The longing to be free from foreign domination was the most potent force in Vietnam, Ho reminded his colleagues, which meant that the Viet Minh had to be a patriotic, broad-based movement, directed against both French colonial rule and the growing Japanese presence in the country. Women would play a vital role in the effort, and should be given equal rights. The result, notes historian Huynh Kim Khanh, was a “radical redefinition of the nature and tasks of the Vietnamese revolution,” away from the class struggle and toward national liberation. This emphasis on patriotism can be seen in the
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