Ho Chi Minh declaring the national independence of the country, 1945 (b/w photo)

Ho Chi Minh gives a speech to the people of Vietnam, on September 2, 1945, declaring the national independence of the country from the French empire. Ho Chi Minh, born Nguyen Sinh Cung and also known as Nguyen Ai Quoc (19 May 1890-3 September 1969) was a Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader who was prime minister (1946-1955) and president (1945-1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). He formed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and led the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War until his death. Ho led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, establishing the communist-governed Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and defeating the French Union in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu. He lost political power inside North Vietnam in the late 1950s, but remained as the highly visible figurehead president until his death.