That truth was vividly demonstrated in the Dien Bien Phu Victory on May 7, 1954.
Militia force transporting goods to serve the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. Photo: Archive
The whole Party, the whole people, the whole army join hands and unite
Dien Bien Phu is the place where both the Vietnamese people and the French colonialists devoted their efforts and were determined to win.
To complete the combat and combat service mission, President Ho Chi Minh instructed: “This campaign is a very important campaign not only militarily but also politically, not only domestically but also internationally. Therefore, the entire army, the entire people, and the entire Party must concentrate on completing it successfully.”
The decisive battle of Dien Bien Phu took place in rugged mountainous terrain, far from the rear, with many high passes, deep ravines, and almost no strategic transportation network. Meanwhile, the Northwest region had just been liberated, the economy was slow to develop, and the lives of ethnic minorities were still full of difficulties and deprivation. Therefore, to ensure a large amount of logistics and technical materials for an unprecedentedly large and long-term campaign required the utmost promotion of the bravery and intelligence of the entire nation.
“Fire tests gold, hardship tests strength”, the slogans “All for the front”, “All for victory” were enthusiastically responded to by the entire population. In particular, promoting the potential and strengths of the local rear, throughout the Northwest, the ethnic groups of Thai, Muong, Mong, Dao, Ha Nhi... competed to serve the campaign. Many families scraped up the last seeds of rice, or skipped meals, ate cassava, sweet potatoes to save rice for the campaign. The ethnic groups of the Northwest, Viet Bac, Lien khu III, Lien khu IV... contributed to the campaign “25,056 tons of food, 907 tons of meat and thousands of tons of other food. The number of items transported to the front alone was more than 20,000 tons, including 14,950 tons of rice, 266 tons of salt, 62.7 tons of sugar, 577 tons of meat and 565 tons of dry food”.
In general, during the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, in addition to 16 military transport companies, there were more than 20,000 bicycles from localities participating in transporting materials for the campaign; the civilian labor force actively participated in transporting wounded soldiers to the rear for treatment.
Commenting on the contribution of the people to the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, journalist Giuyn Roa, former Colonel of the French Army, wrote: "... General Nava was defeated by the intelligence and determination to win of the enemy".
Assessing the spirit of great national unity, General Vo Nguyen Giap affirmed: “Never before during the years of resistance, have our people contributed so much as in the Winter-Spring of 1953-1954 to support the army in fighting the enemy… The imperialists… never assessed the strength of an entire nation, the strength of the people. That strength can overcome all difficulties, defeat all enemies”.
The strength of national solidarity was also demonstrated in the harmony of the battlefields across the country with the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. That was the active coordination of the activities of the Public Security forces with the establishment of the Frontline Public Security Committee with the task of protecting the forces participating in the campaign, protecting the civilian laborers, protecting transportation, warehouses, operations, and garrisons of the main force. The provinces in Viet Bac, the free zone of Inter-Zone IV mobilized civilian laborers to serve the campaign; the battlefields of the Central Highlands, Inter-Zone V, the South and other places stepped up attacks on the enemy, coordinating with Dien Bien Phu. The Northern Delta stepped up guerrilla warfare, weakening the enemy, attacking the enemy even in Hanoi and Hai Phong. Our army and people in all localities across the country, from the Northwest, Inter-zone III, Left Bank, to Inter-zone V, Northern Central Highlands, Saigon - Gia Dinh, Southern Vietnam... all stepped up coordinated activities, continuously attacked and destroyed many enemy forces, liberated many areas of land, forcing the French colonialists to disperse their forces everywhere to cope.
In addition, to “share the fire” with the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, local people actively participated in serving the armed forces to proactively launch campaigns to attack the enemy in many directions. Thanks to that, we not only destroyed an important part of the enemy’s strength, but also forced them to disperse their forces to deal with us and were trapped in many places, making the contradiction between the enemy’s concentration and dispersion even deeper.
The intellectual, scientific, cultural and artistic forces also enthusiastically went to the front. Famous doctors such as Ton That Tung, Vu Dinh Tung and lecturers and students of the University of Medicine were present in Dien Bien Phu, promptly treating wounded and sick soldiers. Writer Nguyen Dinh Thi, musician Do Nhuan and many other artists came to Dien Bien Phu from the very first days of the campaign...
To strengthen the fighting force for the front, local people tried their best to encourage young people to join the army and kill the enemy and make achievements. According to the plan in early 1954, our army planned to mobilize 4,000 new soldiers, but in reality, 25,000 new soldiers were selected and promptly added to the front.
Great resources in building and defending the Fatherland
The joint efforts and contributions of the entire nation were the decisive factors in creating the Dien Bien Phu Victory.
Inheriting and promoting those good values, in the period of renovation, our Party continues to affirm: Great national unity is the strategic line of the Vietnamese revolution, a driving force and a great resource in building and defending the Fatherland. That strategic line has strongly aroused the spirit of patriotism, the endogenous strength of the nation; promoted the strength of great national unity combined with the strength of the times; promoted the will of national self-reliance to build and defend the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam. Thanks to that, the country has overcome all difficulties and challenges, achieved great achievements of historical significance, contributing to enhancing the potential, position and prestige of Vietnam in the international arena.
In the coming years, facing the complicated developments of the world and domestic situation, to realize the aspiration of building a strong Vietnam, the important issue is to arouse and promote the precious traditions of the nation, as General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed: "Faced with the great turning points of history with the great goals of the country, if we know how to arouse the spirit of patriotism, national pride, and self-respect, promote the great strength of the great national unity bloc, combine national strength with the strength of the times, then the Vietnamese revolutionary boat will overcome all rapids, storms, and tempests to reach the shore of glory".
Promoting those values, in revolutionary periods, especially the period of renovation, our Party advocates arousing and promoting all potentials and strengths of the country, of each region and each locality; the combined strength of economy, culture - society, national defense - security and the entire political system; arousing the spiritual strength, patriotic tradition and the aspiration to contribute of each citizen to build and develop the country quickly and sustainably, in the direction of socialism in the spirit of Resolution No. 43-NQ/TU dated November 24, 2023, the 8th Conference, the 13th Party Central Committee on continuing to promote the tradition and strength of great national unity, building our country increasingly prosperous and happy; Contribute to the successful implementation of the goal that by 2030 Vietnam will be a developing country with modern industry and high average income, and by 2045 become a developed country with high income following a socialist orientation.
Time has passed, but the lessons learned in promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign still retain their value; they are the foundation and great motivation for the entire Party, people and army to apply and promote in the cause of innovation, industrialization, modernization and international integration to realize the goal of building a strong, prosperous and happy Vietnam.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Danh Tien
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