Ho Chi Minh was the North Vietnamese leader during war with America. Ho Chi Minh shared the same political beliefs as his father. His father, Nguyen refused to learn French and lost many job opportunities in Vietnam because of this. Ho truly believed that Vietnam deserved to be free of colonial rule. However, Ho did attend a French school because the French language would help them with their dreams for Vietnam. Ho was a sailor for some time and experienced other colonies of French and seem to categorize them all with poverty throughout the entire population. When living in France, Ho converted to communism and became one of the founders of the French Communist Party. Yet I believe he was still a nationalist at heart because he came back and still assisted Vietnam gain independence. .
Some may say Ho Chi Minh cannot be a nationalist because he started a French Communist Party, but I disagree. Even after the creation of the French Communist Party, Ho Chi Minh went back and joined an exiled Vietnamese nationalist group. He was a nationalist through thick and thin, and seized the opportunity to bring his country, Vietnam, freedom at once. Ho Chi Minh nationalistic views for Vietnam and for the Viet Minh were not ready for action. Ho's nationalism came in effect when he announced the Democratic Republic of Vietnam which lead to war with France because they would not led Vietnam become free. .
Ho Chi Minh nationalism was present after France ended the fighting with Vietman, Vietnam gained their independence from France but Ho was not finished. Vietnam was to split into two with Ho ruling the North. But Ho was for all of Vietnam as a nationalist, and was not satisfied since Vietman was not united. He claimed he was in authority of all of Vietnam and worked for unity throughout. Ho being a nationalist did not mean he was not a communist, I just see him as more of a nationalist than a communist.