S8 Ep1093: George Black, guest author, recounts how, in May 1959, the North Vietnamese leadership held a critical meeting in Hanoi to determ

The John Batchelor Show · Jul 6, 2026 · 10m

George Black, guest author, recounts how, in May 1959, the North Vietnamese leadership held a critical meeting in Hanoi to determine the future of their revolutionary struggle. While figures like Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giapwere cautious about provoking the United States, Le Duan, the rigorous head of the Vietnamese Communist Party, pushed for a more militant approach to liberate the South. This period was heavily influenced by the Sino-Soviet split, with the Soviets advocating for caution and the Chinese encouraging a more adventurous path. Le Duan, who had experience commanding southern…