The victory of Route 9 - Khe Sanh shocked the world 50 years ago

Attending the workshop were Senior Lieutenant General Le Chiem - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense; Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics; Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong - Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of Military Region 4.

From right to left: General Phung Quang Thanh, Senior Lieutenant General Pham Thanh Ngan and Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong at the conference. Photo: Tien Hung

Also attending the conference were General Phung Quang Thanh - former Politburo member, former Minister of National Defense; Senior Lieutenant General Pham Thanh Ngan - former Politburo member, former Director of the General Department of Politics. In addition, there were representatives of the Provincial Party Committees of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien - Hue; generals, senior officers who are leaders and former leaders of military units.

Exactly 50 years ago, the main units of the Vietnam People's Army launched the Route 9 - Khe Sanh Offensive Campaign, aiming at a strategic diversion, attracting, holding back, wearing down, and destroying a part of the US military's strength. This diversionary move achieved great political and military victories, contributing to the achievements of the 1968 Mau Than General Offensive and Uprising; changing the battlefield situation, crushing the US's will to invade, and bringing the resistance to a new stage.

Conference scene. Photo: Tien Hung

Reviewing the battlefield situation at that time, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia said that in early 1965, facing the bankruptcy of the "Special War" strategy, the US quickly deployed the "Local War" strategy, massively sending American soldiers and allied troops to the South. However, the US not only failed to carry out its plot to sabotage and end the war by military means, but also became increasingly bogged down in the war....

“Realizing the confusion and deadlock of the US, the Politburo decided to launch the 1968 Mau Than General Offensive and Uprising, using the main force's attack on the US defense system on Route 9 - Khe Sanh, combined with the main strategic attack on key towns and cities such as Saigon, Hue, Da Nang, and at the same time inciting the people to rise up,” said Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia.

Deputy Minister of National Defense, Senior Lieutenant General Le Chiem delivered the opening speech at the workshop. Photo: Tien Hung

From the night of January 20, 1968, our army and people began to organize an attack on the US Route 9 - Khe Sanh defense group. After more than 170 days and nights of arduous fighting, on July 15, 1968, the Route 9 - Khe Sanh Campaign ended in victory.

“The victory of Route 9 - Khe Sanh had an important strategic significance and scale, shaking up the internal affairs of the United States and the world, writing a “miraculous story”. Contributing to the reversal of the strategic situation on the battlefield, dealing a heavy blow to the will to invade of the White House authorities…”, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia emphasized.

Military generals exchange on the sidelines of the conference. Photo: Tien Hung

At this conference, the Organizing Committee received nearly 80 reports and scientific papers from a number of central agencies, leaders, former leaders of the Central Military Commission, etc. In their discussions at the conference, delegates focused on delving into and discussing issues such as the victory associated with the strategic leadership of the Politburo; analyzing the characteristics and nature of the confrontation between us and the enemy at Route 9 - Khe Sanh, etc.

Tien Hung