Viet Minh
The Viet Minh was a Vietnamese independence movement that fought against French colonial rule and later became the North Vietnamese government.
History
The Viet Minh, short for Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi (League for the Independence of Vietnam), was formed in 1941 by Ho Chi Minh. The group fought against Japanese occupation during World War II and then against French colonial rule in the First Indochina War. After Japan surrendered in 1945, some Japanese soldiers stayed in Vietnam and joined the Viet Minh rather than return home. The Viet Minh used guerrilla tactics, hiding in jungles and mountains, to fight the better-equipped French forces. In 1954, the Viet Minh won a major victory at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, which forced France to leave Vietnam. The country was then divided into North and South Vietnam. The Viet Minh became the government of North Vietnam and later evolved into the Viet Cong, which fought against South Vietnam and the United States in the Vietnam War.
