Article by President Luong Cuong on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South

At 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, Liberation Army tanks crossed the iron gate, capturing the Saigon puppet Presidential Palace, the last stronghold of the enemy, gloriously ending the nation's 30-year long march against foreign invaders. (Photo: Mai Huong/VNA)

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The war has been over for half a century, but the lessons learned in building the people's armed forces in the resistance war against the US to save the country still retain their value in both theory and practice.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day, Politburo member and President Luong Cuong wrote an article sharing lessons on building a strong people's armed forces in the new era.

VNA respectfully introduces the full text of the article:

VICTORY OF THE RESISTANCE WAR AGAINST AMERICA TO SAVE THE COUNTRY - LESSONS ON BUILDING STRONG PEOPLE'S ARMED FORCES IN THE NEW ERA

The victory of the resistance war against the US to save the country, with the peak being the Great Victory in Spring 1975, was a great victory in the history of thousands of years of struggle to build and defend the country of our people, "forever recorded in the history of our nation as one of the most brilliant pages, a shining symbol of the complete victory of revolutionary heroism and human intelligence, and entered world history as a great feat of the 20th century, an event of great international importance and profound epochal significance" [1]. That great victory opened a new era in the history of the nation - the era of independence, unification, and the whole country moving towards socialism.

The victory of the resistance war against the US to save the country was the result of many factors, namely: The ingenious and wise leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh with the correct war strategy and revolutionary methods; the heroic, resilient, resourceful and creative fighting spirit of our army and people during 21 years of long-term, arduous and sacrificial resistance; the strength of the great national unity bloc, the great support of the Northern rear and the will to rise up of the great Southern front; the solidarity in fighting and the close bond between the three countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, together with the great and valuable assistance of the Soviet Union, China and other socialist brother countries, the sympathy, support and encouragement of progressive and peace-loving people in the world.

President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Luong Cuong. (Photo: VNA)

Contributing to that great victory were the outstanding feats of the people's armed forces and the sacrifices of millions of heroes and martyrs. The 4th National Congress of the Party (December 1976) noted: "The Congress commended the heroic cadres and soldiers of the people's armed forces, who for decades fought extremely bravely, from bamboo sticks and flintlock guns they grew into powerful armies, defeated the cruel enemies, achieved glorious feats from the Dien Bien Phu battle to the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, making the glorious tradition of our army shine, together with the entire people writing the miraculous heroic epic of the Vietnamese revolutionary war!"[2].

To successfully carry out strategic tasks in the resistance war against the US, our Party and State have paid special attention to and taken care of building a strong and developed people's armed forces, acting as the core with the entire people to fight and defeat the invaders, firmly protecting the achievements of the revolution. The war has been over for half a century, but the lessons learned in building people's armed forces in the resistance war against the US to save the country are still valuable in both theory and practice, notably:

Firstly, maintain and strengthen the absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of the Party and the centralized and unified management and operation of the State over the people's armed forces.

This is not only a profound lesson in the resistance war against the US to save the country, but also an immutable principle in building the people's armed forces of our Party and State. Right in the early stages of the resistance war, the 12th expanded Party Central Committee Conference (March 1957) issued a Resolution on the issue of building the army and strengthening national defense. The Resolution determined the motto of "actively building a strong people's army, gradually moving towards regularization and modernization"[3] and determined that building the army and strengthening national defense is the task of the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people. To successfully carry out the task of building the army and strengthening national defense, the Resolution clearly stated: "The decisive factor is to strengthen the leadership of the Party and the Government"[4].

Implementing the 12th Central Resolution, under the absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of the Party, the centralized and unified management and administration of the State, the protection, nurturing and assistance of the people, our Army has continuously developed and grown stronger, with all components, the Army, Navy, Air Defense - Air Force and main army corps; together with other forces and the entire people, creating a combined strength to successively defeat the war strategies of the US-Puppet.

Along with leading the building of the People's Army, our Party and State pay special attention to and care for the building, consolidation and development of the People's Public Security Force and the Militia and Self-Defense Force. The Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat have many important Resolutions and Directives in leading and directing the building of the People's Public Security Force into a dictatorial force absolutely loyal to the Party and the State, closely connected with the masses, a strong fighting force, armed in nature, tightly organized, proficient in professional skills and with scientific and technical qualifications; placing the People's Public Security Force under the "direct, comprehensive and unified in all aspects" leadership of the Party[5].

Regarding the Militia and Self-Defense Force, during the resistance war against the US to save the country, our Party advocated "taking consolidation as the main focus, while developing step by step firmly everywhere, focusing on key areas," "newly built enterprises, factories, and farms must all have self-defense organizations, with cadres in charge of close direction" [6]; accordingly, the Militia and Self-Defense Force was built and developed firmly and widely, both ensuring labor production and ensuring security and combat tasks when necessary.

It is forecasted that in the coming time, the world situation will continue to have many fluctuations, rapid developments, complexities and unpredictability. In the country, the cause of innovation, construction and protection of the Fatherland has achieved great achievements of historical significance; the country's foundation, potential, position and international prestige have been raised, which is an important premise for the country to rise up in the new era of development.

However, in addition to the advantages, the country still has to face many difficulties and challenges, new complex problems have emerged, especially limitations, weaknesses, and conflicts in society that have not been completely resolved; hostile forces have intensified their sabotage, denied the leadership role of the Party, and "depoliticized" the armed forces. That situation requires maintaining and strengthening the absolute, direct leadership in all aspects of the Party, the centralized, unified management and administration of the State over the people's armed forces and the cause of national defense, security, and protection of the Fatherland, which has become increasingly urgent and decisive in the process of development, growth, fighting, and victory of the people's armed forces.

On the morning of April 30, 1975, from all directions, hundreds of tanks, armored vehicles and infantry simultaneously advanced straight to the Presidential Palace of the Saigon puppet government, liberating Saigon. (Photo: Mai Huong/VNA)

The new context requires us to continue to promote the building and rectification of the Party and the political system with drastic, synchronous, continuous, non-stop, and comprehensive policies and solutions in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organization, and personnel. Along with improving the effectiveness and efficiency of leadership in the fields of economy, culture, society, and foreign affairs, the Party and State continue to lead and direct the building and consolidation of the all-people national defense, the all-people national defense posture, the people's security, and the people's security posture, associated with building and consolidating a solid "people's hearts posture"; building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, and modern people's armed forces; politically strong, with high overall quality and combat strength, serving as the core in the cause of national defense, security, and protection of the Fatherland in the new situation. Continue to study theory, summarize practice, perfect the Party's leadership mechanism, and the State's management and administration of the people's armed forces, in conjunction with enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of Party and political work, contributing to maintaining and strengthening the Party's absolute and direct leadership in all aspects, and the State's centralized and unified management and administration of the people's armed forces, meeting new requirements and tasks; not to be passive or surprised in any situation.

Second, special attention should be paid to building the political and spiritual factors of the people's armed forces.

Thoroughly grasping V.I. Lenin's thesis: "In every war, victory ultimately depends on the spirit of the masses shedding blood on the battlefield"[7] and President Ho Chi Minh's viewpoint: "No army, no weapon can defeat the spirit of sacrifice of an entire nation"[8], our Party and State always attach importance to the work of building and promoting the political and spiritual factors of the people's armed forces and the entire people, especially in the resistance against the US to save the country, when our army and people had to fight against a brutal enemy with the world's most powerful economic and military potential.

Our Party clearly stated: “In terms of ideology, we must further understand the viewpoint of long-term hardship and self-reliance to ensure victory; we must foster a strong will, a heroic fighting spirit, overcome all difficulties and hardships, and be determined to kill the enemy to save the country, moving towards completely liberating the South and unifying the Fatherland; we must heighten vigilance, skillfully preserve and conceal our forces, and fight against recklessness and impatience; we must educate the spirit of not being arrogant in victory and not being discouraged in defeat”[9].

To build a strong people's armed forces to meet the requirements of the long, arduous and fierce resistance war, our Party advocates that we must first strengthen political education, ideological leadership, conduct political rectification in the entire army, consolidate the position of the working class and peasants, raise the level of socialist awareness, patriotism closely combined with true internationalism, raise the spirit of revolutionary vigilance and foster fighting spirit; overcome the ideology of reduced fighting will, meritorious deeds, arrogance, unorganized freedom and lack of discipline. Thanks to the building of a solid political and spiritual factor, the people's armed forces were not afraid of hardships and sacrifices, did not submit to the brutal enemy, fought bravely, intelligently and creatively, achieved glorious feats of arms, together with the entire people won great victories in the resistance war against the US to save the country; brought glory to the country and the Vietnamese people in the Ho Chi Minh era.

The strength of the people's armed forces is created by many factors; in which, the political and spiritual factors are the most fundamental. Thoroughly implementing President Ho Chi Minh's viewpoint of "People first, guns later", in the current situation, continuing to identify building a politically strong people's armed forces as the top priority task, a matter of principle, as a basis for improving the overall quality and combat strength of the people's armed forces. Thoroughly implementing this principle, first of all, it is necessary to strengthen propaganda, education, thorough implementation, and raise awareness for cadres and soldiers of the people's armed forces about the Party's military, defense, and security policies and guidelines. On the basis of thoroughly understanding the viewpoint that "ensuring national defense and security is essential and constant," the people's armed forces need to heighten the spirit of revolutionary vigilance, constantly grasp the situation, advise and directly handle promptly and effectively situations related to national defense, security, and foreign affairs, avoid being passive and surprised, prevent risks of war, conflict, insecurity, and disorder, and perform well the task of protecting the Fatherland early and from afar; and defend the country when it is not yet in danger.

Soldiers board a transport plane to the South to participate in the Ho Chi Minh campaign to liberate Saigon (April 1975). (Photo: VNA)

Faced with the emergence of new forms of war, types of operations, strategic spaces, and methods of waging war, the Central Military Commission - Ministry of National Defense, the Central Public Security Party Committee - Ministry of Public Security, and Party committees, commanders, and authorities at all levels need to pay special attention to leading, directing, educating, and training cadres and soldiers of the people's armed forces in all aspects; constantly improving political mettle, patriotism, and revolutionary heroism, being ready to endure hardships and sacrifices, daring to fight, knowing how to fight, and determined to defeat all invaders, firmly protecting the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland in all situations.

Third, build a people's armed force with sufficient quantity, synchronous organization, structure, and composition, balanced and reasonable, with high overall quality and combat strength.

To meet the requirements of the resistance war against the US to save the country, our Party and State continued to build and develop the people's armed forces, including three types of troops: main force troops, local troops and militia and self-defense forces. The Resolution of the Politburo (meeting from December 6 to 10, 1962) on the situation, directions and immediate tasks of the revolution in the South set out the motto for building and developing the armed forces in the South, in which it was determined: "To widely develop guerrillas and militia, to improve the quality of main force troops and local troops" [10]; at the same time, it clearly determined the direction and specific quantity of each type of troops that needed to be focused on building in the South.

During this resistance war, our Party and State built and developed the main force including the military branches and services. In particular, the main force corps were built as the core force on the Southern battlefield. The Air Defense - Air Force and the Navy were built and developed increasingly stronger, together with the people and other forces to defeat the destructive war by air and naval forces of the US imperialists in the North. Along with that, the organization and development of fronts, large main force blocks in the areas, and strategic transport troops on the Truong Son road made the main force truly the main force to implement the strategy of mastering and attacking and destroying the enemy throughout the country, fighting with the entire people to completely liberate the South and unify the country.

Under the leadership and direction of the Party and State, local troops were built and developed rapidly throughout the country, with qualitative development during the resistance war against the US to save the country. In the North, local troops were built to meet the task of protecting the socialist North with many infantry, air defense, engineering, and artillery units established... On the southern battlefield, all districts, towns, provinces, and cities organized local troops to develop armed and political struggles, developing three spearheads (military, political, and military propaganda) in all three strategic areas (mountains, rural plains, and urban areas).

Militia and self-defense forces are widely developed according to the principle of party organization leadership, suitable to the conditions of each locality, construction site, farm, factory, enterprise, with medium and small scale, suitable to different types of war, different situations.

The building of the people's armed forces in the resistance war against the US to save the country ensured the balance between the various types of troops and forces, in accordance with the development of the revolutionary armed struggle, with the strategic position of each type of troop, in accordance with the people's war policy in each period, on each battlefield and throughout the country. Each type of troop and each force was trained and practiced comprehensively, constantly improving the overall quality and combat strength, meeting the requirements of combat missions; closely coordinating with other forces, creating the overall strength of the people's war posture, together with the entire people creating the Great Victory of Spring 1975.

Today, in response to the requirements of the new situation, the people's armed forces need to continue to research, adjust, arrange, reorganize, ensure quality, have appropriate quantity, composition, organization, and structure. Accordingly, the people's armed forces need to thoroughly grasp and strictly and effectively implement the Party and State's policy on streamlining the organization of the political system to operate effectively and efficiently; on building the People's Army and the People's Public Security, especially Resolution No. 05-NQ/TW dated January 17, 2022 of the Politburo on the organization of the Vietnam People's Army for the period 2021-2030 and the following years, Resolution No. 12-NQ/TW dated March 16, 2022 of the Politburo on promoting the building of a truly clean, strong, disciplined, elite, and modern People's Public Security force to meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation.

Continue to adjust the organization of the People's Army towards being lean, compact, and strong, combined with rearranging forces and improving the quality of human resources, ensuring the comprehensiveness, synchronization, and rationality between components and forces, in accordance with the national defense policy, people's war, and the ability to ensure weapons and equipment; adjust the organization of the People's Public Security apparatus towards being elite, comprehensively developed provinces, strong communes, and close to the base; build a strong reserve force, a strong and widespread militia and self-defense force in all regions and at sea. Focus on innovation and improving the quality of military training, technical and tactical qualifications, political education, and comprehensive training combined with ensuring good logistics and techniques for the people's armed forces; promote international integration and foreign affairs in defense and security, contributing to improving the overall quality and combat strength of the armed forces, meeting the requirements of national defense, security, and protecting the Fatherland in the new situation.

Fourth, ensure good weapons and technical equipment for the people's armed forces; actively research and flexibly and skillfully apply Vietnamese military art to meet the types of warfare and the practical development of the combatants.

Liberation flag fluttering at Tan Son Nhat airport, April 30, 1975. (Photo: Quang Thanh/VNA)

During the resistance war against the US to save the country, along with the viewpoint of "People first, guns later," our Party and State always identified weapons and equipment as the basic factor creating the fighting strength of the armed forces. On that basis, our Party and State have many measures to lead and direct the work of improving and ensuring weapons, equipment and technical means for the armed forces in the direction of: "combining primitive weapons, conventional weapons and relatively modern weapons, moving towards increasing modernity" [11]. The main measures to improve and ensure weapons and equipment for the people's armed forces during this period are: purchasing, receiving aid, producing domestically, collecting from the enemy; at the same time, skillfully and creatively using existing weapons and equipment with high efficiency. Thanks to that, the people's armed forces, especially the People's Army, have a relatively synchronous and modern system of weapons and equipment, ensuring that the overall quality and combat strength are raised, enough to defeat invading enemies with overwhelming advantages in weapons and equipment.

Along with ensuring weapons and equipment for the people's armed forces, our Party and State pay special attention to leading and directing the research, development and creative, flexible and skillful application of military art in the new conditions of the resistance war against the US to save the country. The development law of this resistance war in the South is to combine armed struggle and political struggle, to combine revolutionary war and armed uprising, military offensive and mass uprising, to destroy the enemy and gain mastery. In which, armed struggle plays a decisive and dominant role in the final stage of the resistance war with large-scale military campaigns. The people's armed forces units have flexibly, flexibly and constantly creatively applied the art of combat in each battle and campaign, especially the art of organizing and using forces, the art of maneuvering forces, the art of creating battle positions, the art of feints, the art of choosing directions, spearheads, targets of attack and ways of fighting... creating an overwhelming advantage in strength to win step by step, moving towards final victory.

Nowadays, with the strong development of science, technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ensuring new-generation, modern weapons and military and security equipment for the armed forces has become a trend in many countries around the world. Modernizing the armed forces, especially the People's Army and the People's Public Security, is a correct policy of our Party and State, in accordance with the conditions and socio-economic development situation of the country and the development trend of military science and technology and security in the world.

To realize that policy, along with building human resources as the central and decisive factor, it is necessary to pay attention to ensuring good weapons and technical equipment for the people's armed forces, and the long-term sustainable solution is to develop the defense industry and security industry. Continue to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the policy and guidelines on developing the defense industry and security industry with the motto of being proactive, self-reliant, self-reliant, dual-use, modern, closely linked and becoming the spearhead of the national industry, meeting the requirements of modernization, ensuring good weapons and equipment for the armed forces in all situations. At the same time, promote theoretical research, summarize practices, and refer to world experience to develop military art, the art of protecting national security and social security in the new situation.

Fifth, build and develop a close relationship between the armed forces and the people, together with the entire people, to successfully carry out the Party's people's war policy.

The Vietnam People's Armed Forces, organized, led, educated and trained by the Communist Party of Vietnam and Uncle Ho, have a working class nature, a deep sense of humanity and national character, fighting for the goals and ideals of the Party, for the happiness of the people. Relying firmly on the people, being absolutely loyal to and serving the people, and being united and closely attached to the people are both fundamental principles in enhancing the revolutionary nature, humanity and national character of the armed forces, and are also valuable traditional features of the Vietnam People's Army, People's Public Security and Militia. President Ho Chi Minh taught: "The key point is that any main force, local force, or guerrilla must stick closely to the people. If they leave the people, they will certainly fail. Sticking to the people means winning the hearts, trust, affection and love of the people. That way, no matter how difficult the task is, it can be done and victory is certain"[12].

Infantry units and tanks enter Saigon on Bien Hoa highway. (Photo: Hua Kiem/VNA)

In the anti -American resistance war, saving the country, the nurturing, supporting, protecting and helping the people, the people provided manpower and material resources with the spirit of "paddy without shortage, the army did not lack a person" helped the people's armed forces quickly developed. Another strong, brutal and poisonous enemy ”[13]

Under the leadership of the Party, in the years 1959-1960, the armed forces supported the people of the South in the region, conducting the Dong Khoi movement, owning many large rural areas. Military attack and army, breaking the plan to establish a strategic hamlet of the US - puppet. When the American Empire switched to implementing the strategy of "Local War" (1965-1968), our army and people continued to carry out the resistance war, actively attacking the enemy on all three strategic regions, while defeating the destructive wars of the American Empire to the North. The victory of the 1968 General Offensive and Rebellion and the 1975 General Offensive and Rebellion, completely liberating the South, the reunification of the country is the most vivid symbol of the strength of the entire resistance against the people's armed forces as the core under the wise leadership of the Party.

In the current period, the People's Army, the People's Police, the militia and self -defense should constantly promote the glorious tradition, especially to build a solidarity relationship, stick with flesh and blood with the people, uphold the sense of responsibility to serve the people and protect the people. The assault is at the forefront of preventing and overcoming natural disasters, epidemics, search and rescue, rescue, ready to be present in important and dangerous places to protect the lives and property of the people. Actively propagate and mobilize the people to participate in building the armed forces and the national defense forces, the people's security in association with the construction of a strong "people's heart", promoting the great role of the people in the implementation of the national defense policy, the people's security, creating a great synthetic strength to successfully implement the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

The victory of the anti -American resistance war, saving the country is the great achievement of our nation in the twentieth century. Affirming the ingenious and wise leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh in planning the resistance line, building the people's armed forces, meeting the high requirements of the resistance war against the invaders. The United States, saving the country, including lessons on building the people's armed forces with particularly important significance, should continue to be researched, applied and promoted further, contributing to the successful implementation of the cause of building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the new era./.

[1] The Communist Party of Vietnam, the whole Party document, episode 37, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2004, p.
[2] The Communist Party of Vietnam, the entire party document, ibid, episode 37, p.
[3] The Communist Party of Vietnam, the entire party document, the ibid, episode 18, p.
[4] The Communist Party of Vietnam, the entire party document, the ibid, episode 18, p.
[5] The Communist Party of Vietnam, the entire party document, the ibid, episode 22, p.
[6] The Communist Party of Vietnam, the entire party document, ibid, episode 22, p.
[7] Vilenin, Complete, episode 41, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2005, p.
[8] Ho Chi Minh, Complete, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, Episode 4, p. 89.
[9] The Communist Party of Vietnam, the entire party document, the ibid, episode 23, p.
[10] The Communist Party of Vietnam, the entire party document, the ibid, episode 23, p. 831.
[11] The Steering Committee summarizes the war under the Politburo, the Vietnam Revolutionary War 1945-1975-Thang Loi and Lesson, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, Hanoi, 2015, p. 338.
[12] Ho Chi Minh, Complete, Episode 4, Tr.
[13] The Communist Party of Vietnam, the entire party document, the ibid, episode 23, p.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

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