Buddist Riots - Vietnam & the 20th Century Experience

Vietnam & the 20th Century Experience

The twentieth century witnessed a wide range of global changes in political, social and economic aspects, with diverse major events of historical significance. The major wars happening during this period intensely affected many countries, with Vietnam experiencing high impacts because of colonization and invasion by foreign powers. The Geneva accords of 1954 stamped out the first Indochina War alongside the origin of the two Vietnamese territories divided by a line of demarcation. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam found in the Communist North, with its capital in Hanoi, and the Republic of Vietnam found in Anti-Communist South, with its capital in Saigon (Moss, 2010). Ho Chi Minh controlled the Communist North while Ngo Dinh Diem controlled the Anti-communist South. The contrasting leadership styles between Ho Chi Minh and Ngo Dinh Diem were undeniable. However, both leaders had a similar motive in that neither wanted a divided country: both wanted national unity under his own style and authority (Chamberlain, 2015).

Ho Chi Minh’s quest for Vietnam’s independence started early on in his life and became the driving force during his life and throughout his presidency of North Vietnam. He traveled the world, forming alliances with the Soviet Union and China. In 1944 he created the Viet Minh, the Vietnamese Liberation Army, and under his rule, and driven by his motivation, Vietnam would become independent for the first time in 80 years. He proposed nationalistic principle to his people. The revolution represented a remarkable merging of people and gave expression to all Vietnamese citizens to be rid of foreign control (Moss, 2010). Minh represented the nationalistic aspirations of most of the Vietnamese people. Although communist, his main goal was national independence and unity for all of Vietnam. His voice became stronger as he acted against all odds. He was determined and thought to “fight a people’s war” with patience as his primary virtue. His authority in the North was never challenged and the Vietnamese remained loyal as he endured. Minh has been observed to have been a revolutionary leader, and not a puppet of the Soviet Union as termed by the Americans, and his main goal remained to a leading figure to his people and the entire nation (Brooks, 2007). He remained loyal to his ideas for establishing a permanent government for the Vietnamese. He also saw a future for Vietnam and focused on rebuilding the northern economy by focusing on agricultural land reform and industrial development (Chamberlain, 2015). Although he received aid from China and the Soviet Union, his goal was a self-sufficient economy, one that would not become dependent on other nations.

Ngo Dinh Diem was also an important political and patriotic figure who demanded an end to French rule in Indochina. He became president of South Vietnam after the Geneva