Between 1964 and 1973, the United States was embroiled in its longest and most controversial war. How did it affect its politics, foreign relations, and society? One of the key players in this conflict was Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the communist government in North Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh, born Nguyen Sinh Cung, and known as 'Uncle Ho,' led the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1945-69. Ho had embraced communism while fighting against French colonial rule and later against the American-backed South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
The Tet Offensive was a big deal because it marked the peak of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. This followed three decades of bitter wars, in which the Communists fought first against the colonial power France, then against South Vietnam and its American allies. What both advocates for and critics of the Vietnam War got wrong about North Vietnam was its radical commitment to communist revolution. For almost thirty years, by means financial, military, and diplomatic, the United States tried to prevent Vietnam from becoming a Communist stronghold.
In 1948, the Korea Peninsula was divided between a Soviet-backed government in the north and an American-backed government in the south. Communism, a political and economic ideology that calls for a classless society and equal sharing, has surged and declined since emerging in the 19th century. Why did the U.S. go to war in Vietnam? This is a question historians continue to debate. One of the main reasons it remains a source of contention is the leadership of Ho Chi Minh and his dedication to the spread of communism in the region.