Minh. From this autobiography, Ho Chi Minh seemed like a great man. He was actually against war but his calls for continued peace talks were ignored. Eventually he was felt obligated to issue a call to arms on December 19th. Truong Nhu Tang's account is about the inner political struggles he witnessed within North Vietnam, painting the Vietcong as very divided contrary to most of our preconcieved notions. In the end, he felt as if the original goals of the movement had been subverted which led to his defection in 1978. A few years after South Vietnam fell, he said:

Its quite an interesting book. Would recommend to anyone interested in the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Minh, or anything related.
A Vietcong Memoir: An Inside Account of the Vietnam War and Its Aftermath

Hmmm. Might check it out some time.