We all know that in war the political and military factors have to complement each other.

During the Fifties, political and military activities in Vietnam were heavily influenced by the French, who as recent colonial masters, made all-important decisions.

South Vietnam had to be built from scratch and, from the very beginning, depended far too much on the Western superpowers. As in the case of a person on public welfare, this dependency, which became greater with each day, was quite difficult to shake.

Through leadership of the fight against French colonialism, Ho Chi Minh had made a name for himself in the international political arena.