In their strategy of “Peaceful Evolution” against socialist countries, including Vietnam, hostile forces have attached special importance on “depoliticizing” the armed forces. To have a deep insight of the matter, working out suitable solutions to this dangerous plan, and building the Army’s political strength, we need to get into the root of the matter - the “Peaceful Evolution” strategy.

The development of “Peaceful Evolution” strategy and the scheme of “depoliticizing” the armed forces of hostile forces.

“Peaceful Evolution” strategy has been known since 1920s when the imperialism first used it to carry out sabotage against their opponents, particularly the USSR, the first socialist country in the world, born from the October Revolution. Back to history, peaceful evolution, in terms of its aims, essence and contents, was said to appear in the Spring and Autumn Period (6^th Century B.C) about 2700 years ago by the well-known Chinese military strategist named Sun Tzu, presented in the 13^th chapter of his Art of War book. Hence, it can be said that: “peaceful evolution” is a war in the fields of ideology and political institution.

Being a war, whether armed or unarmed, it is fierce in essence and its aims are to destroy the enemy by either “hard power” or “soft power” or by both. We can see that peaceful evolution was not invented by imperialism but now has become their “product”. The imperialists have used it on inheriting the ancient military thought and applying flexibly to specific circumstances to achieve decisive victory over their ideological opponents.

It can’t be denied that the imperialism has gained achievements with their “Peaceful Evolution” strategy. In the early stage, from 1920s to 1950s, “Peaceful Evolution” was considered an important and coordinated solution while military methods were still of decisive importance in their global anti-revolutionary strategy. From 1950s to 1990s and todate, when military intervention seems impossible, “Peaceful Evolution” has been attached with special importance and upgraded to a strategy with which the imperialism has succeeded in triggering “colour revolutions” and “street revolutions” to overthrow the governments of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary,… in 1960s, 1970s. In particular, in the late of 1980s and 1990s, the imperialism used “Peaceful Evolution” strategy to counter socialism vigourously. The collapse of socialism in the USSR and East Europe stemmed from many causes, including the sabotage of the imperialism.

Notably, during the implementation of  the “Peaceful Evolution” strategy, the imperialism has fostered “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” in socialist societies, and “depoliticizing” the military, making the USSR military, a powerful one with over 70 years of tradition, completely useless. The concrete aim of depoliticiazing the military is to separate the militaries from the leadership of the communist parties making them politically disoriented, hence communist parties are no longer protected, losing their violent instrument, gradually lose their leading role and collapse.

Vainglory with their achievements, officials and philosophers of imperialism have foretold the end of socialism. Notably, Francis Fukuyama – a Japanese American– with his article  entitled “The end of history” first posted on the “National Interest” magazine in summer 1989 which was then completed in the book titled “ The end of history and the last man”, published in 1992 and released in 14 countries in many languages. Political goal was clearly stated in the book: to deny the scientific method of Marxism, the advanced and scientific values of proleteriat’s ideology; to propagate values of capitalism; argued for the establishment of the unipolar world led by the US. In the same manner, the book “The Clash of Civilizations?” was written by S. Huntington in which Western civilization was described as “priceless” and “unique”. What’s more, the US president Richard Nixon, in his two books namely “Seize the Moment” and “1999– Victory without War”, forecasted that at the end of the 20^th century, the remaining socialist countries would self-collapse. It has been proven in the reality that those forecasts were arbitrary, groundless and impractical.

We must always stay vigilant and not underestimate “Peacceful Evolution” strategy, esppecially the military “depoliticization” scheme of hostile forces. Countering and gradually destroying socialist countries, including Vietnam have always been consistent goals of imperialism.

As of our country, right after the end of the resistant war against the America, they have conducted an unarmed war– “Peaceful Evolution”. The US Secretary of State Henry. Kissinger aggressively claimed: “We lost in the war but will win in the peace time”. To realize their ambition, they have carried out sabotage against Vietnamese revolution in the fields of economy, politics, ideology, socio-culture, defence– security,… by their “Peaceful Evolution” strategy.

Notably, in recent years, making use of the country’s opening policy, international integration, building a socialist-oriented market economy,… they have used new subtle,  dangerous and poisonous plots aiming at creating social separation and distrust among people towards the country’s leaders and socialist mechanism. In particular, to promote “depoliticization” of the armed forces, especially the military and public security forces– the two violent instruments protecting socialist mechanism in our country– they have coordinated domestic reactionary forces with overseas ones to carry out sabotage in all fields, including the country’s legal system. To illustrate, when Vietnam collected people’s opinion on the amendment to the 1992 Constitution and at present implement the 2013 Consitution, hostile forces have tried to sabotage in the name of “opinion”, “propose” ,… which called for the abolition of Article 4 in Chapter I ruling the CPV’s leadership over the society, demanding that armed forces must be loyal to and protect the Fatherland, the people, not the Party or and political organizations and to remove the Party’s leadership over the military. Clearly, these arguments are extremely reactionary and totally contrast to theory and practice. What concerns us is the fact that not all people realize those schemes. Many are persuaded and made to believe due to their lack of information. In the same manner, they even use illusive argument holding that the troops of former southern Sai Gon Puppet regime all sacrified for the Fatherland therefore deserving to be honoured as war martyrs like the VPA’s troops. This is ridiculous! This shows that hostiles forces resort to any scheme to realize their plot of “depoliticizing” the military.

Unable to reach their ambition, they smear and defame the military. For this reason, actively struggling to defeat the “Peacceful Evolution”, especially the plot of “depoliticizing” the militay, and at the same time building the military politically strong is of special importance and necessity at present.

In fact, this is the relationship between safeguarding and building. These two issues have their own contents but are closely and dialectically linked. They should be treated equally, without bias towards either one. It will be inappropriate if we attach importance to only one of the issues and neglect the other. The sound approach to the problem must be based on the dialectical and scientific thinking in which the two issues are dealt with synchronously: defeating the plot of “depoliticizing” the military of hostile forces and building its political strength.

Actively defeating the plot of “depoliticizing” the military of hostile forces.

First, in term of ideology, it is necessary to decide that hostile forces are objects of Vietnamese revolution. They are continuing their sabotage against our revolution by “Peaceful Evolution”, “self-change”, “self-transformation” and “depoliticizing” the military. For this reason, countering “Peaceful Evolution” is truly a merciless “war” which is unceasing, severe and complex. Their target in the cheme of “depoliticization” firstly is the armed forces, particularly the military and Public Security as these two forces’ function is to protect the Party, State and people. They aim at separating the military from the Party’s leadership, making it depoliticized; hence the Communist Party of Vietnam loses control of the military and then no longer maintains its leadership over the State and society. Once the Party’s leadership is removed, the socialist regime will collapse. In order to visualize the scheme of “depoliticizing” the military and reach their goals, hostile forces deploy all of their forces, means, resources and methods. They act mainly in the field of politics– ideology. They focus their sabotage on Marxism – Leninsm and Ho Chi Minh Thought with the aim of gradually removing the Party’s ideology from the military. Therefore, to effectively counter the scheme of “depoliticizing” the military of hostile forces, first and foremost we have to actively  fight against  false and hostile arguments and firmly maintain the Party’s ideology in the military. Accordingly, we have to stay vigilant and and prepare for all fields, including forces, means, resources,… with flexible methods and a synchronous system of solutions, creating a synergy for winning this “war”.

In terms of forces, it is necessary to involve the whole people with specialized forces being founded in ministries, branches, Vietnam Fatherland Front, from the central to grassroot level, particularly think tanks, academies, institutes, …in which the military and public security play the key role and are core forces.

Core forces must consist of reseachers, scientists with high level of political theory, broad knowledge, firm political stance, rich experience represented in the number of their articles against false and hostile arguments, especially the scheme of “depoliticizing” the military.

In terms of means, it is necessary to deploy all means of communication, including mass media, internet, social network, blog,…so that we can have suitable propagation with each situtation and object. As of journalism, it is necessary to have a close guidance and a timely orientation as well as decentralization in propagation. Military journalism must show their core role, be pioneering in countering the scheme of “depoliticizing” the military.

In terms of methods, it is necessary to be active, flexible in propagation; attach importance to direct engagement to lay bare the secret and dangerous plot of hostiles forces to deteriorate the class nature, revolutionary ideal, fighting target of the military or incite to damage the internal solidarity, separate the military from the public security, the Party and the State.  It is necessary to combine regular propagation with that of a particular period, especially in the time of special events of the country and the military.

In terms of policy and mechanism, there should be favourable treatment to encourage and protect those who write articles against hostile viewpoints. At the same time, there should be mechanism for timely information sharing and propagation orientation and a mechanism for coordination between organs in charge of journalism and coordination between military journalism and civilian one to create synergy in the fight against wrong and hostile viewpoints in the fields of politics and ideology.

Some solutions  for building the military’s political strength

To build the military’s political strength, renovating and enhancing the quality of educating politics– ideology for cadres, troops, especially party members and cadres in charge at all levels are of top importance.

Together with political and ideological education, it is necessary to attach importance to building strong and pure organizations, first and foremost the party structures at all levels.

Besides, good implementation and coordination in the field of human resource, organization, mass mobilization, policy, ideology,… are also necessary.

Building the military’s political strength requires us to regularly pay attention to perfecting and enhancing the quality of operations of political organs, political cadres at all levels and mass organizations, people’s unions, councils; attach importance to information, propagation, and ideological orientation for cadres, troops and people as these are becoming increasingly important and difficult in the event that information technology has seen fast growth. Theory and practice studying is another necessity for building the military’s political strength.

Manh Ha