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Ho Chi Minh was the adopted name of Nguyen Tat Thanh – a North Vietnamese communist politician, prime minister (1954 – 1955) and president (1954 – 1969).
Having trained in Moscow shortly after the Russian Revolution, he headed the communist Vietminh from 1941 and fought against the French during the Indochina War from 1946 to 1954, becoming president and prime minister of the republic at the armistice.
Aided by the communist bloc, he did much to develop industrial potential. He relinquished the premiership in 1955 but continued as president.
In the years before his death, Ho successfully led his country’s fight against US-aided South Vietnam in the Vietnam War between 1954 and 1975.