The Party Central Committee met to discuss the plan to liberate the south of Việt Nam. — VNA/VNS File Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Party’s clear-sighted leadership was the decisive factor in the Great 1975 Spring Victory that liberated Việt Nam’s south and reunified the country, according to General Lương Cường, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the General Political Department of the Việt Nam People’s Army.
In an article published in the Quân đội Nhân dân (People’s Army) newspaper on Monday, Cường, who is also a member of the Central Military Commission’s Standing Board, emphasised that the Great 1975 Spring Victory has gone down in history as a glittering chapter and brilliant symbol of complete victory by revolutionary heroism and human wisdom. 
It was also remembered in the world history as a great feat of arms in the 20th century and an event of international importance.
He noted that under the 1954 Geneva Accords, Việt Nam was temporarily divided into two regions. While the north became completely independent and began the transitional period to socialism, the south was under the rule of the US imperialists and their henchmen who brutally suppressed the local population.
In that context, the Party set two strategic revolutionary tasks – carrying out the socialist revolution in the north and liberating the south from the rule of the US imperialists and their henchmen, so as to reunify the country and bring about independence and democracy.
Cường wrote that in the strategic general offensive in the spring of 1975, the Party had precise assessments of the situation, firmly seized opportunities, and selected the right direction and main attack targets, thus changing the disposition of the war completely.
Throughout the resistance war against the US, the Party gradually developed the people’s war to the pinnacle. It mobilised the entire population for the battle by bringing into play the strength of the “great rear” in the north to concurrently fight against the enemy, build socialism, and provide efficient support for the “great front” in the south, and joining with the strength of southern compatriots and soldiers in the front line of the fight against the US, the General said.
He highlighted that the strategic general offensive in the spring of 1975 was the pinnacle of the combination of offensive and uprising to defeat and dismantle all the enemy forces and conclude the war in a short period of time, which reflected the sharp, creative and clear-sighted military leadership of the Party.
This is forever a source of pride for the Vietnamese Party, army, and people, Cường said, adding that the Party’s leadership role in the general offensive remains valuable for today’s national development and defence.

Sacrifice

The country had to sacrifice a lot to achieve victory during the General Offensive and Uprising in the spring of 1975, culminating with the Hồ Chí Minh Campaign, said Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Huy Hiệu, former Deputy Minister of National Defence in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency.
Hiệu, who commanded an attack on Sài Gòn (now HCM City) in April 1975, said the victory was the culmination of Vietnamese military knowhow. It demonstrated the whole nation and people’s will and determination to liberate the South.
He said previous generations had to sacrifice their lives for the country’s independence, freedom and peace.
The war to liberate the South and reunite the country lingered on for more than 20 years, he said, adding that during that time, the North played a significant role in supporting human strength, wealth and spiritual encouragement for the Southern front. 
Referring to lessons from the resistance wars against France and the US, as well as in the national building and defence, the general emphasised the need to inherit and promote experience to continue the cause of safeguarding national independence and sovereignty. — VNS