Communist Review - 110 years ago, the homeland Quảng Bình with a salt tang of the sea, the blazing sun light of the sand dunes and the loyal and unyielding tradition of the people here gave birth to General Vo Nguyen Giap - A remarkable student of President Ho Chi Minh, the talented General of the heroic People’s Army of Vietnam, the first Minister of Interior of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). General Vo Nguyen Giap is also the first participant in laying the first bricks for the building of an administration for the happiness of the Vietnamese people.

The life and career, the exemplary and virtuous role model and the brilliant great personality with his entire life devoted for the country and the people of General Võ Nguyên Giáp has been mentioned, analyzed and judged very much by historians, scholars and researchers at home and broad, such as the editorial published on El Moudjahd paper of Algeria (on January 04, 1976) that emphasized: “General Giap is more than a hero. He belongs to the stream of soldiers whose exploits will be retold from generation to generation. Probably even the historians should also need a lot of arguments so as to avoid describing him as a legendary character so as to retell to the full his values” (1).

Going back to history 76 years ago, the General Insurrection nationwide was put into a completely successful end, seizing the power to the people’s hand. On August 28, 1945, according to the proposal of President Ho Chi Minh, the National Liberation Committee of Vietnam was reorganized into the Provisionary Government of he Democratic Republic of Vietnam with a structure of 13 ministries with President Ho Chi Minh as its head. Comrade Vo Nguyen Giap was assigned with trust by President Ho Chi Minh with an important task as the Minister of Interior and concurrently as the Secretary of the Government, taking a special charge of the military affairs; he would take the direct leadership of the Ministry of the Interior and the organizational work of the administration, security and the internal rule in the first days when the country had just seized the power. Right after receiving the important task, Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap had got down to business, carrying out the important tasks of the country such as taking part in building the institutions for the democratic and rule-of-law administration, building the organization of the state apparatus from the Central to the local levels with the noble aims for a wealthy, free and happy life of the people. Without betraying the trust and assignment of President Ho Chi Minh, Minister Vo Nguyen Giap had remarkably completed the seemingly “infeasible” tasks on the first days of the people’s fledgling democratic administration and even in a situation of “Democles’ sword”.

Even though having held the important task of the first Minister of Interior of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam for more than 6 months (from August 28, 1945 to March 02, 1946), Minister Vo Nguyen Giap had rendered great services in participating in building the administrative institution and in organizing the State apparatus under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh. In this short period of time, Minister Vo Nguyen Giap had advised the Government to promulgate over 100 decrees, in which about 30 decrees signed by the Minister had an administrative statutory character for many sectors and areas. With the huge work load implemented by Minister Vo Nguyen Giap in this short period, it can be affirmed that under the guidance, trust and assignment of President Ho Chi Minh, Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap was the participant in laying the first bricks for the building of an administration for happiness of the Vietnamese people.

Firstly, the General Election of the National Assembly, 1^st Legislature, was successfully organized.

Not after one week when the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was established, the Provisionary Government had issued the Decree on the organization of the General Election nationwide to elect the National Congress. General Vo Nguyen Giap held that in the history of the countries that had just struggled to seize independence, never had a decree on the General Election been promulgated so soon. First of all, this was the confidence of the Party in the patriotic spirit and the conscious level of the people. The General Election would be the full-scale and profound political mobilization for a National Assembly officially elected by the people, a Government officially established in accordance with the democratic principle and this would have sufficient prestige and strength to mobilize the spirit and forces of the people for the war resistance and national construction and for foreign relations (2). On the other hand, the Ministry of Interior was also responsible to study, build and perfect the State administration system at all levels, from the Central to the local levels.

Deeply aware of the position and role of the General Election, with the trust and assignment of President Ho Chi Minh, Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap signed to issue Decree No. 14, on September 8, 1945 of the President of the Provisionary Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The content of the Decree shows clearly: “1. Within two months since the signing date of this Decree, a General Election will be organized to elect the National Congress; 2. All the Vietnamese citizens, male and female, from 18 and older, have the right to election and to run as candidates, except for those who have been deprived of their right to citizenship and whose minds are not normal; 3. The number of representatives of the National Congress is determined at 300; 4. The National Congress will have carte blanche to determine the Constitution for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam; 5. A committee to draft the rule of the General Election will be set up; 6/ To draft a Constitution to be submitted to the National Assembly, a 7-member Committee to draft the Constitution will be set up; 7. The Minister of Interior and the Minister of Propaganda will be in charge of implementing this Decree”.

With its succinct and short expression, Decree No. 14 has laid a foundation for the successful organization of the the first General Election in January 06, 1946 to elect the Natioal Assembly, 1^st Legislature, of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The results of the first General Election is the eloquent and vivid evidence for the great, boundless happiness of the Vietnamese people – the people arisen from a poverty-stricken and country-losing life “have shaken the mud to rise up radiantly”, becoming the real masters of the country, irrespective of their gender, from 18 years of age and older, who were entitled to stand for election and candidacy for the National Congress.

At its first session (June 2, 1946), the first National Assembly had recognized the Joint Resistance War Government with Ho Chi Minh as its President, recognized the Resistance War Member Association with Vo Nguyen Giap as its President and recognized the 11-member Constitution Drafting Commission. With the recognition of the official Government and its members, the National Assembly, 1^st Legislature, had paved the way for the construction of a democratic administration for the people – a foundation to take care of a materially well-to-do and spiritually abundant life, for the happiness of the Vietnamese people. In this process, part of the contributions belonged to Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap.

Together with the organization of the General Election, one of the greatest difficulties at that time was that Minister Vo Nguyen Giap had to do by all ways and means to call for the virtuous and talented people to come to help the country under the guidance of President Ho Chi Minh. Being a teacher of history, he was impregnated with the forefathers’ teaching: “the victuous and talented people are the resource of national sap, when the resource of sap is full, the country will be stronger than ever, but when the resource of sap is on the decline, then the country’s position will get weaker and lower. Therefore, none of the talented kings in the past had paid attention to taking care of fostering and training the talented people and strengthening the resource of sap” (4). With his endeavours, after the General Election, the National Assembly had elected the official Government with a contingent of cadres with both virtue and talent, in which there were a lof of typical personalities and intellectuals taking part in. The successful organization of the General Election that elected the National Assembly, 1^st Legislature, was the success of the Party and the State led by President Ho Chi Minh, of the entire Vietnamese people, in which there was the merits of Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap. In this aspect, he was a great contributor in participating in building an administration for the happiness of the Vietnamese people.

Secondly, taking charge of the formation of the Constitution Drafting Commission, leading to the coming into being of the 1946 Constitution.

In 1919, when the 8-point demand sent to the Versailles Conference, demanding the rights to freedom and democracy of the Vietnamese people, Nguyen Ai Quoc pointed out the things relating to the Constitution and the rule of law. After that in 1922, in the “Ballad of Vietnam demands”, He affirmed the role of the Constitution and the law with two verses: “Seventh demand, it claims that the Constitution be promulgated/A hundredth demand, it claims that there must be the spirit of the rule of law”(5). On September 2, 1945, opening the Declaration of Independence, Precident Ho Chi Minh quoted with respect the US Declaration of Independence in 1776: “All men are created equal. They are endowned by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (6).

To continue the spirit of abiding by the “spirit of the rule of law” as well as implementing Decree No. 14, Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap was assigned by President Ho Chi Minh to take charge of establishing the Constitution Drafting Commission. Only in a short time, with the assistance of the experienced experts, Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap and the Drafting Commission had completed the draft Constitution and summited it to the National Assembly, 1^st Legislature, for approval of the 1946 Constitution – the first basic law of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The first article of the 1946 Constitution determined: “Vietnam is a democratic republic country. All the powers in the country are of the entire Vietnamese people, irrespective of races, gender, poverty or wealthiness, classes and religions”.

The Constitution is an entity that is closely associated with the democratic legal institution, because a society without constitution means the people will not be able to enjoy the right to freedom, democracy or the pursuit of happiness. The 1946 Constitution is the first legal document, making an important contribution to the struggle for construction and protection of the fledgling administration, being the basis to build a rule-of-law democratic State with an administration operating throughout from the Central to local levels. An administration based on this democratic foundation is an administration for the happiness of the people. With the great merit in promulgating the 1946 Constitution, Minister of Interior Võ Nguyên Giáp made a contribution to lay the first bricks on the administration for the happiness of the people.

Thirdly, signing and promulgating Decree No. 07, on September 05, 1945.

Having a deep understanding of the abject poverty of the people under the feudal and colonial rules and that the people only knew freedom and happiness when they had a life in plenty with warm clothes, so right from the first days of the successful revolution, President Hồ Chí Minh had proposed the works that need being implemented immediately: “1/ To make the people to have food. 2/ To make the people to have clothes. 3/ To make the people to have houses….” (7); because “If the country is independent, but the people cannot be able to enjoy happiness and freedom, then independence is of no significance at all” (8). A Government for the people is a Government, in which from the making and building to the implementation of its policy, all must start from the goal of giving care to the people. “The policy of the Party and the Government is to do their utmost to take care of the people’s life. If the peole are hungry, the Party and the Peole are guilty; if the people suffer the cold, the Party and the Government are guilty; if the peoole are illiterate, the Party and the Government are guilty; if the peole are sick, the Party and the Government are guilty” (9). The action of an  administration for the people demands: What is beneficial for the people, we have to do all we can, what is detrimental to the people, we have to avoid at all costs. As a person who has always understood thoroughly and flexibly in realizing the guiding viewpoint of President Ho Chi Minh, Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap had focused on the urgent issues at that time: to combat against the “famine” also means taking care of the people’s material life – an aspect reflecting the people’s happy life. On behalf of President Ho Chi Minh, Minister Vo Nguyen Giap signed and promulgated Decree No. 07 of the President of the Provisionary Government, on September 05, 1945.

Decree No. 07 made a contribution to removing in time the difficulties in transporting and trading grain and rice, in combating against the speculative hoarding of food in the situation that a famine was running wild at that time. Thanks to Decree No. 07 that the trading and transporting of grain and rice in the Northern part of the country were completely free; the Government needing grain and rice could buy directly from private homes. As for the speculators and hoaders of rice, making an impact on the economy, would be seriously punished in accordance with the law and their assets would be confiscated. That Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap signed and promulgated in time Decree No. 07 was the really practical and timely work of the Government, reflecting vividly a fact that this first fledgling democratic administration had always placed the interests and requirements of the Vietnamese people above all else, knowing that the people’s happiness started from the simplest things being food and clothes.

Fourthly, signing and promulgating Decrees No. 17, 19 and 20, on September 08, 1945.

Beside coping with the “famine”, the Government also had to combat resolutely against “illiteracy”. The people were “full”, but they were still hungry with “written letters”; or in other words, when the people were still poor in terms of the spiritual life, they were yet to be able to have a really happy life. Right in the first meeting of the Governmental Council on September 03, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh put forward six urgent works, in which the anti-illiteracy work was the second work, only after the anti-famine work. He said: “An illiterate nation was a weak nation. That is why, I propose to launch an anti-illiteracy campaign” (10). To take care of the people’s happiness in a long term, it was imperative to do away with illiteracy. On behalf of the President of the Provisionary Government, Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap signed and promulgated Decree No. 17 on September 08, 1945. Decree No. 17 was really a strong “push”, fanning up the “anti-Illiteracy” movement nationwide, from cities to rural areas; the “literacy classes” were mushrooming everywhere; the literate people acted as the unpaid teachers and the illiterate people went to these classes with the aim of being able to write their own names.

Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap also signed and promulgated Decree No. 19, on September 08, 1945, with the content comprising three clauses, in which clause II stipulated: “Within six months, every village and town should have a 30-people literacy class. Minister Vo Nguyen Giap also signed and promulgated Decree No. 20 on the setting up of the evening literacy classes for peasants and workers, in which it was provided that “learning quốc ngữ (national language) free for all people is compulsory”. The results of the anti-illiteracy movement had gone beyond expectation. According to the book titled “Vietnam combats illiteracy” of the Education Publisher in 1980, only in one year (from August 1945 to August 1946), the Anti-illieracy Movement helped do away with illiteracy  for over 2.5 million people, developed nearly 96,000 teachers, opened nearly 75,000 literacy classes. After five years (to the date of June 30, 1950), nearly 12.2 million people were literate; 10 provinces with 80 districts, over 1,400 communes and 7,200 villages were recognized as having eliminated illiteracy.

It could be affirmed that Decrees No. 17, 19 and 20  of the President of the Provisionary Government, on Seotember 08, 1945, were the very important administrative documents, making no small contributions to boosting the combat against the “illiteracy” at that time and at the same time, it had laid a foundation for the improvement and raising of the cultural and spiritual life of the people of all strata. This was one of the very important criteria of an effective and efficient administration for the happiness of the people.

With an outstanding talent, a well-versed plan and strategy and above all, the radiant soul and heart for the country and for the people; Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap had laid the first bricks on building the administrative legislation for the people; he was also proactive to give advice to the Government and President Ho Chi Minh to promulgate a series of decrees and administrative writings, thus contributing to taking step by step the organization and operation of the administrative apparatus to go into stability and discipline, with the legal basis and based on the close administrative process; it had gradually affirmed the efficiency and effectiveness of the activities of the administration for the people’s happiness.. It can be affirmed that the great contributions of the Ministry of Interior of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the first, unforgettable months under the direct leadership of Minister Vo Nguyen Giap had laid the solid foundation for the process of building the democratic, rule-of-law administration for the Vietnamese people’s happiness. The history of the glorious Communist Party of Vietnam, the history of the heroic nation of Vietnam will forever be acknowledged, and will continue to inherit and promote the values of the administration for the people’s happiness on the next revolutionary stages.

The celebration of the 110^th birth anniversary of General Vo Nguyen Giap (August 25, 1911 – August 25, 2021) is an occasion to review the life and career and the great merits of the General to the country, the nation, the People’s Army of Vietnam and in a capacity as the first Minister of Interior – the participant in having laid the foundation for the building of an administration of the Vietnamese people’s happiness./.

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(1) See: 101 moments of General Vo Nguyen Giap, Hanoi Publishing House, 2011, p. 95

(2) See: Vo Nguyen Giap: Unforgettable Years (Huu Mai copied), the People’s Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 1970, p. 92

(3) See: The poem: “The Homeland”, by Nguyen Đinh Thi

(4) See: Than Nhan Trung, the first Vietnamese stele inscription in Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam

(5) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, The National Political Publshing House Su That, Hanoi, 2011, Tomb 1, p. 473

(6) Ho Chi Minh, Complete works, Ibid, Tomb 4, p. 1

(7), (8) Ho Chi Minh, Complete Works, Ibid, Tomb 4, p. 175, 64

(9) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, Ibid, Tomb 9, p. 518

(10) Ho Chi Minh, Complete Works, Ibid, Tomb 4, p. 7

(11), (12), (13), (14) Documents of the 13^th National Party Congress, the National Political Publishing House Su That, Hanoi, 2021, Tomb 1, p. 176-178, 203, 35, 216

This article was published in the Communist Review No. 971 (August 2021)