Ho Chi Minh (19 May 1890 - 2 September 1969), born Nguyen Sinh Cung, also known as Nguyen Tat Thanh and Nguyen Ai Quoc, was a Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader who was prime minister (1945-55) and president (1945-69) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). He was a key figure in the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945, as well as the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong (NLF or VC) during the Vietnam War.He led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, establishing the Communist-ruled Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and defeating the French Union in 1954 at the battle of Dien Bien Phu. He officially stepped down from power in 1965 due to health problems, but remained a highly visible figurehead and inspiration for those Vietnamese fighting for his cause-a united, communist Vietnam-until his death. After the war, Saigon, the former capital of the Republic of Vietnam, was renamed Ho Ch� Minh City.