in full Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi
(English; " League for the Independence of Vietnam ")
Organization that led the struggle for Vietnamese independence from French rule.
Formed in 1941 by Ho Chi Minh , it was a national organization open to people of all political leanings, though it was led by communists. In 1943 the Viet Minh began guerrilla operations against the occupying Japanese; when the Japanese surrendered to the Allies, the Viet Minh seized Hanoi and proclaimed Vietnam's independence. In the First Viet Cong to fight the U.S. in the Vietnam War . See also Vo Nguyen Giap .