Exhumed Memories: Ho Chi Minh, Pol Pot, And Nationalist Struggle In Indochina
Date
2019
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Publisher
West Point Press
Abstract
"Since the chaos that was the Indochinese Wars of the 20th Century, both Vietnam and Cambodia have been etched into global memory accompanied by visions of hellscapes, bloodshed, and a common human experience of terror. Under Ho Chi Minh and Pol Pot, respectively, the nations of Vietnam and Cambodia engaged in vicious struggles to realize their dreams of nationalism and independence. Beneath the rhetoric and actions of the two nations and their leaders is a complex array of historical factors, culture, and ideologies which led to the manifestation of Ho Chi Minh and Pol Pot as leaders of their respective nations. By analyzing the origins, backgrounds, and leaders of the nationalist movements of Vietnam and Cambodia, it becomes clear what characterized the respective nationalistic movements of each nation and to what degree they were successful. Ho Chi Minh used the rhetoric of communist liberation to unite the masses in a nationalist struggle utilizing guerrilla strategy and mass uprising, while Pol Pot reactively employed tactics of xenophobia and anti-foreign propaganda to establish a violent regime amidst the chaos of the Indochinese Wars...."
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Journal articles
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Citation
Formella, Jonathan. “Exhumed Memories: Ho Chi Minh, Pol Pot, And Nationalist Struggle In Indochina.” Report: West Point Undergraduate Historical Review. Volume 9 (2019): 31-45.