American Experience

Who's Who: North Vietnam		return to index
	Le Duc Tho			7 of 41

Ten years of imprisonment by the French did not lessen Le's commitment to the Vietminh, or Vietnamese independence movement. He served as a senior Communist official from 1945 on, and directed Viet Cong military efforts in South Vietnam from 1955-75. Le negotiated a cease-fire with Henry Kissinger in 1973, but refused the Nobel Peace Prize, which he and Kissinger were awarded jointly.