"Uncle Ho": From Peasant to President

To many people, Ho Chi Minh was not only a great leader, but also a father figure in the eyes of the Vietnamese. He was a man who was born a peasant, but died an icon and hero. Ho Chi Minh's perseverance helped make him a key figure in the history of Vietnam. He remains a fascinating figure in history. Ho's supporters called and referred to him as "Uncle Ho". He was respected because he was humble and smart. Ho Chi Minh worked hard throughout his life to achieve his goals despite many difficulties and hardships.

Ho has had a tough life right from the start. His father was one of the illegitimate children of Ho's grandfather. Ho's father, Nguyen Sinh Huy, was a peasant. The family lived in near-poverty as peasants, but Ho's father had a high intelligence level, attending the school in his village when he was a young man. Nguyen was so interested in learning that when his teacher moved, Nguyen moved with him. Ho's father had obviously committed a large portion of his life to education. This commitment attracted the attention of Hoang Thi Loa, Ho's mother. They eventually married and had three children. Ho Chi Minh was the youngest of the three, born in a village indirectly controlled by the French. Generally speaking, usually a French lord controlled the economic and political infrastructure of the local government, usually to benefit himself, seeing as Vietnam was still part of French Indochina then.

As he matured, Ho became aware of the deep resentment many Vietnamese people held toward the French. In the area where Ho grew up, intellectuals began organizing rebellions against the French government. Vietnam had suffered hundreds of years of colonization under France, enduring abuses and neglect. Many were ready to break the trend. The environment Ho lived in greatly affected his future thoughts and actions. The revolutionist attitude he saw in his hometown would later shape what he would become.

Ho Chi Minh did not stay in Vietnam his entire life. On the