The battle forced the French to negotiate peace agreements at a conference held in Geneva, Switzerland, and the war was brought to an end on July 20, 1954. The country was then divided along the 17th parallel of latitude, with the south being supported by the United States, and the northern communist lead by Ho Chi Minh was allied by Russia and China. France had lost a battle and a major chunk of its empire and that's what they were fighting for most of all. (Harrison).
VIET MINH/DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.
Ho Chi Minh was dedicated to a revolutionary patriotism and communism from early on. This can first be observed from one of his early quotes and as proof of the motives for the Viet Minh's participation in the Vietnam War; "At first patriotism, not yet communism, lead me to have confidence in Lenin, in the Third International. Step by step, along the struggle, by studying Marxism-Leninism parallel with participation and practical activities, I gradually came up with the fact that only socialism and communism can liberate the oppressed nations and the working people throughout the world from slavery" (Harrison, p39). This said before Ho joined the west wing of the French Socialist Party. Ho had a goal and was determined to achieve it no matter how long it took. There was no flexibility in Ho's beliefs, no bending of his will. Even as the war increasingly destroyed the country, he remained committed to Vietnam's independence. And millions of Vietnamese fought and died to attain the same goal. Historian Buttinger stated that, "Ho Chi Minh over the years had succeeded in creating for his country as an anti-French, anti-Japanese, anti-Chinese force. Nobody liked the war, but it never occurred to the people to put the blame for it on the their own leader. By choosing armed resistance rather than any further retreat, Ho had proved himself the most determined patriot in the nationalist camp" (Harrison, p121).