<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, although it did not achieve widespread recognition until 1954 . </P> <P> Vietnamese revolutionary leader Hồ Chí Minh declared independence from France on 2 September 1945 and announced the creation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam . France reasserted its colonial dominance and a war ensued between France and the Viet Minh, led by President Ho Chi Minh . The Viet Minh ("League for the Independence of Vietnam") was a coalition of nationalist groups, mostly led by communists . In February 1951, the communists announced the creation of the Lao Động Party (Labor Party), gradually marginalizing non-communists in the Việt Minh . </P> <P> Between 1946 and 1954, the Việt Minh captured and controlled most of the rural areas of Vietnam . In 1954, after the French were defeated, the negotiation of the Geneva Accords ended the war between France and the Việt Minh and granted Vietnam independence . The Geneva Accords divided the country provisionally into northern and southern zones, and stipulated general elections in July 1956 to "bring about the unification of Viet - Nam". The northern zone was commonly called North Vietnam, and the southern zone was commonly called South Vietnam . </P>

The leader of the communist forces in north vietnam was