On Lenin and Leninism: Ho Chi Minh

First published in the Soviet magazine Socialism: Theory and Practice in September, 1985:

The life of the fighter for the people's happiness, Ho Chi Minh, (''worldlywise" - in Vietnamese) was both colourful and eventful. His real name was Nguyen Tat Thanh (1890-1969). He was the son of a village teacher. He began his revolutionary activity in his early youth. At the age of 15 he was a liaison for the local patriotically-minded democrats fighting against the French colonialists who had ruled the country since the middle of the 19th century.

Ho Chi Minh started as a patriot. a fighter for the liberation of his country from foreign oppressors, and steadily advanced towards scientific socialism. He himself later wrote in the pamphlet ”The Path Which Led Me to Leninism'': “Step by step, in the course of the struggle, by studying Marxism-Leninism and participating in practical activities, I gradually realized that only socialism and communism can liberate the oppressed nations and the working people throughout the world from slavery."

An impassioned revolutionary and a convinced Marxist-Leninist, he became recognized as the leader of the national liberation struggle of the Vietnamese people and founder of the first socialist state in Southeast Asia. Ho Chi Minh was an outstanding figure in the world communist movement, leader and organizer of the Vietnamese revolution, one of the leaders of the national liberation movement.

Published below are several excerpts from Ho Chi Minh’s works, articles and speeches contained in the book “On Lenin and Leninism' which was issued in Moscow in 1970.

THE GREAT OCTOBER REVOLUTION AND THE STRUGGLE OF THE PEOPLES FOR LIBERATION

The Vietnamese people whose irrepressible desire to achieve independence had grown stronger over the centuries, fought steadfastly and uncompromisingly against the hateful yoke which the French colonialists had placed on them, But before the October Revolution their struggle invariably ended in failure for it was like a ship sailing across the seas of the unknown without a compass.

The light of the Great October Socialist Revolution pierced the cloak of darkness and illuminated the horizon. Lenin’s theses on national and colonial questions became a reliable guide in our struggle for national liberation, in the awakening of the countries of the East. Lenin showed our people the road to freedom and pointed out the decisive, the most powerful and effective factor in achieving victory–the party.

It was Lenin who educated Communists in the spirit of self sacrifice, when faced with trials, and boundless devotion to the revolution. If it had not been for the boundless faith of the revolutionaries in the cause of the revolution, no revolution would have been possible–this is the lesson Lenin taught us. He made us Communists fervent patriots and proletarian internationalists.

It was Lenin who pointed out that one of the main qualities a Communist requires is an unshakable belief in the masses and that a profound love for the masses must be the emotion which motivates each action and every thought of the Communist. Lenin set us an example of great simplicity and extreme modesty, qualities which adorn the genuine soldiers of the revolution, the true servants of the people.

UNDER THE PARTY'S LEADERSHIP

Owing to the victory of the October Socialist Revolution, which shook the whole world, Marxism gradually spread throughout Vietnam. At the beginning of 1930 the Communist Party of Indochina (now the Vietnam Workers’ Party) was born and firmly assumed the leadership of the revolution.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War Vietnam was occupied by Japanese invaders who, in an attempt to gain control over our country, acted in league with the French colonialists. The party’s correct policy contributed to the growth of the revolutionary movement.

Resistance bases were set up. The first units of the Liberation Army of Vietnam were formed. The Communist Party launched guerilla attacks on the Japanese invaders (1942-1945) and actively joined the international struggle against fascism

All this struggle against made it possible, immediately after the defeat of fascism by the heroic Soviet army, to stage a countrywide uprising aimed at gaining power. This was the victorious August revolution of 1945 which brought the Democratic Republic of Vietnam into being.

GOING OVER TO SOCIALISM BYPASSING CAPITALISM

The victory of the August revolution of 1945 was a victory for Lenin’s teaching in the first national liberation revolution in a colonial country.

The building of socialism in our country and our joining a great world socialist family meant the realization of Lenin’s thesis that a backward colonial country can advance to socialism bypassing the stage of capitalist development. The successes which the Democratic Republic of Vietnam has achieved in all spheres have, on the one hand, been determined by the spirit of self -sacrifice, heroism and creative activity of our people who have translated Lenin's directions on industrialization and collectivization into reality and, on the other, by the selfless, fraternal aid of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries.

We have been able to overcome all our difficulties and lead the people to glorious successes precisely because the party did not isolate the revolutionary movement in its own country from the revolutionary movement of the world proletariat and the national liberation movement of the oppressed peoples.

TWO TASKS

Our country was temporarily divided into two parts. (1) In the liberated northern part of Vietnam socialism is being built, but in the South the imperialists and their stooges are in control. They want to turn South Vietnam into an American colony and military base in order to unleash a new civil war. American imperialists and their henchmen are the worst enemies of the Vietnamese people...

Under present conditions, the Vietnamese revolution is faced with two tasks: first, the building of socialism in North Vietnam and, second, the completion of the national democratic revolution in the South. Both these tasks will lead to the consolidation of peace and to the reunification of the country on the basis of democracy.

THE PEOPLE WILL WIN

Whatever difficulties and hardships they may experience, our people will win a complete victory. The American imperialists will be forced to withdraw from our country. Our homeland will be reunified. The people of the South and the North will live together in unity.

May the entire party and the whole people close their ranks and fight for the creation of a peaceful, united, independent, democratic and prosperous Vietnam and make a worthy contribution to the cause of the world revolution.

Our country is an advance post of socialism in Southeast Asia. And it is our task to make an active contribution to the strengthening of the forces of the socialist community and the defence of peace in Southeast Asia and throughout the world.

1) This was written in 1960, when the country was divided into two parts: North Vietnam with Hanoi as its capital, which was proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in September 1945, and South Vietnam with Saigon as its capital, ruled by a puppet government. In 1975 the country was reunified and in 1976 the formation of a reunified Socialist Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed with Hanoi as its capital. Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.