The process of our Army’s building, fighting, and maturing within the last 70 years has proved the importance of the ideological work. In the cause of national liberation, it was the thorough grasp of Party’s guidelines, keeping track of reality and soldiers’ ideology, especially at crucial moments of the resistant war, that the party committees and commanders at levels could perfectly lead and direct the implementation of ideological work, thus the troops were absolutely loyal to Party’s leadership, determined to overcome hardships and successfully fulfilled all assigned tasks. That was the success of ideological work when we shifted in strategy from “fast strike, fast victory” to “steady attack, steady advance” during the battle of Dien Bien Phu, and the directive: the campaign must be “at lightning speed, daring and unexpected” in the historical Ho Chi Minh Campaign that made decisive contribution to bringing the two resistant wars against the French and the U.S. to the complete victory.

A Political Lecture at 7th Battalion, 8th Regiment, 395th Division

In the upcoming time, the global and regional situation will still be complex and unpredictable; it is the trend of internationalization and integration, the revolution of information technology, that impose higher requirements for the ideological work, particularly the task of orientating troops’ awareness and ideology against sources of complex and argumentative information accompanied by the hostile forces’ sabotage and incitement. They always make use of the Party, nation, and Army’s major events, especially at the present time when the party branches at levels are conducting their congress in preparation for the 12^th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, with the aim of inciting “self-evolution”, “self-transformation”, “depoliticizing” the Army, and attacking us in the field of ideology-culture. Apart from the tricks of “democracy”, “human rights”, “ethnicity”, “religion”, the hostile forces take advantages of the degradation and deterioration in a number of cadres and party members’ to incite people, distort Party and State’s policies, break the internal unity, undermine the people and the armed forces’ faith in Party and the socialist regime. The intrusion of materialistic way of life, negative aspects of market economy are having considerable impacts on the troops’ awareness, ideology, way of life, and personality. These elements also have direct impacts on the quality and the effectiveness of ideological work in units. Hence, improving the implementation of ideological work at the present time is a necessary task, and it should be conducted frequently and continuously with appropriate contents and measures in order to orientate troops’ ideology, enhance their political and moral qualities, improve their way of life and personality, firmly uphold and promote nature and tradition of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers”, making contribution to building pure and powerful party organizations, comprehensively powerful organs and units, fulfilling all assigned tasks. Of which, the following basic measures should be focused:

Firstly, to thoroughly grasp the Party’s guidelines, attaching to the army’s situation to implement ideological work. The ideological work must keep grasping Party’s guidelines on military, defence, and Fatherland protection tasks,  particularly the Fifth Resolution on ideological and theoretical work, and press. There should be a focus on studying and clarifying the issues for ideological work in global and regional complex situation; also the advantages, difficulties and challenges in the cause of building the Army, safeguarding the Fatherland, and conducting military defence tasks. So that, it is possible to foresee the coming issues for ideological work, then be active, proactive, clear-headed, and firm in any cases to figure out appropriate measures for ideological work. Furthermore, it is necessary to timely detect and thoroughly address problems caused by reality, ensuring ideological work’s pioneering role in all areas.

Secondly, to enhance the quality of political education and ideological orientation in all units. Besides basic contents of political education for all subjects, cadres and soldiers in units must be educated on basic knowledge about Marxism-Leninism, ideology and moral example of President Ho Chi Minh, the Party’s guidelines, the State’s policies and laws, revolutionary and military tasks, Fatherland protection’s tasks, and unit’s tasks. To this end, there should be a thorough grasp of the Eighth Resolution on “Strategy to defend the Fatherland in the new situation” by the 11^th Central Party Committee; clarify nature and plots of hostile forces, and accurately understand the concepts of partners and opponents, at the same time, realize opportunities, advantages, difficulties, challenges for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland; all of them help  raise alertness, sense of responsibility, readiness to fight and win in all situations. The education contents for ideological work should focus on socialist patriotism, national history, traditions, and culture; the Party’s, the Army’s, the unit’s, and the locality’s honourable revolution traditions, standards for Uncle Ho’ soldiers’ political qualities, culture, morality, way of life. It is also necessary to raise troops’ knowledge of economics, sciences, culture, society, and especially living skills.

Thirdly, to improve the implementation of ideological work in managing soldiers, well forecasting, analyzing, assessing, and resolving problems relating to soldiers’ ideology right in the grassroots units. All organs and units need to thoroughly grasp and well implement the process and steps of ideological management; mastering the troops’ ideological situation; analyzing, assessing the issues arising and timely handle them to maintain the unit’s ideological sustainability, unity, and consensus. Moreover, units should seriously and regularly keep controlling soldiers’ ideology by conducting reports, meetings at levels, closely connecting ideological management with troop’s management, “building” associated with “countering”, and giving priority to “building”.

Fourthly, to promote the ‘Determination to win’ emulation movement and campaigns in the Army to create a favourable environment for ideological work. The entire army should continue studying and following the moral example of President Ho Chi Minh, together with implementing the Fourth Resolution by the 11^th Central Party Committee on “Urgent issues on current Party building”; effectively carrying out the campaign namely “Promoting traditions, contributing talents, deserving to be an Uncle Ho’s soldier”, building a pure cultural environment, unceasingly improving soldiers’ material and spiritual life. All the above tasks should be done regularly in units and transformed into everyone’s daily routines, contributing to positive changes in cadres and soldiers’ morality, way of life, and sense of responsibility.

Fifthly, to proactively counter “peaceful evolution” in the field of ideology-culture, actively preventing and countering “self-transformation” and “self-evolution”. Organs, units, academies, and schools in the military need to promote the role of steering boards, specialists groups, secretary teams, assistant divisions, and party committee at levels in countering “peaceful evolution” in the field of ideology-culture. Furthermore, scientific cadres, journalists of press organizations, publishers, academies, and schools in the Army should fully bring into play their role in completing this important task.

Sixthly, to bring into play all round strength of all forces and means to conduct ideological work. Organs and units need to educate forces on their role and responsibility, promoting role of media in ideological work; there should be subjects on leadership, management, and organization of ideology work for political cadres at levels, in terms of methods and experience in dealing with ideological issues arising from reality. Political organs at levels need to well fulfill their organizing, guiding, and leading role, promote mass organizations’ role, proactively coordinate with local party committees, organs, departments, organizations to effectively conduct ideological work. Also, it is necessary to attach great importance to the study of theory; reviewing reality to draw lessons for ideological work in the process of Army’s building, fighting, and maturing to apply to leadership and guidance, increasing quality and effectiveness of ideological work in the present situation.

Lieutenant General Mai Quang Phan

Member of the Central Party Committee

Vice Director of the General Political Department of the VPA