Directive on the establishment of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army

Full text of President Ho Chi Minh's Directive on the establishment of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army, December 1944.

Handwritten copy of the Directive on the establishment of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army by President Ho Chi Minh. Photo: Archive

1. The name of the VIETNAM PROPAGANDA LIBERATION ARMY means that politics is more important than military. It is a propaganda team. Because in order to have effective military action, the main principle is the principle of concentration of forces, therefore, according to the new directive of the organization, the most determined and enthusiastic cadres and team members will be selected from the ranks of the Cao - Bac - Lang guerrillas and a large part of the weapons will be concentrated to form the main force team.

Because our resistance is a resistance of the entire people, it is necessary to mobilize and arm the entire people, so while concentrating forces to form the first army, it is necessary to maintain armed forces in the localities to coordinate actions and provide assistance in all aspects. The main army, on the contrary, has the duty to guide the armed cadres of the localities, to help with training, and to provide weapons if possible, so that these teams can grow and mature.

2. For local armed forces: Bring local cadres for training, send trained cadres to localities, exchange experiences, communicate clearly, and coordinate operations.

3. Regarding tactics: Apply guerrilla warfare, secretly, quickly, actively, now East, tomorrow West, coming without a trace, going without a trace.

The Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army is the senior army, hopefully there will be other junior teams soon.

Although its scale was small at first, its future was very glorious. It was the starting point of the liberation army, it could go from South to North, all over Vietnam.

December 1944

HO CHI MINH CITY