April 30, 1975: Victory of Vietnamese courage, strength and intelligence

The great victory of Spring 1975 was a victory of Vietnamese mettle, strength and intelligence, a victory of the Vietnamese people's war, in which political and spiritual strength was the basic, leading and decisive factor.

Great victory in Spring 1975. Photo archive

1. Forty years ago, with the great victory of the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975, culminating in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, our people's resistance war against the US to save the country achieved complete victory. That glorious victory was recorded in the history of the Vietnamese people's resistance against foreign invaders as the most brilliant golden page and entered world history as a political-military event of epochal significance.

After the Paris Agreement (January 27, 1973), the US imperialists continued to carry out the strategy of "Vietnamization of the war" with the hope of using the 710,000 regular troops and 1.5 million security and civil defense forces of the Saigon government that had been "modernized" and "elite", to blatantly sabotage the Agreement, step up encroachment, pacification, and maintain the new colonial regime in South Vietnam. In that situation, our Party advocated: Resolutely implementing the strategic ideology of proactively attacking, creating and seizing opportunities, attacking the enemy, gaining victory step by step towards completely liberating the South and unifying the Fatherland. In 1974, the battlefield situation changed rapidly, increasingly in our favor, the opportunity to completely liberate the South had come. The Politburo put forth political determination and strategic plans to take advantage of the historical opportunity, quickly launching an offensive and uprising to successfully end the resistance war against the US, saving the country.

On March 10, 1975, with the "pressure point" of Buon Ma Thuot, the General Offensive and Uprising of our army and people began. After the Tay Nguyen Campaign, Hue Campaign, Da Nang Campaign won quickly, at 5:00 p.m. on April 26, 1975, the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign began. Implementing the strategic guidance of the Politburo: "Speed, boldness, surprise, sure victory", our five powerful main forces launched a general offensive on Saigon with the coordination of local armed forces and the strong uprising movement of the masses, we crushed the enemy's resistance, forcing the Saigon government cabinet to declare unconditional surrender. At exactly 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam flew on the roof of the Independence Palace, the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign ended in victory. The advice of beloved President Ho Chi Minh before he passed away, "We must be determined to fight the American invaders until complete victory," was fully implemented by our army and people.

The victory of the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975 ended the resistance war against the US to save the country, gloriously completing the 30-year continuous struggle for national liberation of our army and people. With this great victory, our nation entered a new era, the era of the whole country moving towards socialism, building and defending the socialist Fatherland.

The resistance war against the US, to save the country, the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975, the Vietnamese army and people had to confront a giant war machine, confront the "international gendarme" with the most powerful and richest military potential, the US imperialists and their puppet regime. To defeat the brutal enemy, we brought into full play the absolute superiority and strength of people's war; the strength of the great national unity bloc; strengthened international solidarity, raised the iron determination and the spirit of determination to fight, determination to win, not afraid of sacrifice, hardship, striving to overcome all difficulties and challenges... to achieve the final victory.

2. The Great Victory of Spring 1975 was a victory of Vietnam's mettle, strength and intelligence, a victory of the Vietnamese people's war, in which political and spiritual strength was the fundamental, leading and decisive factor. The political and spiritual strength of our army and people created the Great Victory of Spring 1975, the crystallization and convergence of the strength of the entire nation not only in more than 20 years of resistance against the US, saving the country but also the promotion to the peak of the strength of the entire nation and the era in the strategic decisive battle to defeat the invading enemy; the ingenious and wise leadership of the Party with the policy of holding high the two flags of national independence and socialism; the strength of the great rear of the socialist North and the strength of the great front line of the South that steadfastly, heroically and resolutely stood up to fight the invading enemy. The political and spiritual strength of our army and people is the combined strength of the country and the socialist regime, closely combined with the strength of the times, gathered and highly promoted by the Great Victory of Spring 1975.

V. Lenin once emphasized: “In every war, victory ultimately depends on the spirit of the masses who are shedding blood on the battlefield. Belief in a just war, the realization that it is necessary to sacrifice one's life for the happiness of one's brothers, is the factor that raises the spirit of soldiers and makes them endure unprecedented difficulties”. The decisive role of political and spiritual strength in the Great Victory of Spring 1975 is shown in the following contents:

Firstly, in the Great Victory of Spring 1975, the political and spiritual strength of our army and people was a great driving force and absolute advantage over the enemy.

During the resistance war against the US to save the country, our army and people fought bravely and sacrificed for the goal of liberating the South and unifying the country. The great victory in the spring of 1975 was the convergence of the political and spiritual strength of the nation, the determination of the cadres, soldiers and people of the two regions, the South and the North, to realize the noble and sacred goal that the Party and Uncle Ho had outlined. With ardent patriotism and iron determination, our army and people, under the leadership of the Party, always had absolute confidence in the victory of the resistance war against the US to save the country; to gain independence for the nation and freedom, prosperity and happiness for the people. The great victory of our people and the chaos leading to the rapid defeat of the enemy in the Central Highlands campaign (March 1975), starting from the key "pressure point" of Buon Ma Thuot, were vivid realities reflecting the "absolute superiority" in politics and spirit of our army and people over the enemy. That advantage even those on the other side of the battle line must admit and admire.

In the Great Victory of Spring 1975, the absolute advantage in political and spiritual strength of our army and people was also demonstrated in the following: First of all, it was the advantage in strength of those who fought for noble goals and ideals. Second, it was the advantage in spirit and determination to fight of patriotic people, full of aspirations to live in peace, independence, freedom, determined to fight to liberate the South and unify the Fatherland, clearly demonstrated in the truth that "nothing is more precious than independence and freedom". Third, it was the advantage in the combined strength of the country on the path to victory, converging on the final strategic decisive campaign to completely liberate the South and unify the Fatherland.

The political and spiritual strength of our army and people was constantly strengthened and had absolute superiority throughout the resistance war against the US, saving the country, and was highly promoted, becoming the overwhelming strength of the enemy in the Great Victory of Spring 1975. From that absolute superiority factor, the position and strength of our army and people constantly developed, becoming a comprehensive advantage to overwhelm the enemy, achieving complete victory. That is the law of movement and development of political and spiritual strength in war, especially in the Great Victory of Spring 1975. In which, the Party's skillful, correct, and creative leadership was the decisive factor in the development and multiplication of the great political and spiritual strength of our army and people in the Great Victory of Spring 1975.

The invincible strength of our army and people in the Great Victory of Spring 1975 was acknowledged by those on the other side of the front line, although that recognition was late and incomplete. Branman, Director of the US Air Force War Planning Research Agency, had to admit: "While American leaders increasingly placed their hopes on technology to subdue Indochina, the resistance forces found their main strength elsewhere: in the cultural and spiritual potential of their people."

Second, the political and spiritual strength of our army and people in the Great Victory of Spring 1975 was the decisive factor in transforming the situation and forces, creating an overwhelming position and force over the enemy, and achieving the final victory.

In war, to win, it is necessary to create a strength that is superior to the enemy. In the Great Victory of Spring 1975, our army and people brought into full play the absolute advantage of the ardent patriotism, the ardent love for the homeland, the burning desire and determination to liberate the South and unify the country of the cadres, soldiers and people of the whole country to transform forces, creating a combined strength that is superior to the enemy.

In the Great Victory of Spring 1975, the political and spiritual strength of our army and people was truly the "glue" that bonded all other factors, creating a combined strength to enhance the fighting power and defeat the enemy. The deep awareness of the goal and ideal of national independence associated with socialism; ardent patriotism, the desire for independence, freedom, and national reunification; the spirit of determination to fight and win... were the core contents of the political and spiritual strength of our army and people, which were highly promoted and shone brightly in the Great Victory of Spring 1975.

Our army and people did not mind the difficulties, hardships, and fierceness, and brought into full play the spirit of initiative and creativity in combat, improving the efficiency of using weapons and equipment to find suitable and effective ways to fight, and gain victory. The ideal and reason for living "the most beautiful life is on the front line fighting the enemy", the spirit of "the whole country joining forces, the whole people fighting the enemy" of our army and people in the resistance war against the US, saving the country was raised to a revolutionary high point, clearly demonstrated in the brave actions in combat, serving the combat of cadres, soldiers and people of all walks of life across the country, especially of the people in the South, becoming a symbol of Vietnamese revolutionary heroism in the Ho Chi Minh era and a unique feature of the Vietnamese people's war, mobilizing all resources, political and spiritual strength of our army and people in the resistance war against the US to save the country.

3. Political and spiritual strength is the decisive factor that led to the Great Victory of Spring 1975. This is the basis for us to affirm: A nation that has defeated two great empires, France and the United States, and has achieved the Great Victory of Spring 1975, then that nation will certainly have the full will, determination and strength to defeat all plots and tricks of "peaceful evolution" of hostile forces, even if they recklessly wage a war of aggression with high-tech weapons.

In the new context, building a national defense and people's war is still the basic and consistent viewpoint of our Party for the cause of defending the Fatherland. However, in that, the basic strength and sharp weapon of the Vietnamese people's war to defend the socialist Fatherland is still political and spiritual strength. Building, consolidating and promoting political and spiritual strength is a basic and urgent task of the cause of building and defending the Fatherland today, requiring us to continue to build, mobilize, encourage and raise it to new heights.

Currently, the cause of building and defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland has new advantages, but also faces many difficulties and challenges. The world and regional situation continues to evolve in a complex manner, with many unpredictable and uncertain factors. Southeast Asia has become a fiercely competitive area for markets and resources; territorial disputes, sovereignty over seas and islands between major countries. The emergence of some new types of warfare, such as information warfare, cyber warfare, the use of soft power through economic, diplomatic and cultural activities combined with "peaceful evolution", violent overthrow, etc. are dangerous forces. In the country, the cause of innovation and socio-economic development, in addition to the results and achievements that have been achieved, still has many limitations and weaknesses, and new complex problems have emerged, affecting the implementation of the goals and tasks of defending the Fatherland. The negative impacts of the market economy, openness and international integration are increasingly deeper and more severe. Signs of political, ideological, moral and lifestyle degradation, along with the deterioration of cultural values, the polarization of rich and poor... are evolving in a complex manner; the risks that our Party has warned about have not only not diminished but have become more serious.

The above situation requires us to attach more importance to building and promoting political and spiritual strength, creating a combined strength to build and firmly protect the Fatherland. This is a big issue, especially important at present, especially in planning policies and implementing national defense, security and protection strategies, in building, mobilizing and promoting political and spiritual strength.

The 8th Central Conference, 11th tenure of the Party affirmed: Regardless of the circumstances, we must clearly see the complexity of the current developments in the world, region and country to raise our determination and take effective measures to maintain national security and protect the Fatherland. Continue to implement the goals, viewpoints, directions and guiding principles for the implementation of the task of protecting the Fatherland as set out in the Resolution of the 8th Central Conference, 9th tenure. At the same time, we must firmly grasp and skillfully apply the lessons of our ancestors: "Building the country goes hand in hand with protecting the country"; "protecting the country when the country is not yet in danger"; have plans to prevent and eliminate the risks of war and conflict early and from afar. Implement by all means: "the economy must be stable, national defense must be strong, the real force must be strong, the people's hearts must be at peace, politics and society must be stable, the whole nation must be a united bloc"

From the lesson of the Great Victory of Spring 1975, we need to effectively implement the strategy of building, mobilizing and promoting the political and spiritual factor in the new situation. That strategy must be closely combined and included in the overall strategy of national defense, security and protection of the Fatherland, as an integral part of the national comprehensive strength, closely linked with the strategy of socio-economic development and the strategy of national construction. The fundamental issue now is to strive to consolidate and strengthen the great national unity bloc, strengthen the people's trust in the Party, the State and the regime, care for and protect the people's legitimate rights and interests, "pacify" the people, strengthen the close relationship between the Party and the people, and consolidate a solid "people's heart position".

The cause of building the Vietnam People's Army as "revolutionary, disciplined, elite, and gradually modern" in the new stage of the revolution poses many new issues for us to solve in building and promoting the political and spiritual factor, the fundamental factor contributing to the Great Victory of Spring 1975. We need to better perform the task of building the army politically, creating the basis for building a strong army in all aspects. Strengthen the absolute and direct leadership of the Party in all aspects, the centralized and unified management of the State over the army; improve the effectiveness of Party work and political work; improve the quality and promote the role of the cadre team, especially political cadres, political commissars, and political officers; strengthen the close relationship between the army and the people; At the same time, proactively fight against erroneous and hostile viewpoints, especially the plot of "depoliticization" of our army by hostile forces to firmly protect the Party's ideological position, protect the regime, and firmly protect the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland in the new situation.

Senior Lieutenant General Ngo Xuan Lich

Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army

(According to People's Police)