Lessons on people's power

That is the result of the policy of building a comprehensive revolutionary force including the political army and the people's armed forces, which has always combined military, political and diplomatic struggles, fighting the enemy in all three strategic areas (forests and mountains, rural plains and urban areas), using three prongs of attack (military - political and military propaganda)... With that total strength, our army has successively defeated the enemy's strategies over the past two decades.

More than 300,000 Saigon people welcomed the Saigon - Gia Dinh City Military Management Committee. Photo: Document

The Spring 1975 offensive and uprising, culminating in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign in the strategic decisive battle to liberate Saigon and the South, was the inevitable result of the above combined strength. In which, the military offensive with the fist of the 5 main forces was the direct decisive thrust, the political offensive, the uprising of the masses was the foundation of the combined strength, creating the situation that ended the fierce 30-year war, liberating Saigon almost intact. It can be said that this was a unique event in the history of war in the world, of great significance, both demonstrating the wise leadership of our Party according to Ho Chi Minh's thought, honestly reflecting the nature of our nation, and having a great impact on the development of the country after the war.

The people of Saigon - Gia Dinh are proud to have contributed greatly, creating a combined strength that contributed significantly to the glorious victory of the era - the Great Victory of Spring 1975. In the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign, "the masses entered the battle at the right time... The patriotic actions of the people created revolutionary momentum, which was a great strength. This is the most precious thing of the people of Saigon - Gia Dinh and this is also the result of the propaganda, education, organization and training work in the struggle over many years of the City Party Committee".

Tradition - the luggage for battle

Despite living in an environment that was the "headquarters" of the invaders with a giant governing apparatus, the people of Saigon had the most massive political struggles. During the 30-year long march for national liberation, history has recorded important events of the people of Saigon: In August 1945, when the uprising order was given, revolutionary forces within public and semi-public organizations such as the Vanguard Youth and the Trade Unions immediately launched an attack on enemy bases. Then millions of people from all walks of life flooded the central streets with forests of red flags with yellow stars, shouting the slogan "power to the people". During the resistance war against France, the event "Tro On's Funeral" (January 9, 1950) was a political demonstration with a sea of ​​people stretching for dozens of kilometers in 8 hours, "the coffin arrived at Cho Lon cemetery but the last person had not yet left Petrus Ky school"; Then on the “anti-American day” (March 19, 1950), Saigon students flooded the streets with red flags with yellow stars, sang patriotic songs, lowered the tricolor flag, burned the three-stick flag, stopped trains, built barricades, chased American soldiers…

During the anti-American period, the political struggle movement continued to develop strongly, diversely, and uniquely with the characteristics of urban residents under the direct leadership of the City Party Committee. These were the "National Self-Determination Movement", the activities of the "Peace Movement Committee" (1965) which attracted thousands of personalities and organizations to participate in issuing a declaration demanding the US to end the war; the "Force for the Protection of National Culture", "Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Women's Rights", "Association for the Protection of Youth Spirit" and a series of newspapers such as Tin Van, Hon Tre, Tieng Noi Tri Thuc ... fiercely fought against the infiltration of foreign culture by the American invaders. In particular, the movements of "Historical Songs", "Resistance Songs", "Singing for My People" by tens of thousands of young people resounded through the streets, urging, stirring people's hearts, and attracting people towards the revolution. The people of Saigon - Gia Dinh, the people of the whole country and perhaps the whole world will never forget the unique event that has never been seen in any major city in the colonial world: the unique Saigon demonstration "Journalists go begging" with the strong characteristics of the urban revolutionary movement.

Liberation Army tanks drove straight into the Independence Palace at noon on April 30, 1975. Photo courtesy

The diversity, richness, and uniqueness of the continuous, vibrant political struggle movement of the people of Saigon - Gia Dinh has become a precious tradition, a solid foundation, and a solid foundation for a new battle, a strategic decisive battle, to liberate Saigon and liberate the South.

Battle at the right time

On April 1, 1975, the Politburo of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Workers' Party met and decided to concentrate forces to liberate Saigon, with the determination to start and end in April 1975. Accordingly, the Saigon Liberation Campaign Command was established, developing a plan and combat strategy for the campaign, in which comrade Nguyen Van Linh - Deputy Secretary of the Central Bureau was assigned to be in charge of the uprising work of the masses; comrade Vo Van Kiet, Standing Member of the Central Bureau, was in charge of the work of taking over the city after liberation. On April 14, 1975, the Politburo decided to name the Saigon - Gia Dinh liberation campaign the Ho Chi Minh Campaign. The Saigon - Gia Dinh Party Committee was assigned to "fully prepare in all aspects so that when the opportunity comes, it can mobilize the masses to rise up and launch a general uprising to seize power from the grassroots to the Central level". At the same time, it has the task of occupying important bridges, controlling enemy artillery positions and airports, occupying footholds, opening the way and guiding the main force to attack and capture assigned targets; creating necessary conditions for the main force corps to have a place to assemble; ensuring on-site logistics for the campaign...

On April 12, 1975, the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee issued a Directive on “Things to do immediately in the stages before, during and after the City is liberated” with a deep awareness and understanding of the spirit of “an opportunity that only comes once every 20 years”. The Directive stated: “The opportunity for uprising is when our attacks and uprisings around the City are successful, the enemy forces protecting the city are defeated, the enemy overthrows each other or changes top leadership, the enemy ranks are in chaos, cannot control the situation or flee from the city. At this time, even though the main force has not yet entered, it is still necessary to mobilize the masses to rise up and attack and revolt”. The City has built up armies of all sectors and levels ready to join the fight, with important handbooks such as the Appeal of the Saigon - Gia Dinh People's Revolutionary Committee; Seven articles on the Military Affairs Policy of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam; Documents guiding the masses in action (before, during and after the general offensive - general uprising)...

People of all walks of life in Saigon protested for national self-determination under the US-Diem regime. Photo courtesy

With a tradition that has been cultivated and built, with the accumulated baggage built over 20 years of resistance against the US, with the spirit of readiness to "seize the opportunity" that was prepared in advance, when the Ho Chi Minh Campaign opened on April 26, 1975, the large political army of the masses simultaneously rushed into battle.

The workers' force, with the spirit of "bravely advancing, uniting, raising the vanguard flag, overthrowing the puppet government, and taking power into the hands of the people", participated in the uprising in the neighborhoods, in enterprises, factories, especially the power plant, water plant, post office, radio station, television station, and large warehouses, not allowing the enemy to sabotage before they retreated. Thanks to that, when the troops entered the city, the enemy fled in disarray, the power plant was still glowing, the water was still flowing, the shops, stores, etc. were still intact.

The peasant forces under the direct command of the City Party Committee's B wing (the wing in charge of rural areas, tasked with liberating the districts of Cu Chi, Hoc Mon, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Thu Duc and Gia Dinh town) entered the fight from the beginning of April, building hundreds of mass bases and dozens of political pockets in the suburbs. When the Ho Chi Minh Campaign began, the peasant forces coordinated smoothly with local troops following the progress of the main rebel forces, seizing power in each locality and region. Following the direction of the II Corps and IV Corps, in the East and Northeast on April 29 and 25, they rose up in the areas of Giong Ong To and Lo Lu (Thu Duc); by April 29, they had seized power in all communes of Thu Duc district. In the Northwest, on April 28 and 29, the masses rose up to gain control of Hoc Mon communes such as Xuan Thoi Thuong, Tan Thoi Nhi, Tan Thanh Dong and Hoc Mon town. All communes in Cu Chi located in the Northwest direction of the army were almost completely liberated on April 29 (the communes of Tan An Hoi, Tan Thong Hoi, Tan Phu Trung, Phuoc Hiep, Phuoc Thanh located on Highway 22, or the communes of Trung Lap, Phu Hoa Dong, Trung An next to Dong Du base were all liberated). In the direction of the advance of the 1st Army Corps, the masses rose up to completely control the communes of Tan Tho Hiep, An Phu Dong, Nhi Binh, An Nhon, Thong Tay Hoi. Following the direction of the attack of the 3rd Army Corps, the masses coordinated with local troops, forced the withdrawal of outposts, controlled the targets, and gained sovereignty in the communes of Phu Tho Hoa, Tan Son Nhi, and Tan Son Hoa. In the southwest, following the advance of Division 232, the masses rose up with local troops to seize power in the vast rural areas of Tan Tao, Tan Nhat, and Binh Tri Dong communes, advancing to completely liberate Binh Chanh district.

The intellectual force in Saigon - Gia Dinh was large in number, "had an important social position among the people, had significant influence on the puppet army and puppet government...", so in the resistance war against colonialism and imperialism, the Saigon - Gia Dinh Party Committee paid special attention to the work of intellectuals. The Intellectual Movement Committee mobilized and organized the political struggle movement of intellectuals, high-ranking civil servants, teachers, religious monks, capitalists, artists, etc., along with the political struggle movement of urban compatriots such as Youth, Women, Workers, etc. At the same time, there were characteristic movements of intellectuals in the broad People's Front.

During the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign, Saigon-Gia Dinh intellectuals, under the direct guidance of the Intelligence and Movement Committee, flexibly and sensitively sought ways to weaken the enemy ranks, especially the "chop bu" part of the Saigon government, concentrating forces to overthrow the puppet government from above and from within, contributing to creating a "new situation" to end the war according to Ho Chi Minh's ideology.

The City Youth Union force has always been the “fuse” in the political struggle movement in the capital city of Saigon throughout the periods of the resistance war against the US to save the country, especially from 1965 onwards. From late 1974 to early 1975, the City Youth Union was assigned the task of preparing forces to participate in the uprising in the inner city. Accordingly, a large force was sent into the inner city so that when the opportunity arose, organizations such as the Saigon Student Union; Saigon Student Union; Student and Student Art and Literature Group; Social Work Group... mobilized members and the masses to participate in the uprising to gain control in the neighborhoods. In particular, the City Youth Union was directly responsible for the uprising in the areas of Ban Co, Vuon Chuoi, Cau Bong, Da Cao - Tan Dinh, Phu Nhuan, Khanh Hoi - Vinh Hoi, Tan Phu, Bay Hien. All of these uprising points had a supporting impact on the capture of central targets such as the Independence Palace, the US Embassy, ​​Thu Do Special Zone, the General Staff, etc. At the same time, a large number of City Youth Union cadres were mobilized by the City Party Committee to reinforce districts 6, 7, 8, 10, Phu Tho Hoa, Tan Son Nhat, Tan Son Nhi, Go Vap to join the uprising masses to gain control and fight against the main force's attacks from all directions.

Four soldiers of Division 304 (Army Corps 2) - the first to enter the Independence Palace and plant the flag on the roof of the Saigon puppet government's Presidential Palace at noon on April 30, 1975. Photo: Dinh Quang Thanh/VNA

The Saigon - Gia Dinh women's movement has developed strongly since 1965, when the US army directly participated in the war in the South. Many women's organizations were formed such as the Association for the Protection of Human Dignity and the Right to Life, the Vietnamese Women's Mendicant Church, the Long Hoa Buddhist Women's Union, the Vietnam Buddhist Women's Association, the Do Thanh Market 36 Small Traders' Union, the Association of Mothers with Children in Prison, etc. The women's struggle movement had its own characteristics for the gender and profession, and coordinated with the armed and political struggles of the masses of the City. Entering the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, the Women's Movement Committee was assigned the task of approaching enemy areas and strategic hamlets to build bases; sewing flags, preparing liaison forces, bringing troops into the City; building inner-city bases, preparing to take over the City. When the Ho Chi Minh campaign started, the women's "teams" in the areas joined in the fight in a coordinated and intelligent manner, bringing about high efficiency. The mothers of Cu Chi, the land of steel and copper, raised high the flag of the Liberation Front, leading the masses to rise up and "eradicate" the enemy's grassroots government agencies. On April 29 in Go Vap, Bay Hien Textile Zone, the women did military propaganda work, planted flags throughout the neighborhoods and markets; hung up the signboard of the Bay Hien Revolutionary People's Committee... On the morning of April 30, the women planted flags and occupied the headquarters of the Thanh My Tay Commune Council. A large part of the Women's Propaganda Committee leaders had entered the City before, including comrade Do Duy Lien, Head of the Committee, who led the core force to combine with the people to rise up and gain control in many places, from the districts of Gia Dinh to the inner city of Saigon. The image of commando soldier Nguyen Trung Kien guiding tanks to capture the target is a typical heroic symbol of Saigon - Gia Dinh Women in the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign. And we will never forget the countless female workers who persevered and bravely protected the material facilities of factories and enterprises to remain intact during the storm of the campaign, further highlighting the heroic tradition of Saigon - Gia Dinh Women...

The participation of the Chinese in the resistance war against the US to save the country in general, and the Spring 1975 General Offensive and Uprising in particular, was a unique feature, reflecting the comprehensive strength of the masses in the Saigon - Gia Dinh urban revolutionary movement. Right from its inception, our Party organized the Hoa Van Committee to mobilize the Chinese to actively participate in the revolutionary struggle. Especially in the South, with the focus being Saigon - Cho Lon, from the time of the resistance war against the French to the Americans, the work of mobilizing the Chinese took place regularly and comprehensively, leading the Chinese into the orbit of the national liberation movement in the City. Entering the Spring 1975 General Offensive and Uprising, the Standing Committee of the Saigon - Gia Dinh City Party Committee assigned the Hoa Van Committee to arrange forces to mobilize the masses to rise up in 10 key areas in districts with large Chinese populations such as districts 5, 11, 6, 10, etc.

When the Ho Chi Minh campaign began, the armed propaganda groups of the Hoa Van Committee distributed leaflets, hung banners, and used loudspeakers to call on the masses to rise up and seize power, and hung the liberation flag in many schools and Chinese Associations. On the morning of April 30, when the main forces attacked the inner city, the uprising subcommittees of the Hoa Van Committee, according to their assignment, simultaneously took action. In District 5, from rising up to gain control of some streets and wards, they moved forward to surround and occupy the District 5 Police Department, the District Administration Building, and the Officers' Club, arranged forces to guard and protect the warehouse system along Ham Tu and Le Quang Liem wharfs, and took over the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. In District 6, the uprising forces occupied the hamlets, advanced to surround the Administration Building and the District 6 Police Department, blocked the roads, and hung the liberation flag on the District Administration Building. At the same time, forces were arranged to take over the ward government, maintain order, and protect the warehouses at Binh Tay market... In District 10, the Uprising Subcommittee and a Chinese Saigon army officer who was a revolutionary base mutinied, controlled, and disarmed the Taiwanese military advisory office forces, and assigned forces to hang the Liberation Front flag throughout the apartment buildings in the Ngo Gia Tu area; called on the people to rise up and occupy police stations, hamlet offices, and take over the District 10 Administrative Building. In District 11, from the morning of April 30, the uprising forces surrounded and occupied hamlets and wards in the Cau Tre, Binh Thoi, Phu Thanh, and Phu Hoa areas, then coordinated with the City Youth Union forces to occupy and manage the documents and materials of the Administrative Department and the Police Department of the districts... A large number of Chinese people in the Cho Lon area joined the people of the City to demonstrate the revolutionary force, actively participating in maintaining order, security, and managing the life of the neighborhood in the first days after liberation.

Military propaganda work aimed at mobilizing enemy soldiers and drawing them to the revolution was a strategic attack to overthrow the colonial rule and defeat the invading enemy. It was identified and directed by our Party to be implemented on all battlefields, especially the Saigon-Gia Dinh urban battlefield, the enemy's nerve center. Depending on the situation of the battlefield and the dynamics of the war, military propaganda work was carried out flexibly in terms of scope, content and form. During the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, military propaganda and enemy propaganda work were carried out in a diverse manner with many attacks on subjects that played a direct role in the process of ending the war. To prepare for the campaign, the Central Military Propaganda Committee and the Saigon-Gia Dinh Military Propaganda Committee urgently prepared for action both at the units and training schools of the puppet army, and also calculated the strategic card that had been prepared for a long time - the "top" target of the Saigon government.

Saigon people flock to the Independence Palace to welcome the liberation army. Photo: Quang Thanh-VNA

In the countryside, the uprising of the masses mentioned above, in many places, had the contribution of the military propaganda force. In the urban areas, in the main units, training camps, the most prominent event was the event on the morning of April 28, 1975, Major Le Quang Ninh launched the uprising of soldiers, bringing the Dong Du base protection battalion - Division 25 to the revolution, causing confusion, disrupting the ranks of the puppet military zone 31, creating favorable conditions for our main force to attack Dong Du base. In the afternoon of April 29, 1975, Colonel, Deputy Commander of Quang Trung Training Center ordered the concentration of troops in the camp, put away all weapons, neutralized the minefields protecting the entire center, "cleared the way" for the main force to advance through the center, attacking the Hoang Hoa Tham paratrooper brigade camp. Early in the morning of April 30, 1975, our internal force at Quang Trung Training Center hung 400 flags, distributed the 10-point Policy Document to Saigon soldiers at 4 camps Vo Tanh, Chu Van Tiep, Le Loi, Duong Mong Hung, calling on soldiers to disband and return to their families. Lieutenant Tran Hue Nhat, an internal force, party member, commander of the Gia Dinh Police Command's security company, and the base occupied the Command, disintegrating the police apparatus below, creating favorable conditions for the masses to rise up and seize power in the central area of ​​Gia Dinh province.

The actions of President Duong Van Minh in the last three days of the Saigon regime were strongly influenced by military movements.
The events mentioned above, although accounting for a very small proportion in the overall picture of the uprising of the Saigon - Gia Dinh people of all classes and sectors, have shown the timely participation, the important contribution, creating the combined strength of the Spring 1975 offensive and uprising, the peak of which was the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, creating a resounding victory of our people in the Ho Chi Minh era. In just 2 days, April 29 and 30, the entire Saigon - Gia Dinh City had 107 uprising points before the President of the Republic of Vietnam, Duong Van Minh, announced his surrender. Most of the district capitals, the District Police Departments and the Gia Dinh Provincial Administrative Office were liberated by the people's uprising, "star-studded flags fluttered throughout the hamlets and streets", people of all classes flooded the streets and joined the main forces in attacking the city center, singing the song "Great Victory of Spring 1975".

People are the root

Assessing the timely uprising and close coordination of the people of the City with the main forces, the Commander of the Ho Chi Minh campaign, General Van Tien Dung said: “This is the most precious thing of the people of Saigon – Gia Dinh”. That’s right! The people of Saigon – Gia Dinh have lived for more than a century (1859 – 1975) under the yoke of colonialism and imperialism with countless hardships, oppression, terror, killing, deception…, it seemed that people’s hearts would be as soft as soy sauce. But no! The spirit of the people of Saigon – Gia Dinh has always been resilient and brave in the face of all storms, tempests, and the claws of the cruel enemy. During the period of neo-colonialism, many evils flooded the society of the South, especially in the temporarily occupied urban areas, and many people were infected with the colonialist lifestyle. That more or less affected the perception and evaluation of the people of Saigon from many different perspectives. The tradition of indomitable resilience, steadfastness with the revolution, the mass line, the propaganda work of mobilizing, educating, organizing and training the masses in the revolutionary struggle of the City Party Committee, the "timely entry into battle", creating a revolutionary atmosphere that filled the streets of the masses, allowing to draw valuable lessons on the work of mobilizing the people to participate in revolutionary movements. First of all, we must understand, arouse and make use of the people's strength. Surely everyone knows that Uncle Ho is an example of absolute trust in the strength of the people, love for the people, respect for the people, wholeheartedly serving the people. He always absorbed the philosophy of development of Vietnam summarized by wise kings and philosophers: "the people are the ones who carry the boat, the people are the ones who capsize the boat", "the people are the root" and Uncle affirmed in a way that is both general and specific "all forces are with the people..., all benefits belong to the people, all power belongs to the people". For the people, Uncle Ho's heart is always filled with love and affection. In a letter to the people of the South more than 70 years ago, Uncle Ho pointed out: “Among millions of people, there are people like this and like that, but they are all descendants of our ancestors. Therefore, we must be tolerant and magnanimous. We must realize that as descendants of Lac and Hong, everyone has more or less patriotism.”

A corner of Ho Chi Minh City today.

Before passing away, Uncle Ho "left behind a lot of love for all the people, the whole Party, the whole army, the youth and children, all compatriots" and did not forget to care for the victims of colonial society such as thieves, prostitutes, gamblers, smugglers, and had to educate them to reform and become useful people for society... That was the profound instruction that the mass mobilization work, including the enemy and military agitation work during the resistance period of the Saigon - Gia Dinh Party Committee, always thoroughly grasped, thereby arousing patriotism, humanity, and responsibility of each citizen towards the Fatherland and homeland, creating the combined strength of the masses in the decisive, strategic battle - the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

After the liberation day, the lesson of evaluating, mobilizing, organizing, and guiding the masses to promote their role and strength was applied very wisely by Ho Chi Minh City.

We, especially those who were young in the early years after liberation, must still remember the passionate speech and trust in the City Youth after the liberation day of the Secretary of the City Party Committee Vo Van Kiet, which urged and attracted tens of thousands of young people with countless different circumstances to join the City Youth Volunteers to spread to all regions to build a new life. Then the Resolution of the City Party Congress through the terms always advocated preserving and promoting the cultural values ​​and people with the characteristics of the City's people to create a combined strength to build the City more and more civilized, modern, and affectionate. That is the lesson about the people's strength: "Without the heroic people of Saigon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City, the Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee could not exist and develop, without the great victories of the past and today"./.