Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh, or Uncle Ho, was the founder of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, or North Vietnam, and a highly revered and towering historical figure in the country. He was the country’s first prime minister and first President from 1946 until his death in 1969. He led the country during the pivotal American War but died before the Viet Cong victory in 1975.
He was a very complex and charismatic figure. He could speak and write fluently in many languages (French, Russian, English, Chinese Mandarin and Cantonese, classical Chinese as well as Vietnamese), sometimes negotiating directly with Russian, American or Chinese officials without an interpreter. He is thought to have used between 50 and 200 pseudonyms during the course of his life where he worked as a seaman, baker, pastry chef, dishwasher, before becoming a political activist. He published books of poetry and journalism in French, Chinese and Vietnamese.
Among his many political accomplishments, he promoted the use of Quoc Ngu Latin-script Vietnamese writing in favor of the traditional Chinese characters to promote literacy.
