The army fought for independence and national unity.

From its first main force, the Vietnam Liberation Propaganda Army, the Vietnam People's Army has been continuously built and matured in combat, becoming increasingly stronger and more complete in terms of organizational structure, overall quality, and combat strength.

Building upon the achievements of the August Revolution, the Vietnam People's Army served as the backbone of the nationwide resistance, achieving victories step by step, ultimately defeating the war efforts of French colonialism and American imperialism, and successfully completing the cause of national liberation.

1. The Vietnam People's Army was born, becoming the main force and solid support for the people in the August 1945 General Uprising to seize power. Immediately after its establishment (December 22, 1944), the Vietnam Propaganda and Liberation Army, with an initial force of 34 officers and soldiers under the command of Comrade Vo Nguyen Giap, successfully organized the attack on the Phai Khat (December 25, 1944) and Na Ngan (December 26, 1944) outposts, beginning the tradition of "decisive battle, decisive victory" of the Vietnam People's Army.

When the revolutionary opportunity was ripe, on August 13, 1945, the National Uprising Committee, established by the Central Committee of the Party and the General Headquarters of the Viet Minh, issued Military Order No. 1, launching a general uprising by the Vietnamese army and people to seize national independence. In compliance with the general uprising order and the call of Leader Ho Chi Minh, the uprising committees, liberation army units, and guerrilla forces from the Viet Bac base and other war zones quickly advanced to various localities to coordinate with and support the political forces of the masses rising up to seize power.

Within just two weeks (August 13-28, 1945), the general uprising to seize power took place vigorously throughout the country, achieving fundamental victories and establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam – the first state of the people, by the people, and for the people in Southeast Asia. The victory of the August Revolution of 1945 affirmed that armed and semi-armed forces were truly the core, effectively and actively supporting the large political forces of the revolutionary masses rising up to seize power; at the same time, it marked a significant step forward in the maturity of the Vietnam People's Army.

2. The Vietnam People's Army played a pivotal role as the core force of the people's armed forces, contributing to the victory of the resistance war against French colonialism. After their defeat in the offensive against Viet Bac, the French colonialists were forced to switch to a protracted war, using sweeps, expanding occupation, and pacification as their main methods, combined with plundering human and material resources to sustain the war. Implementing the policy of "independent companies, concentrated battalions," from 1948, hundreds of independent companies and armed propaganda teams advanced deep into enemy territory, supporting the people in many places, especially in the Northern Delta, who simultaneously rose up to overthrow the puppet regime.

Based on the fulfillment of all necessary conditions, on April 15, 1949, the Ministry of National Defense - General Staff decided to establish the 308th Division - the first main force division of the Vietnam National Army. Subsequently, the emergence of powerful mobile main force units at the division and regiment levels marked a rapid development of our army, initially meeting the policy of advancing to mobile warfare, contributing to the victories of the Border Campaign (September 16 - October 14, 1950), Hoa Binh Campaign (1951-1952), Northwest Campaign (1952), and Upper Laos Campaign (1953).

During the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring Campaign, the three branches of the armed forces played their respective roles effectively in combat operations, closely coordinating with the revolutionary armed forces of Laos and Cambodia. They launched strategic offensives, forcing the enemy to react passively and strain their resources to defend themselves on the battlefields of Northwest Vietnam, Central Laos, Lower Laos-Northeast Cambodia, Northern Central Highlands, and Upper Laos...

Entering the decisive strategic battle of Dien Bien Phu, we concentrated a large main force, combined with distinctive campaign tactics, to attack and destroy the strongest French defense group in Indochina at that time; at the same time, we intensified people's war in coordinated battlefields throughout the country, successfully completing the resistance war against French colonial aggression.

3. The Vietnam People's Army has been continuously consolidated and strengthened in all aspects, maintaining its core role, fighting alongside the entire nation to complete the liberation of the South, unify the country, and fulfill its international obligations.

With the victory of the Đồng Khởi movement (1960), the revolution in the South shifted from a defensive to an offensive stance. Immediately after its establishment (January 1961), the Southern Liberation Army simultaneously developed in scale, organization, and strength, while building and protecting liberated areas, receiving support from the North, and combining it with local logistics to carry out increasingly large-scale battles and campaigns, such as those at Ấp Bắc, Bình Giã, Đồng Xoài, and Ba Gia, contributing to the failure of the US imperialists' "Special War" strategy.

When the US deployed its expeditionary forces and allies to directly participate in the war in the South, in 1965 alone, the South Vietnamese Liberation Army developed its forces to five divisions; at the same time, it intensified concentrated combat operations, achieving successive victories in direct confrontations with US forces at Nui Thanh, Van Tuong, Pleime... contributing to consolidating the determination to "fight the Americans" and the ability to "defeat the Americans".

Based on the widespread people's war strategy, the army and people of South Vietnam intensified their offensive, creating favorable conditions for the Tet Offensive and Uprising of 1968, leading to great victories in the 1972 strategic offensive, forcing the US and the Saigon government to sign the Paris Agreement (January 27, 1973). Alongside national tasks, the Vietnam People's Army steadfastly implemented the Party's pure international solidarity policy in the spirit of "Helping friends is helping ourselves," standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the people and armies of Laos and Cambodia against the common enemy, the US imperialists.

Based on the rapidly changing and favorable course of the war, at the end of 1974, the Politburo resolved to mobilize the strength of the entire nation's army and people to successfully conclude the resistance war against the US and save the country. Implementing the Politburo's strategic decision, the Vietnam People's Army leveraged its combined arms strength on a large scale to carry out the "lightning-fast" General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975, culminating in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, completing the liberation of the South and unifying the country.

With 34 officers and soldiers in its first main force, the Vietnam People's Army rapidly developed in terms of organization, strength, and combat skills, becoming a leading force, guiding and supporting the nationwide movement to fight the enemy.

Continuing to uphold the tradition of "decisive battle, decisive victory," and maintaining the qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers," the Vietnam People's Army is always actively building a politically strong force as a foundation for improving overall quality and combat strength, working together with all sectors of the people to successfully fulfill the task of protecting the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland.

NDO

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/quoc-phong/doi-quan-chien-dau-vi-doc-lap-thong-nhat-non-song-142257.html