By the early 1960s, Ho Chi Minh was still a beloved figure in North Vietnam, but shared power with younger, more impatient, leaders. At the November 1963 Party Plenum in Hanoi, Ho, who favored the new Soviet policy of de-escalating the Cold War, was outmaneuvered by party First Secretary Le Duan, who sided with the Chinese in advocating revolution through violence. From that point forward, Le Duan controlled North Vietnam's war policy.

NOTE: This video is part of a lesson plan titled Both Sides Escalate Their Efforts.