75 years ago, in order to meet the requirements of leadership, direction, guidance and organization of Party and political activities (CTĐ, CTCT) at BTTM during the resistance war against French colonialism, on June 8, 1948, in Diem Mac commune, Dinh Hoa district, Thai Nguyen province, the BTTM Political Work Committee (the predecessor of the present-day BTTM Political Department) was established. The Political Work Committee is responsible for organizing political education and internal activities, in charge of the library, monitoring, collecting and disseminating news to cadres, employees and soldiers. In the early stages of its establishment, the Committee's cadres worked, studied and improved their professional skills, determined to overcome all difficulties and hardships, successfully complete all tasks, and gradually build the agency to become mature and strong in all aspects.

From the requirements of the revolutionary tasks and the practicality of the resistance war against French colonialism, along with the development of the Party organization and specialized agencies in the Central Military Commission, in July 1950, the Central Military Commission's Political Work Department developed into the Political Department; political work departments and sub-committees in a number of agencies and units under the Central Military Commission were also formed, thus, the political work and political work activities in the Central Military Commission gradually became routine, comprehensively implementing all aspects of work, according to a centralized and unified system.

In major campaigns such as: Border Campaign (1950), Tran Hung Dao Campaign (1950-1951), Hoang Hoa Tham Campaign (1951), Quang Trung Campaign (1951), Hoa Binh Campaign (1951-1952), a number of cadres of the Political Department were reinforced for the front line of the campaign, proactively overcoming all difficulties, closely following the tasks of agencies and units in each direction of the battlefield. During this period, the activities of the Political Department and the Political Department in the Military Command made an important contribution to building the soldiers in the Military Command units with a high determination to fight; fighting against ideological deviations, fear of hardship, fear of fierceness, and sacrifice, making an important contribution to the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu.

Heads of the General Staff's Political Department of different periods and the working delegation at the monument where the General Staff's Political Work Committee (the predecessor of today's General Staff's Political Department) was established, in Diem Mac commune, Dinh Hoa district, Thai Nguyen province, on May 27, 2023. Photo: LE THANH TRUNG

During the resistance war against the US to save the country, with the motto of turning to the beloved South, the CTĐ and CTCT at BTTM had many activities and movements such as contributing money and labor, launching emulation campaigns, mobilizing thousands of cadres and soldiers to participate in the battlefields, supplementing forces for combat units, directly contributing with the army and people of the whole country to liberate the South and unify the country. Having matured through two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, in order to meet the increasingly developing requirements and tasks, on June 24, 1978, the Minister of National Defense (MND) issued a decision to establish the Political Department of BTTM. This was a new development in the organization and tasks of the political agency, creating favorable conditions for staff activities and implementing aspects of CTĐ and CTCT at the strategic staff agency.

Entering the period of innovation, facing the opportunities and challenges, along with the implementation of Resolution No. 27-NQ/TW dated July 4, 1985 of the Politburo (V tenure) "On continuing to perfect the Party's leadership mechanism for the Vietnam People's Army and the national defense cause", in July 1987, the Central Military Party Committee (now the Central Military Commission) decided to merge the Political Department of the Central Military Commission with the Political Department of the Ministry of National Defense Agency into the Political Department of the Central Military Commission - Ministry of National Defense Agency, opening a new stage for the Political Agency in directing and organizing CTĐ and CTCT activities at the strategic staff agency. Faced with the fluctuations of the world situation in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which placed our country and our Army before a great historical challenge, a turning point of vital significance for the entire nation, on September 5, 2007, the Ministry of National Defense decided to change the name of the Political Department of the General Staff - Ministry of National Defense Agency to the Political Department of the General Staff.

In response to the requirements and tasks of building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually modern Army, with a number of military branches, arms, and forces advancing straight to modernity, in recent years, the Political Department of the Central Military Commission has advised, guided, and directed agencies and units in the Central Military Commission to well organize the study, dissemination, and strict implementation of directives, resolutions, and conclusions of the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, the Central Military Commission, and the General Department of Politics. Focus on innovating and improving the quality of political education, propaganda, dissemination, and legal education; information, propaganda, and ideological orientation, contributing to raising awareness, revolutionary vigilance, and high determination for cadres, employees, and soldiers in the Central Military Commission. Directing and organizing well the activities to celebrate important holidays and historical events of the country, the Army, and the Central Military Commission; Promote innovation, improve the quality and effectiveness of the Emulation Movement for Victory and the campaigns and emulation movements of sectors, agencies and units. Proactively improve the quality of operations of Steering Committee 35 and Force 47 at all levels, contributing to effectively combating and refuting erroneous and hostile viewpoints.

The Political Bureau has always proactively advised, directed, and guided Party committees and Party organizations at all levels in the Central Military Commission to lead, direct, thoroughly grasp, concretize, and seriously and effectively implement directives and resolutions from above on Party building work; associated with the implementation of Conclusion No. 01-KL/TW dated May 18, 2021 of the Politburo on continuing to implement Directive No. 05-CT/TW dated May 15, 2016 of the 12th Politburo "On promoting the study and following of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and lifestyle", Resolution No. 847-NQ/QUTW dated December 28, 2021 of the Central Military Commission on promoting the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers, resolutely fighting individualism in the new situation.

Strictly comply with the principles of Party organization and activities, focus on improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength of Party organizations at all levels; regularly do a good job of consolidating, perfecting, and training Party committees; manage and educate Party members, especially in key agencies and units; build clean and strong Party organizations associated with building strong and comprehensive "exemplary and typical" agencies and units. Strengthen inspection and supervision work; closely implement internal political protection work; contribute to firmly ensuring the Party's leadership in strategic advisory agencies.

Do a good job of managing, planning, training, fostering, arranging, organizing, and improving the quality of the staff in a basic and specialized direction, ensuring a reasonable, balanced, and synchronous structure. Increase the proportion of young staff and staff with practical experience working at the grassroots level; ensure that the staff at the Military Region 1 always have a strong political stance, profound strategic thinking, extensive knowledge, and are quick to grasp and handle situations, meeting the increasingly high requirements in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Heads of the Political Department of the General Staff of all periods and delegates attending the Workshop "75-year History of the Political Department of the General Staff" (1948-2023), February 2023. Photo: LE THANH TRUNG

The Political Department has advised, proposed, directed, and guided the implementation of policies, gratitude activities, and policies for people with revolutionary contributions to ensure thoughtfulness, integrity, and love. Regularly coordinate and implement mass mobilization work, actively participate in the Movements "The Army joins hands to build new rural areas", "The Army joins hands for the poor, leaving no one behind", "The whole people unite to build a cultural life". Direct and guide women's organizations, youth unions, trade unions, and military councils to operate properly in their functions and tasks, achieving good results.

In addition to guiding and implementing the activities of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, the Political Department also performs the task of managing the military administration of the judicial agencies under the General Staff and the Ministry of National Defense Printing Factory. The Political Department has focused on doing a good job of propagating and disseminating legal education to help officers, employees and soldiers of the General Staff prevent violations of the law and military discipline, and at the same time organize verification, investigation, prosecution, trial and execution of cases and cases to ensure timely, strict and in accordance with legal regulations, without wrongful convictions or criminals being let go. Along with that, the Political Department regularly pays attention to and takes care of building a clean and strong Party Committee of the Department, a comprehensively strong Political Department that is "exemplary and typical", with high internal solidarity and unity, successfully completing assigned political tasks and urgent tasks, and ensuring absolute safety for the unit. Continuously from 2007 to present, the Political Department of the General Staff has been awarded the flag of the leading unit in the Emulation Movement for Victory by the Chief of the Ministry of National Defense and the Chief of the General Staff.

In the coming time, the world and regional situation will continue to develop rapidly, complicatedly, and unpredictably. Domestically, there are fundamental advantages but many difficulties and challenges. The tasks of protecting the Fatherland, consolidating national defense, building the Army to become "regular, elite, and modern", and adjusting the organization and staffing are posing new issues, new tasks, and high requirements for the General Staff in general and the Political Department of the General Staff in particular.

To perform its tasks well, the Political Department of the General Staff continues to thoroughly grasp and successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress of the Army and the Resolution of the 18th National Party Congress of the General Staff - Ministry of National Defense. Focus on advising and proposing to do well the work of political and ideological education, building for the General Staff officers, employees and soldiers to have a strong political stance, absolute trust in the leadership of the Party; improve the leadership capacity and fighting strength of Party committees and organizations at all levels; perfect and train cadres at all levels who "dare to think, dare to do, dare to take responsibility", meeting the requirements of assigned duties and tasks; do well the work of internal political protection, building an agency that is absolutely politically secure; take care of implementing well the policy work for the subjects; Building internal solidarity, unity, strictly abiding by State laws and military discipline, contributing to building a clean and strong Party organization, a comprehensively strong agency that is "exemplary and typical".

During the 75-year journey of building, developing and maturing, generations of cadres and soldiers of the Political Department of the Central Military Commission have built the tradition of: "Loyalty, dedication - Proactiveness, creativity - Solidarity, discipline - Full of duty and love". The Political Department of the Central Military Commission has been awarded by the Party and State: Second and Third Class Military Exploit Medals; First and Second Class Military Exploit Medals; Third Class Labor Medals; First, Second and Third Class Fatherland Protection Medals and many other noble awards.

Major General CHU VAN DOAN

  Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the General Staff - Ministry of National Defense, Political Commissar of the General Staff