among the 20th century statesmen, Ho Chi Minh was remarkable both for tenacity and patience with which he pursued his goal of vietnamese independence and for his success in blending communism with nationalism.From his youth Minh espoused freedom for the french colony of Vietnam. He preserved through many years when his chance of attaining his objective were so minuscule as to seem ridiculous. Ultimately he organized the defeat of french in 1954 in the historic battle of "Dien Bien Phu" . This battle a triumph of guerilla strategy came nine years after he was named president of democratic republic government.
