---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ho Chi Minh rarely wrote about Sun Tzu…"
description: "\"Ho Chi Minh rarely wrote about Sun Tzu, but when he did mention the ancient Chinese military strategist, he was always laudatory, and he sometimes cite..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/william-j-duiker-21821_ancient_ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-b_1959533.jpg"
---

#  Ho Chi Minh rarely wrote about Sun Tzu, but when he did…

![“Ho Chi Minh rarely wrote about Sun Tzu, but when he did mention the ancient Chinese military strategist, he was always laudatory, and he sometimes cited his ideas as a model for the Vietnamese revolutionary movement to follow.” quote by William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/william-j-duiker-21821_ancient_ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-b_1959533.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/william-j-duiker-21821_ancient_ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-b_1959533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/william-j-duiker-21821_ancient_ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-b_1959533.jpg)

> “Ho Chi Minh rarely wrote about Sun Tzu, but when he did mention the ancient Chinese military strategist, he was always laudatory, and he sometimes cited his ideas as a model for the Vietnamese revolutionary movement to follow.”

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Ho Chi Minh praised Sun Tzu, using his strategies as a template for Vietnamese revolutionary tactics.

**In simple terms:** He admired Sun Tzu and applied his ideas to Vietnam's struggle.

Key Takeaway

Study historic strategy to inform modern movements.

Themes

revolution strategy leadership history politics

Mood

reflective analytical

Type

historical educational strategic

When to use this quote

- educational curricula
- military training
- political campaigns
- grassroots organizing

Key Concepts

military doctrine political theory nationalism

Questions to Reflect On

- How can ancient military tactics be adapted for peaceful activism?
- What limits exist when applying Sun Tzu to political struggles?

A Different Perspective

Sun Tzu's ideas may not fit all modern contexts, especially non‑violent movements.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-chinese/) [Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary/) [Strategist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategist/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm not a military strategist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-m-not-a-military-strategist/)

[Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/)

> [“It is very easy to be a military strategist, a mercenary, or a king, but much harder to be a father.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-scrieva/it-is-very-easy-to-be-a-military-strategist-a-mercenary-or-a-king-but/)

[Nadia Scrieva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-scrieva/)

> [As far as Saddam Hussein being a great military strategist, he is neither a strategist, nor is he schooled in the operational arts, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-schwarzkopf/as-far-as-saddam-hussein-being-a-great-military-strategist-he-is/)

[Norman Schwarzkopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-schwarzkopf/)

> [Government tends to stifle innovation, and it abhors improvisation. Any good military strategist will tell you that a battle plan rarely survives past the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/government-tends-to-stifle-innovation-and-it-abhors-improvisation-any/)

[Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/)

> [Written by the ancient Chinese philosopher of the same name, the 'Zhuangzi' is one long perplexing puzzle of a rambling collection of enigmatic short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/written-by-the-ancient-chinese-philosopher-of-the-same-name-the/)

[Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/)

> [“All the substances that are the main drugs of abuse today originate in natural plant products and have been known to human beings for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/all-the-substances-that-are-the-main-drugs-of-abuse-today-originate/)

[Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/)

> [When the snipe and the mussel struggle, the fisherman gets the benefit. Ancient Chinese saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/when-the-snipe-and-the-mussel-struggle-the-fisherman-gets-the-benefit/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [“Laozi was an ancient Chinese philosopher. According to Chinese tradition, Laozi lived in the 6th century BC, however many historians contend that Laozi”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/laozi-was-an-ancient-chinese-philosopher-according-to-chinese/)

[Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/)

> [There is an ancient Chinese myth about the thread of fate. It says the gods have tied a red thread around every one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/touch/there-is-an-ancient-chinese-myth-about-the-thread-of-fate-it-says-the/)

Touch

> [Artificial creatures date back to the ancient Chinese and Greeks. Renaissance automata were designed primarily to entertain, reflecting the value placed on leisure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldberg/artificial-creatures-date-back-to-the-ancient-chinese-and-greeks/)

[Ken Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldberg/)

> [My dad is amazing. He has, like, ancient Chinese skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/my-dad-is-amazing-he-has-like-ancient-chinese-skills/)

[Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/)

> [Ancient Chinese custom if you were a guest in one of their homes and you admired some particular thing, they would wrap it up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/ancient-chinese-custom-if-you-were-a-guest-in-one-of-their-homes-and/)

[Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/)

> [I've read that the ancient Chinese art of feng shui can bring a sense of peace, well-being, and positive energy to a home -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/i-ve-read-that-the-ancient-chinese-art-of-feng-shui-can-bring-a-sense/)

[W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/)

> [I like the fact that in ancient Chinese art the great painters always included a deliberate flaw in their work: human creation is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-like-the-fact-that-in-ancient-chinese-art-the-great-painters-always/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [To make an artwork good enough to enter people's hearts is like what ancient Chinese called 'making stone into gold.' It is alchemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-shan/to-make-an-artwork-good-enough-to-enter-people-s-hearts-is-like-what/)

Li Shan

## More by William J. Duiker

> [ In the end, many of his more militant colleagues began to feel that \[Ho Chi Minh's\] tendency to compromise, and his reluctance to confront… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/in-the-end-many-of-his-more-militant-colleagues-began-to-feel-that-ho/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [There were various aspects of Sun Tzu's approach that appealed to Ho Chi Minh: a) to learn to understand both the enemy and yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s-approach-that-appealed-to-ho/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [None of Ho Chi Minh's colleagues was as dedicated to the use of political struggle, psychological warfare, and diplomatic means as he was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/none-of-ho-chi-minh-s-colleagues-was-as-dedicated-to-the-use-of/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ From the outset, when \[Ho Chi Minh\] became a member of the French Communist Party in 1920, he was an independent thinker who adjusted… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/from-the-outset-when-ho-chi-minh-became-a-member-of-the-french/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [The influence of Sun Tzu on other North Vietnamese military strategists is harder to answer. Certainly many of the key leaders in Hanoi were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/the-influence-of-sun-tzu-on-other-north-vietnamese-military/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ \[Dissidents\] groups would benefit enormously from learning about Ho Chi Minh's ideas on how to defeat a more popular enemy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/dissidents-groups-would-benefit-enormously-from-learning-about-ho-chi/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ If \[Ho Chi Minh\] had had carte blanche over his movement, would the results of the war have been different? That is difficult to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/if-ho-chi-minh-had-had-carte-blanche-over-his-movement-would-the/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ Finally, in 1954 \[Ho Chi Minh\] agreed to the Geneva Agreement, which divided the country temporarily into two zones, in the hope that national… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/finally-in-1954-ho-chi-minh-agreed-to-the-geneva-agreement-which/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [Ho Chi Minh was well aware that the enemy possessed more firepower than did his own forces, and sought to use what he viewed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-was-well-aware-that-the-enemy-possessed-more-firepower/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ On many occasions in the late 1950s and 1960s, \[Ho Chi Minh's\] ideas were apparently ignored by those who felt that his approach was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/on-many-occasions-in-the-late-1950s-and-1960s-ho-chi-minh-s-ideas/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [I decided that after returning to the US to pursue an academic career I would eventually study the life of Ho Chi Minh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/i-decided-that-after-returning-to-the-us-to-pursue-an-academic-career/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [Ho Chi Minh preferred to use the tactics of negotiation and compromise, primarily because of his recognition that the revolutionary movement was militarily weaker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-preferred-to-use-the-tactics-of-negotiation-and/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ I would hazard the statement that in the broad sense \[Ho Chi Minh's\] ideas had triumphed, since the communist victory in Vietnam was a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/i-would-hazard-the-statement-that-in-the-broad-sense-ho-chi-minh-s/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ Ho Chi Minh sought to defeat both adversaries \[French and American\] primarily by using diplomatic and political means, combined with paramilitary activities. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-sought-to-defeat-both-adversaries-french-and-american/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [“Perhaps the most that can be said is that HCM had become a prisoner of his own creation, a fly in amber, unable in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/perhaps-the-most-that-can-be-said-is-that-hcm-had-become-a-prisoner/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

[Explore all 28 William J. Duiker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

## More Ancient quotes

> [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/)

[Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/)

> [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [I don't know if I've come of age, but I'm certainly older now. I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/)

[Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/)

> [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/)

[Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/)

> [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/)

[Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/)

> [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/ancient-societies-had-anthropomorphic-gods-a-huge-pantheon-expanding/)

[Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/)

> [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/)

[Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/)

> [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/)

[Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/)

> [All the stories I have told you are finally as useless as all ancient knowledge is to man and to us. Its images and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/all-the-stories-i-have-told-you-are-finally-as-useless-as-all-ancient/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/)

[Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/)

> [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/)

[Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/)

[Browse all 2,415 Ancient quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Ho Chi Minh rarely wrote about Sun Tzu, but when he did mention the ancient Chinese military strategist, he was always laudatory, and he sometimes cited his ideas as a model for the Vietnamese revolutionary movement to follow.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William J. Duiker"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-but-when-he-did-mention-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ancient"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-but-when-he-did-mention-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/william-j-duiker-21821_ancient_ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-b_1959533.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/william-j-duiker-21821_ancient_ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-b_1959533.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/william-j-duiker-21821_ancient_ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-b_1959533.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Ho Chi Minh rarely wrote about Sun Tzu, but when he did mention the ancient Chinese military strategist, he…” — William J. Duiker",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "William J. Duiker",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Ho Chi Minh rarely wrote about...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-but-when-he-did-mention-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-but-when-he-did-mention-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
