1. Regardless of the heavy and consecutive defeats on the Southern Battlefield, the American Imperialists, with their sheer obstinacy and aggressiveness, frenziedly escalated the war and reignited the attack on the North with their highest war effort to exert pressure on our Government on the negotiating table. To that end, on the night of December 18^th, 1972, the American imperialists launched the strategic air raid coded “Linebacker II”. The Boeing B-52 Strategic Bombers – “an invincible flying fortress” were the main force deployed to attack the northern provinces, particularly Hanoi and Hai Phong with a ringing declaration of “bringing the North of Vietnam back to the Stone Age”. To perform that lunatic conspiracy, during 12 days and nights of raiding, the U.S. Air Force bombarded Hanoi, Hai Phong, and several cities and towns in the North with over 80.000 tons of bombs. In Hanoi alone, the U.S. launched 441 B-52 sorties and many other tactical aircraft to drop over 10.000 tons of bombs, which destroyed multiple villages, houses, factories, schools, hospitals, and stations and caused heavy casualties. The enemy believed that the destructive air raids would break the will of our Army and people and drive Vietnam to sign Paris Peace Accords with conditions in favour of the U.S.

However, under the leadership of the Party, with their iron will, intellect, courage, and indomitable spirit, troops and people of Hanoi and other provinces in the North shot down 81 aircraft including 34 B-52 stratofortressess (accounting for 17,6% of the bombers involving in the raid) and captured 43 pilots. In Hanoi alone, the fall of 30 aircraft including 25 B-52 bombers contributed to an unprecedented strategic air raid throughout the history war of American Imperialism. The resounding Victory of “Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the air” is a brilliant milestone and an eternal epic throughout the Ho Chi Minh Era and the country’s formidable history of resisting foreign aggressors, which beautify the glorious tradition of the Party Committee, military men, and people of Hanoi. The great victory is attributed to multiple factors; one of which is the combination of the will, confidence, and synergy of the military men and people of Hanoi.

Indeed, thanks to the accurate and ingenious forecast (July 1965) and directive of President Ho Chi Minh that: “The U.S. can deploy B-52 to blitz Hanoi and they will only accept to lose the war after losing in the sky of Hanoi”, the City’s Party Committee actively kept abreast of the situation and issued multiple resolutions on leading, directing, and developing people’s war in the Capital City in accordance with contemporary combat requirements. In particular, importance was placed on building combat morale, determination to fight and win and an absolute sense of vigilance; directed all branches and levels to mobilise and well prepare all respects for this fierce raid; etc. To minimise the damage and create the most favourable conditions for the regular army, especially Air Defence – Air Force together with militia and self-defence forces of Hanoi, the City’s Party Committee directed the City Air Defence Council to evacuate people from neighbourhoods, agencies, enterprises, and schools at all costs. Elders and children temporarily left the city, engines and technical equipment of factories and enterprises were promptly moved to neighbouring provinces. Before the middle of 1972, suburban districts had welcomed as many as 50,000 people and 1,200 agencies, schools, and factories of the Central and the city. This was the most massive evacuation since the U.S. Empire conducted their destructive war against the North, creating a new miracle in history.

People and troops of Hanoi expressed their joy to the Victory of Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the air

With the spirit of solidarity - coordination, determination to fight – determination to win, under the leadership and direction of the city’s Party Committee and People’s committee, within a short time, the army and people of the Capital city built Hanoi into a solid battlefield to attack the enemy from various directions. The city constructed a 45.000-km system of trenches, 5.600 bunkers, and over 630.000 individual holes for 900.000 people, which formed a shield system for the people and armed forces to hold onto the battlefield. Due to the fact that the battlefield was in an urban area with numerous architectural works, high-rises, etc. that were blitzed with great intensity, the City established forces for rescue and fire prevention which were organised into multiple routes to readily rescue and give first-aid in all circumstances. In particular, the City’s Party Committee led the armies and people to bring into play our forefathers’ tradition of fighting against foreign aggressors and implement the principle “each civilian is a soldier” to build and develop the people’s armed forces, especially people’s air defence (for combat and supporting combat). Before engagement, Hanoi deployed roughly 54.000 soldiers, over 500 light machine guns and heavy machine guns arranged throughout the city with 295 battles mainly in the expected directions of the enemy’s aircraft, along with anti-aircraft units in each neighborhood, to readily coordinate with the National Air Defence Force and the People's Air Defence of the neighbouring provinces to create a system of three-army air defence in the multi-layer people’s war posture. Therefore, despite launching hundreds of sorties of the “flying fortress” - B-52 and thousands of sorties of other aircraft, numerous aircraft carriers, and modern warships, the armies and people of the Capital City still took their initiative to readily and confidently engaged in the battle with the determination to fight and win.

The combination of will, confidence, and synergy of the armies and people of Hanoi are manifested in the creative application of combat tactics and tenacity to fight and destroy plenty of enemy’s aircraft, which contributes to the decisive victory. To attain effectiveness in combat, the armies and people of Hanoi brought into play the synergy of the whole people, solid air-defence posture, initiative, creativity, and adroitness in combat organisation and practice. Armed forces, especially Air Defence – Air Force Service actively researched, trained, and popularised the tactics utilised to shoot down the aircraft of the U.S., especially B-52 strategic bombers; the armies and people of Hanoi put into practice the tactics in accordance with the operational characteristics in the sky of Hanoi. Thanks to the death-braving spirit to safeguard the heart of the country, the armies and people of the Capital City stoutly hold onto the battlefield throughout the fight, even in fiercely-destroyed locations. The observation system that could detect the enemy from afar was thoroughly organised, thereby forming a “God’s eye” system in all directions of Hanoi, promptly informing, and triggering the alert about the enemy’s situation, especially aircraft so that the people could proactively find a shelter and ensure safety and combat forces could be ready for offensive and opt tactics, etc. To bring into play the maximum technical-tactical features of weapons and enhance combat effectiveness, the air-defence forces of the Capital City flexibly adjusted and transform the posture, especially the utilisation of high-rises and raise of the posture to facilitate the observation and selection of appropriate and effective combat tactics, etc.

With the determination to fight and win, the armies and people of the Capital City closely coordinated with other forces and establish a system of “net-of-fire” people’s air defence to form a “net from heaven to earth” posture, which contributed to the destruction of numerous enemy’s aircraft; the number of B-52s shot down causes unprecedented loss throughout the history of the U.S. In his memoir, President Nixon wrote that his concern was not to worry about the waves of protests and strict criticisms in the country and the world, but the heavy loss of B-52 aircraft. Due to the pathetic failure, the American Imperialists were bound to halt the air raid and bombardment from the 20^th Parallel and forced to sign Paris Peace Accords (on January 27^th, 1973), withdraw all troops from Vietnam and put an end to its invasion in Vietnam. The crucial victory fostered more spirit and determination to fight and win and opened up unprecedented advantages for our Army and people to conduct counterattacks, destroy the contemporary puppet government, completely liberate the South, and unify the country.

2. The historic victory - "Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the air" is a great encouragement that thrilled the people from all over the country who always turned toward Hanoi - the heart of the entire country with pride. Friends from the five continents from anxiety before the historical encounter had to praise in joy that Hanoi is the capital of human dignity and Vietnam is the conscience of the era, etc. This is not only unequivocal evidence of the courage, intellect, determination, and creativity of our Army and people but also a valuable lesson that proves the correctness and creativity of the Party to conduct people’s war, the spirit of great national unity, and the patriotism of each Vietnamese to create a huge power that defeats all enemies no matter they are equipped with advanced weapon and materiel.

Bringing into play the spirit and experience from the Victory of “Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the air”, in the last 50 years, the Party Committee and People of Hanoi have constantly made every endeavour to construct and develop. In particular, after more than 35 years of reformation, the Capital City along with the country has achieved great achievements of historical significance, which contributes to creating the country’s unprecedented potential, prestige, and position. The aspiration of the people about the affluent and happy life, a society of wealthy people and a strong, democratic, equal, and civilised country has been step-by-step realised.

With the requirements and tasks in the new situation, the Party Committee, the authority, and the people of Hanoi continue to promote the cultural and heroic tradition, take advantage, overcome difficulties and challenges, and strive to implement victory of the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress; Resolution No. 15-NQ/TW issued on May 5^th, 2022 by the Politburo on the directions and tasks of developing the Capital until 2030 with a vision to 2045; Resolution of the 17^th City Party Congress, etc. The most important tasks are to strengthen Party building and rectification and the City’s transparent and strong political system; bring into play the intellect, solidarity, and unity to victoriously implement the task of building and safeguarding the Capital in the new situation. Accordingly, party committees and authorities at all levels must continue to disseminate and drastically and synchronously carry out construction solutions; concentrate on enhancing the leadership of the Party Committee and building a lean, uniform, and effective political system associated with intensifying discipline in conducting tasks. It is necessary to promote decentralisation, in line with focusing on inspection, supervision, and control of power; supervise the implementation of the Party's guidelines and resolutions and the State's mechanisms, policies, and laws, especially at the grassroots levels. Regulations on preventing and fighting against corruption, negatives, and practice of thrift should be strictly performed. The autonomy and self-responsibility of party committees and authorities at all levels should be improved by promoting personal responsibilities. The focus should be placed on building the contingent of cadres, especially leading cadres and managers at all levels with high qualifications, professionalism, courage, ethics, dynamism, creativity, will, and devotion to the cause of developing the Capital. Importance should be attached to researching and perfecting the mechanisms and policies to attract and make use of high-quality human resources domestically and internationally; well implementing the mechanism of encouraging and protecting dynamic and creative cadres for the general benefit. The Party's leadership modes and the competence and effective management of authorities at all levels should be effectively renewed. It is important to renovate the contents and methods of improving the effectiveness of the activities of the Fatherland Front, socio-political organisations at all levels, and mass organisations; build and consolidate the unity bloc and expand and bring into play democracy within the Party and the entire society, promoting the role of the people who are both the centre, subject, and the beneficiaries of achievements in the course of constructing and developing the capital.

The focus should be placed on the building of the Capital’s armed forces with high overall quality and combat strength as the core in performing defence-security tasks and maintaining social order and safety. It is necessary to build “compact, lean, strong, mobile, and flexible” permanent forces; powerful reserve forces with sufficient quantity and high quality; strong and widespread militia and self-defence forces. Simultaneously, significance should be attached to strengthening the effectiveness of the State’s management on national defence and security and building the “people’s heart and mind” posture; accelerating the building of defensive areas and combining socio-economic development with ensuring national defence and security; and building dual-use constructions. It is important to closely appraise programs and projects from international cooperation and foreign investment in strategic areas on national defence and security; ensure the development of the Capital's economy with master planning of the defence and security posture in the defensive area, etc.

Additionally, the focus should be put on leading and directing the building of strong Capital Public Security for security guarantee; regularly keeping abreast of the situations and proactively mapping out emergency response plans. Important targets and events in the city must be ensured absolute safety to form a peaceful, stable, and secure to construct and develop the Capital City and the whole country. It is also imperative to wreck all conspiracies of hostile forces, political opportunists, and reactionary forces; intensify the checking and dismantling of crime to preserve the tranquility and maintain a secure and safe environment in the Capital.

The victory of the armies and people of Hanoi against the U.S. strategic air raid at the end of 1972 is not only unequivocal evidence of the courage, intellect, determination, and creativity of our Army and people but also a valuable historical lesson to keep on applying to the building of “Cultural, civilised, and modern” Hanoi Capital in the new situation.

DINH TIEN DUNG, Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Hanoi Municipal Party Committee