Iowa State University

From the SelectedWorks of Brian D. Behnken

2007

Le Duc Tho Brian D. Behnken, Texas A&M University

Available at: https://works.bepress.com/brian_behnken/4/ Lernass,Sean 767

References See also Gaulle, Charles de. The War Memoirs ofCharles de Gaulle, Vol. 3, Ho Chi Minh; Indochina War; Kissinger, Henry; Nguyen Van Thieu; Salvation, 1944-1946. Translated by Richard Howard. New York: Pham Van Dong; Viet Minh; Vietnam; Vietnam War Simon and Schuster, 1960. References Hammer, Ellen J. The Struggle for Indochina. Stanford, CA: Stanford Kolko, Gabriel. Anatomy ofa War: Vietnam, the United States, and University Press, 1954. the Modern Historical Experience. New York: New Press, 1994. Tucker, Spencer C. Vietnam. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1999. Young, Marilyn. The Vietnam Wars, 1945-1990. New York: HarperPerennial, 1991.

Le Due Tho (1911-1990) Vietnamese revolutionary, member of the Vietnamese Com­ munist Party's Political Bureau, and chief negotiator at the Lemass, Sean (1899-1971) Paris Peace Talks. Le Due Tho was born Phan Dinh Khai in Irish politician, cofounder and leader of Fianna FDublin, found the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP). During the Ireland, Sean Lemass joined the Irish Volunteers in January 1930s he spent nearly a decade in prison for his anti-French 1915, where he met his future political companion, Eamon political activities. In 1945 he helped form the nationalist Viet De Valera. Involved in the 1916 Easter Rising, the Anglo­ Minh organization with Ho Chi Minh and from the late 1950s Irish War (1919-1921), and the Irish Civil War (1922-1923), largely directed the war in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, Lemass went to prison three times. After his final release, South Vietnam). According to some sources, Le' s views actu­ he was elected to the Irish parliament as a Sinn Fein party ally prevailed over those ofHo. member in November 1924. In March 1926 he resigned from Le is primarily remembered for his role in the Paris Peace the party because of ideological differences. Togeth,er with Talks with the United States, which began in May 1968. He De Valera he formed a new party, Fianna Fail, in 1930. demanded an immediate halt to U.S. bombing of the Demo­ When Fianna Fail won power in 1932, Lemass became cratic Republic of Vietnam (DRY, North Vietnam) and the minister for industry and commerce in De Valera's cabinet dismantlement of South Vietnam's government. American and remained in this position until1939, when he became negotiators, especially National Security Advisor Henry minister for supplies during World War II. Lemass' s success Kissinger, refused these demands. The negotiations and at provisioning Ireland, which was a neutral power during the bombings continued until1972, when Le and Kissinger the war, convinced De Valera to name him deputy prime min­ agreed to a cease-fire. Le again requested a halt to the ister in 1945. Fianna Fail lost the 1948 election but won again bombings, but he softened his stance on Vietnam's political in 1951. With De Valera again as prime minister, Lemass self-determination. He eventually accepted a cease-fire that served once more as minister for industry and commerce would leave South Vietnam's President Nguyen Van Thieu in during 1951-1954 and 1957-1959. On 23 June 1959, Lemass power but that also allowed North Vietnam's People's Army succeeded the retiring De Valera as prime minister and party of Vietnam (PA VN) troops to remain in parts of South Viet­ leader. nam. The fmal peace agreement was signed in early January The Lemass government's successful economic policies 1973. The United States withdrew its troops in March of that went along with continued progress in international affairs. year. Late in 1973 the Nobel Prize Committee awarded both Ireland was elected to the United Nations (UN) SecurityCoun­ Le and Kissinger its peace prize, which Le refused to accept cilin 1962 and was visited by U.S. President John F. Kennedy because the war continued. in 1963. Moreover, Lemass's more moderate stance on the In 1975 Le traveled to South Vietnam to oversee the final Irish partitioning issue enabled him to improve relations with offensive there, which resulted in the unification of the coun­ Northern Ireland. He resigned as prime minister and party try in April1975. Between 1975 and 1986 he continued as a leader on 10 November 1966 but remained a member of par­ member of the Vietnamese Communist Party Central Com­ liament until1969. Lemass died on 11 May 1971 in Dublin. mittee. In 1978 he oversaw Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia. Matthias Trefs His power diminished in the mid-1980s, and following the See also economic reforms of 1986 he resigned his posts. Le died in Aiken, Frank; De Valera, Eamon; Ireland, Northern; Ireland, Hanoi on 13 October 1990. Republic of; Irish Republican Army; Lynch, John; Nationalism; Brian D. Behnken Sinn Fein; United Kingdom