Ho Chi Minh Thought and Marxism-Leninism
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Published
Oct 13, 2025
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Abstract
This article illuminates the meaning and significance of Marxism-Leninism in Ho Chi Minh's political ideology. It advances three arguments. The first is that Marxism-Leninism was Ho Chi Minh's ideological foundation. Ho conducted his revolutionary activities under the banner of Marxism-Leninism. Secondly, Ho Chi Minh's Marxism-Leninism contains several foundational features: the unity of theory and practice, an emphasis on Leninism, Stalinism, Maoism, anti-colonialism, communist morality, and non-sectarianism. Thirdly, Ho creatively applied Marxism-Leninism to Vietnam's national conditions. He promoted the revolutionary role of the peasantry, alongside distinctive forms of anti-colonial resistance, land-reform, socialist patriotism, the party's social basis, and socialist economic construction. These principles remain essential in understanding the rise and development of Vietnamese socialism. While advancing these arguments, this article rejects the Western claim that Ho Chi Minh disregarded or neglected Marxist-Leninist theory. It argues that he was an original theoretician of Marxism-Leninism.
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Keywords
Ho Chi Minh, Marxism-Leninism, Vietnam, socialism, ideology
References
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Brocheux, P. 2007. Ho Chi Minh: A Biography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chesneaux, J., and Tinker, M. 1968. “The Historical Background of Vietnamese Communism.” Government and Opposition 4 (1): 118-135.
DeCaro, P. 2003. Rhetoric of Revolt: Ho Chi Minh's Discourse for Revolution. Westport: Praeger.
Duiker, W. 1977. “Ideology and Nation-Building in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam”. Asian Survey, 17(5), 413–431.
Duiker, W. 2000. Ho Chi Minh. New York: Hyperion.
Fadaee, S. 2024. Global Marxism: Decolonisation and Revolutionary Politics. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Fall, B. 1968. Ho Chi Minh on Revolution: Selected Writings, 1920-66. New York: New American Library.
Fenn, C. 1973. Ho Chi Minh: A Biographical Introduction. London: Studio Vista.
FLPH (Foreign Languages Publishing House) 1986. History of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Hanoi: Foreign Languages Publishing House.
Gunn, G. C. 2022. “Between Theory and Praxis: Ho Chi Minh’s Parisian Networks, Intellectual Production and Evolving Thought”. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 52(5), 805-829.
Halberstram, D. 1987. Ho. New York, A.A. Knopf.
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Lacouture, J. 1968. Ho Chi Minh: A Political Biography. New York: Random House.
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Le, Q. T. 2019. “Fighting Against the Argument for a Separation Between Ho Chi Minh’s Ideology and Marxism-Leninism.” National Defence Journal, 8 September. http://tapchiqptd.vn/en/events-and-comments/fighting-against-the-argument-for-a-separation-between-ho-chi-minhs-ideology-and-marxismleninism/14369.html
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Lloyd, D. 1986. Ho Chi Minh. New York: Chelsea House Publishers.
National People’s Publishing House. 2006. Curriculum of Ho Chi Minh Thought (in Vietnamese). Hanoi: National People’s Publishing House.
Neumann-Hoditz, R. 1972. Portrait of Ho Chi Minh: An Illustrated Biography. New York: Herder and Herder.
Neville, P. 2019. Ho Chi Minh. London: Routledge.
Nguyen, P. T. 2015. Renewal in Việt Nam Theory and Reality. Hanoi: The Gioi Publishers.
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Nguyen, V. T. 2022. “Struggle Against Distortion and Denial of Self-Criticism and Criticism Within the Party.” National Defence Journal, 10 June. http://tapchiqptd.vn/en/events-and-comments/struggle-against-distortion-and-denial-of-selfcriticism-and-criticism-within-the-party/18446.html
Nhan Dan. 2023. “Imbued with Ho Chi Minh Thought, Building Revolutionary Moral Standards in the New Period”. Nhan Dan. May 18. https://en.nhandan.vn/imbued-with-ho-chi-minh-thought-building-revolutionary-moral-standards-in-the-new-period-post125527.html
Nugent, N. 1996. Vietnam: The Second Revolution. Brighton: In Print.
Pateman, J. 2022. “Mao Zedong’s A Critique of Soviet Economics: Bringing the ‘Political’ back into ‘Economy’”. World Review of Political Economy, 13(4), 531-558.
Pike, D. 1978. History of Vietnamese Communism, 1925-1976. Stanford: Hoover Institution Press.
Post, K. 1989. Revolution, Socialism, and Nationalism in Vietnam Volume One: An Uninterrupted Revolution. Aldershot: Dartmouth Publishing Company.
Prashad, V. 2022. “Introduction.” In Vijay Prashad (ed) Selected Ho Chi Minh, 13-48. New Delhi: LeftWord Books.
Ruane, K. 1998. War and Revolution in Vietnam, 1930-75. London: UCL.
Sainteny, J. 1972. Ho Chi Minh and his Vietnam: A Personal Memoir. Chicago: Cowles.
Shaplen, R. 1965. The Lost Revolution: Vietnam 1945-65. London: Andre Deutsch.
Singh, S. K. 2009. Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam’s Struggle for Freedom. Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 70, 795-801.
Stalin, J. (1928) 1954. “Against Vulgarising the Slogan of Self-Criticism.” In Works, vol. 11, 133-144. Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House.
Steele, P. 2003. Ho Chi Minh. Chicago: Heinemann Library.
Swearingen, R., and Rolph, H. 1967. Communism in Vietnam: A Documentary Study. Chicago: American Bar Association.
Thayer, C. A. 2010. “Political Legitimacy in Vietnam: Challenge and Response.” Politics & Policy 38 (3): 423-444.
Tuong, V. 2016. Vietnam’s Communist Revolution: The Power and Limits of Ideology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tuong, V. 2014. “Triumphs or Tragedies: A New perspective on the Vietnamese Revolution.” Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 45 (2): 236-257.
Van, L. L. 2022. “The Use of Marxist-Leninist Principles for Establishing Socialism in Vietnam.” International Critical Thought 12 (4): 538-555.
Vo, V. T. 2022. “Lightening up Ho Chi Minh’s Spirit of ‘Enhancing Revolutionary Morality, Sweeping Clean Individualism in Rebuilding and Revamping of Party and Current Political System. Tap chi Chong San. December 8. https://en.tapchicongsan.org.vn/web/english/mega-story/-/-/asset_publisher/lc29uIxCb05g/content/lightening-up-president-ho-chi-minh-s-spirit-of-enhancing-revolutionary-morality-sweeping-clean-individualism-in-building-and-revamping-of-party-and-c
Willmott, W. E. 1971. “Thoughts on Ho Chi Minh.” Pacific Affairs, 44(4), 585-590.
Woodside, A. 1976. Community and Revolution in Modern Vietnam. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Beresford, M. 1988. Vietnam: Politics, Economics, and Society. London: Pinter.
Brocheux, P. 2007. Ho Chi Minh: A Biography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chesneaux, J., and Tinker, M. 1968. “The Historical Background of Vietnamese Communism.” Government and Opposition 4 (1): 118-135.
DeCaro, P. 2003. Rhetoric of Revolt: Ho Chi Minh's Discourse for Revolution. Westport: Praeger.
Duiker, W. 1977. “Ideology and Nation-Building in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam”. Asian Survey, 17(5), 413–431.
Duiker, W. 2000. Ho Chi Minh. New York: Hyperion.
Fadaee, S. 2024. Global Marxism: Decolonisation and Revolutionary Politics. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Fall, B. 1968. Ho Chi Minh on Revolution: Selected Writings, 1920-66. New York: New American Library.
Fenn, C. 1973. Ho Chi Minh: A Biographical Introduction. London: Studio Vista.
FLPH (Foreign Languages Publishing House) 1986. History of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Hanoi: Foreign Languages Publishing House.
Gunn, G. C. 2022. “Between Theory and Praxis: Ho Chi Minh’s Parisian Networks, Intellectual Production and Evolving Thought”. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 52(5), 805-829.
Halberstram, D. 1987. Ho. New York, A.A. Knopf.
Ho, C. M. 1961. Selected Works, vol. 3. Hanoi: Foreign Languages Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 1962. Selected Works, vol. 4. Hanoi: Foreign Languages Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 1977. Selected Writings. Hanoi: Foreign Languages Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011a. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 1. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011b. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 2. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011c. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 5. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011d. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 6. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011e. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 7. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011f. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 8. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011g. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 9. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011h. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 10. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011i. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 11. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011j. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 12. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011k. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 13. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Ho, C. M. 2011l. Complete Works [in Vietnamese.] vol. 15. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
Kelly, S., and Mackerras, C. 1985. “The Application of Marxism-Leninism to Vietnam.” In C. Mackerras and N. Knight (eds) Marxism in Asia, pp. 202-231. New York: St Martin’s Press.
Knight, N. 2007. “Applying Marxism to Asian Conditions: Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh and the ‘Universality’ of Marxism”. In D. Glaser and D. Walker (eds.) Twentieth Century Marxism: A Global Introduction, pp. 141-153. London: Routledge.
Lacouture, J. 1968. Ho Chi Minh: A Political Biography. New York: Random House.
Le, K. P. 2001. Vietnam Entering the 21st Century. Hanoi: The Gioi Publishers.
Le, Q. T. 2019. “Fighting Against the Argument for a Separation Between Ho Chi Minh’s Ideology and Marxism-Leninism.” National Defence Journal, 8 September. http://tapchiqptd.vn/en/events-and-comments/fighting-against-the-argument-for-a-separation-between-ho-chi-minhs-ideology-and-marxismleninism/14369.html
Lenin, V. I. (1919) 1974. “Address to the Second All Russia Congress of Communist Organisations of the Peoples of the East. November 22, 1919.” In Lenin Collected Works, vol. 30, 151-162. London: Lawrence & Wishart.
Lloyd, D. 1986. Ho Chi Minh. New York: Chelsea House Publishers.
National People’s Publishing House. 2006. Curriculum of Ho Chi Minh Thought (in Vietnamese). Hanoi: National People’s Publishing House.
Neumann-Hoditz, R. 1972. Portrait of Ho Chi Minh: An Illustrated Biography. New York: Herder and Herder.
Neville, P. 2019. Ho Chi Minh. London: Routledge.
Nguyen, P. T. 2015. Renewal in Việt Nam Theory and Reality. Hanoi: The Gioi Publishers.
Nguyen, Q. P. 2016. “The Nature of the Allegation: ‘Marxist-Leninist is in Opposition to Ho Chi Minh Thought.’” Political Theory Online Journal, 26 October. http://lyluanchinhtri.vn/home/en/index.php/forum/item/373-the-nature-of-the-allegation-%E2%80%9Cmarxist-leninist-is-in-opposition-to-ho-chi-minh-thought%E2%80%9D.html
Nguyen, N. H. 2022. “Unmasking Trick of Disconnecting Ho Chi Minh Thought from Marxism-Leninism.” National Defence Journal, 24 August. http://m.tapchiqptd.vn/en/events-and-comments/unmasking-trick-of-disconnecting-ho-chi-minh-thought-from-marxism-leninism-19130.html
Nguyen, V. T. 2022. “Struggle Against Distortion and Denial of Self-Criticism and Criticism Within the Party.” National Defence Journal, 10 June. http://tapchiqptd.vn/en/events-and-comments/struggle-against-distortion-and-denial-of-selfcriticism-and-criticism-within-the-party/18446.html
Nhan Dan. 2023. “Imbued with Ho Chi Minh Thought, Building Revolutionary Moral Standards in the New Period”. Nhan Dan. May 18. https://en.nhandan.vn/imbued-with-ho-chi-minh-thought-building-revolutionary-moral-standards-in-the-new-period-post125527.html
Nugent, N. 1996. Vietnam: The Second Revolution. Brighton: In Print.
Pateman, J. 2022. “Mao Zedong’s A Critique of Soviet Economics: Bringing the ‘Political’ back into ‘Economy’”. World Review of Political Economy, 13(4), 531-558.
Pike, D. 1978. History of Vietnamese Communism, 1925-1976. Stanford: Hoover Institution Press.
Post, K. 1989. Revolution, Socialism, and Nationalism in Vietnam Volume One: An Uninterrupted Revolution. Aldershot: Dartmouth Publishing Company.
Prashad, V. 2022. “Introduction.” In Vijay Prashad (ed) Selected Ho Chi Minh, 13-48. New Delhi: LeftWord Books.
Ruane, K. 1998. War and Revolution in Vietnam, 1930-75. London: UCL.
Sainteny, J. 1972. Ho Chi Minh and his Vietnam: A Personal Memoir. Chicago: Cowles.
Shaplen, R. 1965. The Lost Revolution: Vietnam 1945-65. London: Andre Deutsch.
Singh, S. K. 2009. Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam’s Struggle for Freedom. Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 70, 795-801.
Stalin, J. (1928) 1954. “Against Vulgarising the Slogan of Self-Criticism.” In Works, vol. 11, 133-144. Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House.
Steele, P. 2003. Ho Chi Minh. Chicago: Heinemann Library.
Swearingen, R., and Rolph, H. 1967. Communism in Vietnam: A Documentary Study. Chicago: American Bar Association.
Thayer, C. A. 2010. “Political Legitimacy in Vietnam: Challenge and Response.” Politics & Policy 38 (3): 423-444.
Tuong, V. 2016. Vietnam’s Communist Revolution: The Power and Limits of Ideology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tuong, V. 2014. “Triumphs or Tragedies: A New perspective on the Vietnamese Revolution.” Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 45 (2): 236-257.
Van, L. L. 2022. “The Use of Marxist-Leninist Principles for Establishing Socialism in Vietnam.” International Critical Thought 12 (4): 538-555.
Vo, V. T. 2022. “Lightening up Ho Chi Minh’s Spirit of ‘Enhancing Revolutionary Morality, Sweeping Clean Individualism in Rebuilding and Revamping of Party and Current Political System. Tap chi Chong San. December 8. https://en.tapchicongsan.org.vn/web/english/mega-story/-/-/asset_publisher/lc29uIxCb05g/content/lightening-up-president-ho-chi-minh-s-spirit-of-enhancing-revolutionary-morality-sweeping-clean-individualism-in-building-and-revamping-of-party-and-c
Willmott, W. E. 1971. “Thoughts on Ho Chi Minh.” Pacific Affairs, 44(4), 585-590.
Woodside, A. 1976. Community and Revolution in Modern Vietnam. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
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Marxism Studies
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How to Cite
Ho Chi Minh Thought and Marxism-Leninism. (2025). World Marxist Review , 2(3), 1−20. https://doi.org/10.62834/r3q8rj07