Communist Review – The resistance war against US imperialists for national salvation is “one of the most glorious pages in Vietnam’s history, an event of international significance and profound contemporary relevance” (1), greatly contributing to creating “a golden chapter in the history of the nation” in the Ho Chi Minh era. The great victory of the resistance war against US imperialists under the Party’s leadership has left many invaluable lessons for the cause of national construction and defence.

Party leadership ensures victory in the resistance war against US imperialists for national salvation

President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: “With the Party’s leadership, revolution and resistance will triumph, and national construction will succeed” (2); “Only a strong Party can ensure the success of the revolution, just as only a steady helmsman can steer the boat safely.” (3) His viewpoint made it clear that for the Party to lead successfully, it must have a correct political line, a well-organised structure, and a contingent of cadres closely connected with the people; the Party cannot exist without deriving from, working for, and relying on the people. The revolutionary movements of 1930–1931 and 1936–1939, the August Revolution in 1945, the Dien Bien Phu Victory in 1954, the Great Spring Victory in 1975, and the tremendous achievements of nearly 40 years of renewal all bear the profound imprint of the Party’s sound and visionary leadership.

The resistance war against US imperialists, culminating in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, opened a new era of independence, freedom, and socialism for the nation. Its victory was the crystallisation of the invincible strength of great national unity, the indomitable will of a heroic people, and, above all, the inevitable result of the sound, steadfast, flexible, and creative leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The resistance war was a shining testament to the Party’s courage, wisdom, and great stature, highlighting its absolute, comprehensive, and intelligent leadership, its outstanding strategic capability, and its mastery in leading all aspects – political, military, diplomatic, ideological, and organisational – while harmoniously combining the strength of the nation with the strength of the times.

Throughout the revolutionary process in general, and the resistance war against US imperialists in particular, the Communist Party of Vietnam demonstrated far-sighted vision and strategic thinking, thereby proactively formulating correct revolutionary lines and organising their implementation to suit specific conditions and the development of the Vietnamese revolution.

When the Vietnamese army and people gained the upper hand in the resistance war against French colonialists, the United States began aiding France and increasingly intervening in the Indochina battlefield. The Communist Party of Vietnam clearly identified the schemes and plots of US imperialists. In February 1954, the Politburo affirmed: “The United States was moving toward direct and blatant intervention in the Indochina war.”(4) After the Dien Bien Phu victory that “resounded throughout the five continents and shook the world,” during the Geneva Agreement negotiations in 1954, the Party further recognised that in the new stage, the United States had become the principal and direct enemy of the peoples of Indochina (5). Following the Geneva Agreement of 1954, Vietnam was temporarily divided into two regions. At the 7th Plenum of the 2nd Party Central Committee (March 1955), the Party defined the revolutionary line for the new period: to develop the North as a firm rear base; to maintain and promote the political struggle of the southern people, with the aim of consolidating peace, achieving national reunification, and realising independence and democracy throughout the country (6).

The North gained independence and advanced toward socialism, while in the South, after the United States replaced the French and installed the puppet regime of Ngo Dinh Diem, it turned the region into a neo-colony with the plot to divide permanently Vietnam. The Resolution of the 15th meeting of the 2nd Party Central Committee (July 1959) identified two strategic revolutionary tasks: the socialist revolution in the North and the people’s national democratic revolution in the South. “Although these two strategic tasks are different in nature, they are organically linked, carried out simultaneously, and deeply influence and strongly support each other, with the common goal of maintaining peace, achieving national reunification, and creating favorable conditions to advance the whole country toward socialism.” (7) The meeting outlined a correct and urgent line – combining armed struggle with political struggle in the South. This marked a strategic turning point, initiating a strong movement of struggle in the South beginning with the 1959–1960 “Dong Khoi” Uprising, which vividly demonstrated the correctness and wisdom of the Party’s strategic and tactical leadership.

By the 3rd National Party Congress (1960), the Party’s vision, determination, and leadership in the resistance war against US imperialists were clearly expressed: “Our Vietnam is one, our people are one. Our country will surely be reunified on the basis of independence and democracy; our people will surely be reunited in peace, freedom, and happiness. Rivers may run dry and mountains may erode, but the will for national reunification of our people will never falter — and in the end, we will undoubtedly prevail.” (8) The Party outlined the two strategic revolutionary tasks of the Vietnamese revolution: building socialism in the North and liberating the South to move toward national reunification. In 1960, the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam was established, ushering in a new phase that propelled the southern revolution to advance strongly in both position and strength.

The 3rd National Party Congress marked a significant development in the Party’s thinking, awareness, and leadership over the arduous and sacrificial Vietnamese revolution. The Party continued to uphold the banner of national independence and socialism, effectively combining the nation’s strength with the strength of the times, and awakening the invincible power of great national unity and patriotism – a “mighty wave” embodying the tremendous strength of will, determination, and action of the entire Party, people and army – to “overwhelm” the invading imperialists and their puppets. On one hand, the Party steadfastly and persistently implemented its line and strategy; on the other hand, it promptly provided leadership and devised appropriate policies, responses, and tactics for each period, moment, region, and circumstance.

Under the Party’s leadership – from the Party Central Committee to grassroots Party organisations – the three-tier armed forces were formed, strengthened, and matured. Political struggles, agitation among enemy troops, and uprisings in enemy-controlled areas were vigorously launched. The Party exercised direct and comprehensive leadership over the Vietnam People’s Army, developing Vietnam’s unique art of military strategy and people’s warfare. The Party and political work in the army played a vital role in every victory and in the overall triumph of the resistance war against US imperialists.

On the military front, the Party creatively applied Ho Chi Minh Thought and the nation’s tradition of fighting foreign invaders, combining the art of directing people’s warfare with flexible tactics. From 1961 to 1964, the Party advocated intensifying guerrilla warfare, defeating the “Strategic Hamlet” program, expanding liberated zones, consolidating the three-tier armed forces, including main force troops, local troops, and militia, while broadening the political front and combining armed and political struggles, thereby crushing the enemy’s “Special War” strategy. From 1965 to 1968, as the US directly intervened in Vietnam and launched a “Limited War” while intensifying bombings in the North, the Party adopted the dual policy of “fighting while producing,” maintaining the North as a strong rear base to support the southern battlefield, and organising people’s warfare across both regions. Major victories such as Nui Thanh, Van Tuong, Plei Me, and Bau Bang – culminating in the 1968 General Offensive and Uprising, crippled the US military strategy.

From 1969 to 1973, when the US and the Saigon administration shifted to the “Vietnamisation of the war,” they intensified their destructive operations against the North. The Party continued to lead the entire nation and army in combining military, political, and diplomatic struggles, securing major victories such as the Route 9 – Southern Laos Campaign (1971), the Tri Thien Campaign (1972), and the “Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the Air” Campaign (December 1972), which forced the United States to sign the Paris Agreement in 1973, ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam. From 1973 to 1975, recognising that the revolutionary situation was ripe, the Party shifted its strategy toward a powerful offensive, leading to the General Offensive and Uprising that completely liberated the South and reunified the country.

Recognising the vital role of the ideological and cultural front, the Party paid great attention to political and ideological education. Throughout the resistance, revolutionary information, education, press, and wartime arts were strongly promoted, contributing to boosting morale, strengthening revolutionary faith, and nurturing ideals among soldiers, youth, students, and intellectuals participating in the resistance. Movements such as “Singing over the sound of bombs,” “Three Readinesses,” and “Five Volunteer Actions” were vivid results of effective ideological and cultural leadership.

On the diplomatic front, the Party demonstrated its political stature and steadfastness, skillfully combining military operations with diplomatic negotiations. Amid numerous domestic and international developments, the Party formulated appropriate diplomatic strategies. Deeply imbued with President Ho Chi Minh’s diplomatic philosophy – “To respond to all changes with what is unchanging” and “Real strength is the gong; diplomacy is the sound. The bigger the gong, the louder the sound” – Vietnam’s diplomacy remained flexible and tactful, successfully garnering global support, especially from socialist countries, while staying resolute and persistent in its revolutionary goals and military victories. The 1973 Paris Agreement was a major political and diplomatic triumph, paving the way for the complete liberation of the South.

It can be affirmed that the decisive factor behind the victory of the resistance war against US imperialists was not only the Party’s sound guidelines but also its steadfast commitment to the ideal of national independence and socialism. The Party was the pathfinder, organiser, and also source of inspiration, guiding the people through hardships and sacrifices. The close bond between the Party and the people generated unparalleled strength, solidifying the great national unity bloc.

The Vietnamese nation’s great victory also stemmed from the Party’s success in harnessing the combined strength of the entire political system and the people, ensuring seamless coordination between central and local levels, between the rear and the front, and between domestic and international efforts. The Party mobilised the nation’s full strength – both material and spiritual – as well as the enduring patriotic spirit of a millennia-old civilisation for the resistance war against US imperialists. “The years will pass, but the victory of our people in the resistance war against the US for national salvation will forever be recorded in our nation’s history as one of its most glorious pages – a shining symbol of the triumph of revolutionary heroism and human intellect – and will go down in world history as one of the great feats of the 20th century, an event of immense international significance and profound historical impact.” (9) 

Upholding the Party’s leadership role – Guiding the nation steadily into a new era

Half a century has passed since the country’s complete reunification, yet the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam remains as valuable as ever. It must continue to be inherited and promoted in today’s cause of national construction, development, and defence. The victory of the resistance war against US imperialists for national salvation encapsulates many timeless lessons: steadfastly maintaining the Party’s absolute and comprehensive leadership, particularly its direct and absolute leadership over the armed forces; advancing the art of military strategy and people’s warfare to new heights; firmly upholding the goal of national independence closely linked with socialism; fostering great national unity; skillfully combining national strength with the power of the times; and basing theoretical development on practical realities while constantly renewing leadership methods and improving the Party’s governing capacity.

The Party’s sacred mission in this new era of development is to lead the nation in building a prosperous, strong, democratic, equitable, and civilised socialist Vietnam that stands shoulder to shoulder with the world’s leading powers; ensuring the people’s well-being and happiness; and contributing more to regional and global peace, stability, and progress, for the happiness of humankind and the advancement of civilisation. In all circumstances, maintaining the Party’s leadership role remains the key to the nation’s development and the guarantee of its endurance and prosperity.

The path ahead presents increasingly demanding requirements for the Party. Entering a new era of intertwined opportunities and challenges, the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam must be continually strengthened, renewed, and enhanced in both quality and effectiveness. The realities and achievements of the resistance, nation-building, reform, and international integration processes have affirmed the Party’s leading and governing role. To continue successfully leading the country in its national development and defence in this new era – the era of the nation’s rise – the Communist Party of Vietnam must be intellectually outstanding, steadfast in its ideals, capable, and virtuous in governance. Only a Party that is politically pioneering, ideologically steadfast, strategically perceptive, practically grounded, and deeply connected with the people can lead the nation steadily toward socialism, building a strong, prosperous, and happy Vietnam.

In the new era, the Party leads the nation in realising the revolutionary cause of the people, by the people, and for the people – a historic turning point that fulfills the Vietnamese people’s aspirations for development. The Party recognises that, on the journey ahead, there will be revolutionary missions and approaches that demand dedication and sacrifice from cadres, Party members, and citizens for the brighter future of the nation. With the Party’s sound leadership, the determination of the entire Party, people, and armed forces, and the strength of great national unity combined with the power of the times, Vietnam will undoubtedly achieve new glorious victories – continuing to write the nation’s golden history.

Building on the lessons from the resistance war against US imperialists to fulfill the mission of leading the nation in the new era, the Party must continue to effectively implement several key requirements and solutions as follows:

First, in the context of deep globalisation and the vigorous unfolding of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Party must further enhance its capacity for national strategic planning. The formulation of socio-economic development strategies, plans, and frameworks – alongside ensuring national defence, security, and foreign affairs – must be closely grounded in practical realities and adaptable to rapid international changes. The Party should continue to play a guiding and pioneering role in promoting science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and the development of a knowledge-based, green, and circular economy.

Second, the Party must continue to strengthen its leadership over the consolidation and development of key pillars: the socialist-oriented market economy, the socialist rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, and for the people, and socialist democracy. Among these pillars, the socialist-oriented market economy serves as a primary driving force for unleashing productive capacity; the socialist rule-of-law state plays a constructive role in development; and socialist democracy functions as both a goal and a driving force for progress.

Building each of these pillars and correctly addressing their interrelations will contribute to developing modern productive forces, gradually perfecting production relations and advanced production methods, thereby affirming the unique advantages of Vietnam’s socialist model.

Third, in a context of increasingly fierce strategic competition among major powers and the complex intertwining of traditional and non-traditional security challenges, the Party must further consolidate its leadership over national defence, security, and foreign affairs. It is essential to strengthen the Party’s absolute, direct, and comprehensive leadership over the armed forces; build the military to be “revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually modernised”; ensure that it remains the core force in safeguarding the Fatherland and the loyal, reliable political force of the Party, the nation, and the people; and uphold the heroic tradition of determination to fight and win of the Vietnam People’s Army. The Party must resolutely counter hostile forces’ plots to “depoliticise” the military.

At the same time, it is vital to maintain the principles of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and multilateralisation; firmly safeguard national sovereignty; and proactively pursue comprehensive, deep international integration – actively participating in regional and global frameworks as a responsible member of the international community.

Fourth, the Party must continue to advance Party building and rectification efforts, strengthening the entire political system to be clean, strong, and comprehensive, in close connection with studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality, and style. In the context of a socialist-oriented market economy and increasing international integration, the risks of political, ideological, moral, and lifestyle degradation, along with manifestations of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the Party, pose threats to the Party and the regime. It is therefore imperative to reinforce discipline, enhance revolutionary ethics, and build a contingent of truly virtuous, capable, and devoted cadres who work wholeheartedly for the nation and the people. At the same time, it is necessary to proactively prevent, combat, and repel bureaucracy, corruption, wastefulness, and other negative phenomena, thereby building a moral and civilised Party and continuously consolidating and strengthening the people’s trust in it. The Party must constantly reform and rectify itself, maintaining sufficient capacity and fighting strength to make sound political decisions, promptly address complex situations, properly resolve major contradictions and difficult issues, and exercise governance for the people –scientifically, democratically, lawfully, and with integrity.

Fifth, the Party must attach special importance to theoretical and ideological work, continuously summarising practice, developing theory, and drawing on valuable lessons from the nation’s history and the Party’s revolutionary leadership experience. From this foundation, it should creatively inherit, apply, and develop these lessons in the current cause of national construction and defence. Emphasis should be placed on educating revolutionary traditions and ethics, strongly inspiring patriotism, national pride, self-reliance, great national unity, and the aspiration for a prosperous and happy nation. The Party must resolutely struggle against and defeat all subversive schemes by hostile forces, firmly defending its ideological foundation.

Sixth, the Party must strengthen and innovate its leadership over mass mobilisation work, fostering a profound shift in awareness and action among Party committees and the entire political system. Party committees and organisations should continue to renew leadership methods to stay closer to the people, deepen grassroots engagement, and promptly address legitimate aspirations of the people, while enhancing the effectiveness of the two-tier local government model in the coming time. The Party must strictly uphold the principle that “the people are the root,” with human beings as the center of development; every guideline, policy, and decision must originate from the legitimate aspirations, interests, and happiness of the people. The Party’s leadership remains the nucleus – the banner uniting the wisdom, aspirations, and great solidarity of the entire nation – calling upon all people to multiply national pride, dignity, and determination, inspiring and mobilising all social strata to harness every resource and seize every opportunity to advance the nation.

History lights the way for the present and the future. The lessons from the Party’s leadership in the resistance war against US imperialists for national salvation constitute a precious spiritual legacy – a compass guiding the nation’s journey into the new era. Under the glorious banner of the Party, the entire people and army have achieved great national victories, especially the triumph in the resistance war against US imperialists, which illuminated the mettle, intellect, character, dignity, and conscience of the Vietnamese people and nation.

Under the Party’s leadership and call to action, with heightened pride, confidence, self-reliance, and resilience, the Vietnamese people will continue to create new miracles in the 21st century – steadily advancing into a new era of development for peace, independence, democracy, prosperity, progress, civilisation, and happiness, firmly marching toward socialism./.

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*PhD, member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Communist Review.

(1) Prof. Dr. To Lam: “Radiant Vietnam,” Communist Review, No. 1055, February 2025, p. 5.

(2) Ho Chi Minh Complete Works, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, vol. 8, p. 273.

(3) Ho Chi Minh Complete Works, ibid., vol. 2, p. 289.

(4), (5) See: Complete Collection of Party Documents, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2001, vol. 15, pp. 30, 172.

(6) See: Complete Collection of Party Documents, ibid., 2002, vol. 16, p. 185.

(7) See: Complete Collection of Party Documents, ibid., 2002, vol. 20, p. 62.

(8) See: Complete Collection of Party Documents, ibid., 2002, vol. 21, p. 528.

(9) Complete Collection of Party Documents, ibid., 2004, vol. 37, p. 457.

(10) Prof. Dr. To Lam: “Radiant Vietnam,” op. cit., p. 7.