The Victory on April 30^th, 1975 marked a significant milestone in Vietnam’s national history of struggle against foreign invaders, completely ending our people’s enduring resistance war against the U.S., for national salvation which was full of hardships and losses but extremely glorious. This is a great victory of the struggle for national liberation in the 20^th century under the leadership of our Party and President Ho Chi Minh, continuing the Vietnamese people’s thousand-year heroic history of national construction and protection. The resistance war against the U.S. has elapsed for 45 years, but the Victory on April 30^th, 1975 is still in the hearts and minds of all Vietnamese citizens, international friends, and peace-loving people in the world. It has become a source of strength for our entire Party, Military, and people to accelerate national industrialisation and modernisation, remain on track towards socialism, and build a prosperous and happy country.

After the victory of Dien Bien Phu (May 7^th, 1954), the Geneva Accords were signed and our country was temporarily divided into two parts. The North was peaceful and independent for building socialism. Meanwhile, in the South, replacing the French Colonialists, the US Imperialists established a new regime under their sponsorship, oppressed and massacred our people and resistance forces, and imposed new-style colonialism upon Southern people. Under the mottos, namely “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom,” “The North and the South as one,” and “South Vietnam is the blood of Vietnam's blood and the flesh of Vietnam's flesh,” our whole nation continued to enter a 21-year resistance war against the US invasion. Under the leadership of our Party and Uncle Ho, the Northern rear and the Southern front line managed to build a political army of the masses and the people’s armed forces, combined military struggle with political and diplomatic struggle, and integrated the masses’ uprisings with offensives to fight the enemy in the mountainous, rural, and urban areas. We employed military, political, and agitprop strategies to successively defeat the US war strategies, namely “unilateral war” (1954-1960), “special war” (1961-1965), and “local war” in the South and the first war of destruction against the North by the US Navy and Air Force (1965-1968). Promoting the spirit of unity against the common enemy among Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, our people and troops bravely fought to defeat the US Strategy of “Vietnamisation” and the second war of destruction against the North by the US Navy and Air Force (1969-1973), thereby gaining enormous advantages at the negotiation table. It should be noted that from late 1973 to April 30^th, 1975, our people and Military seized the strategic opportunity and made all necessary preparations to conduct the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising which smashed the US-backed army and government of Saigon, victoriously ended the resistance war against the U.S., for national salvation, completely liberated the South, and reunified the country.

The Victory on April 30^th, 1975 will forever be a milestone in the national history, demonstrating the entire nation’s desire for independence, freedom, self-reliance, and peace, marking a turning point in the era of independence, freedom, and socialism. As for the world, it is a typical victory of the revolutionary forces, adding an incentive to the world’s struggle for national independence, peace, democracy, and social progress, encouraging the national liberation movement across the world, commencing the collapse of new-style colonialism on a global scale. The great victory of the resistance war against the U.S., for national salvation provides invaluable lessons for our present and future generations. That victory is the result of various factors in which the strength of great national unity block plays a fundamental, important role. Those factors are derived from the clever, sound leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, together with its independent, self-reliant, sound, creative military and political guidelines. Based on the strength of great national unity block, the global and domestic situation as well as the balance of power between us and the enemy, our Party made sensible and correct decisions and grasped the historic opportunity to determinedly launch the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, destroying the US-backed army and government of Saigon, and gaining a resounding victory in the shortest time. Those historic decisions express the genius generalship of our Politburo, Party Central Committee, Central Military Commission, and General Command. Our Party’s guidelines and policies demonstrate the whole nation’s aspirations for independence and freedom, serving as the flag for uniting and mobilising the people from all walks of life, creating a historic turning point so that our people could achieve the ultimate victory, liberate the South and reunify the country.

The Victory on April 30^th, 1975 derives from the Vietnamese people’s desire for independence, freedom, peace, and unification, clearly demonstrating the knowledge and will of Lac Hong descendants against foreign invaders. It also confirms that when the world revolutionary forces are on the momentum of offensive, a nation with a small-scale population and area, under the leadership of a Marxist-Leninist Party which has sound revolutionary guidelines and methods, raises the flag of national independence and socialism, and receives the support from other socialist countries, revolutionary forces, and progressive people all over the world will be able to defeat all imperialists, even an imperialist ringleader.

At present, our people’s Homeland construction and protection cause under the Party’s leadership has many opportunities and advantages, while being confronted with a large number of difficulties and challenges. The situation in the region and the world witnesses various developments. The East Sea always faces complex developments and risks of instability. Major powers continue accelerating intervention and competition for influence in the region. Local wars, armed conflicts, ethnic and religious disputes, and terrorist attacks still take place and pose a threat to the global and regional stability. Countries around the world are facing non-traditional security challenges, such as cyber insecurity, water insecurity, food insecurity, environmental pollution and degradation, climate change, natural disaster, epidemic, narcotic, illegal immigration, and transnational crime. Meanwhile, the hostile forces are stepping up their acts of sabotage against our Party and State, executing their “peaceful evolution” strategy, encouraging “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” from within, and claiming the “depoliticisation” of our Military together with their increasingly malicious approaches and artifices.

A parade to demonstrate the national great unity block as a great incentive and source of strength for the national construction and protection

Against that backdrop, it is imperative to strengthen a sense of unity, promote the combined strength of the whole Party, Military, and people in the national construction and protection, especially effectively apply the lessons learnt from the Victory on April 30^th, 1975, and take advantage of opportunities to develop the country. Besides, it is necessary to grasp and seriously, effectively execute the Party’s renewal policy in which economic development must be a central task, the Party building must play a key role, culture must be the society’s spiritual foundation, and defence-security consolidation must be an important, routine task. Socio-economic and cultural development must be closely combined with national defence, security and diplomacy. In the upcoming time, emphasis should be placed on several measures as follows.

First, remain steadfast in the goal of national independence and socialism and seriously, effectively implement the Party’s guidelines.

This measure will be a prerequisite and incentive to the Homeland construction and protection in the new situation. To that end, we should continue grasping and strictly executing the Politburo’s Resolution 35-NQ/TW, dated October 22^nd, 2018 on defending the Party’s ideological foundation and combating wrong, hostile viewpoints in the new situation, and the Politburo’s Directive 35/CT-TW, dated May 30^th, 2019 on the all-level party congresses towards the 13^th National Party Congress as an important basis for our Party to formulate sound guidelines for leadership over the country’s revolutionary periods. It is essential to be fully aware that the task of defending the Party’s ideological foundation must be aimed at protecting the Party and its Political Platform and guidelines, the people, the rule of law Socialist State, and the country’s renewal, industrialisation, modernisation, peace, and stability. Additionally, due regard should be paid to cementing unity and consensus on the revolution’s goal and task within the Party and the people and successfully implementing the 12^th National Party Congress’ Resolution as well as directives and resolutions by the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Party Central Secretariat. Emphasis should be placed on the Party building and rectification under the 12^th Party Central Committee’s Resolution No.4 in line with the Politburo’s Directive 05-CT/TW, dated May 15^th, 2016 on studying and emulating Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics, and lifestyle.

In the medium term, we need to successfully organise the all-level party congresses towards the 11^th Military Party Congress and the 13^th National Party Congress in order to create a wide and deep revolutionary action movement within the whole political system under the Party’s leadership. In the process, we must remain steadfast in the strategic goals and principles, maintain both cooperation and struggle, resolutely, persistently defend national independence, sovereignty, unification, territorial integrity, and interests as the principal target, and preserve peace and stability to build a prosperous, democratic, equal, and civilised Vietnam. At the same time, due attention should be paid to proactively neutralising the hostile forces’ plots and acts of sabotage, resolutely combating the signs of bureaucracy, corruption, and degeneracy, negative practices and social evils, and ensuring stability and development when the country is more deeply and widely integrating into the world. Also, importance should be attached to stepping up the Party building and rectification, enhancing party organisations’ leadership and combativeness, and building a contingent of cadres, particularly at the strategic level on a par with the task requirements in the new situation. Doing so will help encourage all people’s knowledge and strength in the Homeland construction and protection.

Second, closely combine socio-economic development with defence-security consolidation to create material resources for the national construction and protection.

Inheriting the great achievements of our revolution and Victory on April 30^th, 1975, at present, the central task of our entire Party, Military and people is to foster socio-economic development and improve the people’s living conditions, particularly in the border, remote, isolated areas. That is the whole nation’s legitimate aspirations which are sacred and lofty as the will for gaining national independence and unification during the war years. In 2019, in spite of difficulties and challenges, our Party, State, and people managed to earn notable comprehensive achievements in all fields. However, in 2020, we will also be confronted with a lot of difficulties and challenges, such as drought, salinity intrusion, African swine fever, and especially the COVID-19 which is extremely complex and rapidly spreading across the globe.

Grounded on the achievements recorded in 2019, the whole Party, Military and people should continue take advantage of opportunities and overcome all difficulties and challenges to obtain better results. Great value should be attached to stabilising the economy at the macro level, controlling inflation, and increasing the economy’s productivity, quality, efficiency, self-reliance, and competitiveness. It is important to focus on developing an independent and self-reliant economy in line with building the all-people national defence and the postures of all-people national defence and people’s security. In this regard, consideration should be given to designing and constructing dual-use works, particularly in the key areas, well executing the programmes and plans for marine economic development in line with defence-security consolidation, and ensuring policies to assist and protect fishers at sea in parallel with the defence of sea and island sovereignty.

Moreover, it is necessary to continue constructing and developing economic-defence zones towards 2025, with a vision towards 2030 in accordance with the strategies and projects on defence and security and the plans on national defence land use. At the same time, due regard should be paid to supplementing and completing preferential treatment policies for military units and enterprises which are in charge of combining defence and security with economic development in the strategic, border, sea, and island areas, thereby contributing to protecting the Homeland from afar.

Third, promote and combine the national strength with the strength of the times in the Homeland construction and protection.

A determinant to the Victory on April 30^th, 1975 is the combined strength of great national unity block and all people. During the process of leadership over the country’s revolution, our Party and President Ho Chi Minh have placed special emphasis on encouraging the national strength as a consistent policy and a source of internal strength for revolutionary victories. Hence, we need to step up political and ideological education, uphold national independence, self-reliance, patriotism, and pride, promote and take advantage of both internal and external resources, and harmoniously handle home and foreign affairs. Nowadays, to encourage the strength of great national unity block, we must preserve and bring into play valuable national traditions as instructed by Uncle Ho: “unity, unity, great unity; success, success, great success.” We must really extend democracy, respect and listen to the people’s opinions and legitimate aspirations, achieve a sense of unity between the Party, the State, and the people, and maintain a close-knit bond between them. Additionally, it is vital to ensure the people’s benefits, fulfil their legitimate aspirations, and promote and guarantee their mastery over the country under the Constitution.

When the country is more deeply and widely integrating into the world, the national strength must be closely combined with the strength of the times. Hence, it is essential to grasp and consistently execute the Party’s guidelines on multilateralising and diversifying foreign relations, proactively and actively integrating into the world, elevating multilateral and bilateral diplomatic ties, and being a friend, a reliable, and a responsible member of the international community. Doing so will enable us to take advantage of the support from the international community and create a peaceful and favourable environment for the Homeland construction and protection. We should consistently implement the foreign policy of independence and self-reliance and the guidelines on multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations, while maintaining peace and stability for facilitating the country’s development, defending the national independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity, and raising Vietnam’s status, thereby actively making contributions to the struggle for peace, national independence, democracy, and social progress all over the world. In this regard, military diplomacy is seen as an important channel of our Party and State’s external affairs especially when Vietnam becomes a Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council and undertakes ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020.

Fourth, concentrate on building the all-people national defence and the posture of all-people national defence associated with the posture of people’s security as the basis for protecting the Homeland from afar.

In the cause of national liberation and protection, under the Party’s leadership, the politico-spiritual foundation, the determination to fight and to win, and the strength of the all-people national and its posture have been elevated to a new height. To defend the national independence, sovereignty, unification, and territorial integrity, we must continue grasping the Party’s military-defence guidelines and policies, particularly the 11^th Party Central Committee’s Resolution No.8 on the Strategy for the Homeland defence in the new situation and the 12^th Politburo’s resolutions and conclusions on national defence and security, while keeping improving the national defence potential and strength in a sustainable, comprehensive, and increasingly modern manner. To do so, greater importance should be attached to making the all-people national defence, the people’s security, and the postures of all-people national defence, people’s security, and “people’s hearts and minds” increasingly strong, particularly in the key, border, sea, and island areas. This is a central, routine task and responsibility of the entire political system, Military, and people.

Sectors, organisations, and localities should grasp and well execute the Party’s guidelines and strategies for building defensive zones and the posture of “people’s hearts and minds” right at grass-roots level as the basis for making the all-people national defence and the people’s security strong, preventing and effectively dealing with situations related to national defence and security, thwarting the hostile forces’ plots and acts of sabotage, and avoiding falling into passivity. Besides, they should combine socio-economic development with defence-security consolidation, foster international cooperation, and take advantage of opportunities from international integration to effectively handle important issues, such as border security, sea and island sovereignty, and cyber security in order to contribute to protecting the Homeland from afar.

Fifth, build a revolutionary, regular, elite, gradually modern People’s Army to deserve to be the Party’s absolutely loyal political force and reliable instrument of violence.

Applying the Victory on April 30^th, 1975 to today’s Homeland construction and protection, we need to maintain and enhance the Party’s leadership over the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), focus on building a revolutionary, regular, elite, gradually modern VPA, with priority given to modernising several services, corps, and forces, continue to promote the revolutionary nature and tradition of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers,” and make the VPA capable of overcoming all difficulties and well performing its function as “an army ready for combat, for work, and for production” so that it could play a core role in protecting the Homeland, the Party, the State, the people, and the socialist regime. Meanwhile, the VPA should stringently maintain the regulations on duty and combat readiness, undertake strategic researches and forecasts, and give sound advice to the Party and the State on formulating the guidelines and laws on the military-defence work. Also, it should proactively design and practise combat readiness and combat projects and plans, opportunely and effectively prevent and settle defence-security situations, defend the national sovereignty and benefits, and avoid falling into passivity. The VPA should attach great value to streamlining its organisational structure, closely managing discipline, building cultural environment, performing a vanguard role in implementing and observing the Party’s guidelines and the State’s law and policy, and fighting against wrong, hostile viewpoints to protect the ideological foundation of the Party and the socialist regime. It should actively take part in socio-economic development and help the people and localities to build new-style countryside, political bases, and new cultural lifestyle, particularly in the strategic, isolated, remote, border, sea, and island areas. The VPA must be the core force in natural disaster and epidemic prevention and control, search and rescue. Military cadres and soldiers will always be present dangerous, difficult places to protect the people’s assets and life, thereby cementing the close-knit bond between the VPA and the people, building a firm posture of “people’s hearts and minds,” consolidating the people’s faith in the Party, the State, and the socialist regime. Besides, due regard should be paid to developing defence industry, weapons, and technical equipment in order to readily respond to any foreign invasion. The VPA should well perform the work of international integration and military diplomacy, while actively taking part in the United Nations peacekeeping so as to raise the status of a peace-loving Vietnam and heroic VPA in the international arena.

Celebrating the 45^th anniversary of the South liberation and the national reunification, we take a look back on the glorious history and tradition of the heroic nation and VPA and more fully understand the Victory’s historical significance and value, the merits by the Party, Uncle Ho, and the people as well as enormous sacrifice by our heroes and martyrs’. Bringing into play the spirit of the 1975 Spring Great Victory, our whole Party, Military, and people will continue successfully carrying out the country’s renewal policy and building a more prosperous heroic Vietnam as President Ho Chi Minh ever wished.

Gen. NGO XUAN LICH, Member of the Politburo, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defence