Shining pages of golden history

Many of the song and dance performances in the historical reenactment program evoked a range of emotions in the audience.

The program, organized by the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army in coordination with the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen province, commemorated the 80th anniversary of the General Staff's founding (September 7, 1945 - September 7, 2025). Comprising three chapters: "Origins - Milestones - Reaching New Heights," the meticulously staged program, combining traditional and modern performing arts, vividly recreated the 80-year journey of formation, combat, and growth of the General Staff.

Eighty years ago, the August Revolution succeeded, and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was established. However, at this time, the Vietnamese revolution faced countless difficulties and challenges. Building a military organization and developing armed forces on a nationwide scale raised a series of urgent issues concerning organizational unification, command, cadre training, ensuring weapons and food supplies, and understanding both friendly and enemy forces. Therefore, organizing a strategic planning agency became an objective and urgent requirement.

Thousands of people from Dinh Hoa commune and surrounding areas gathered at ATK Square to attend the program.

On September 7, 1945, at the Presidential Palace, President Ho Chi Minh summoned Comrade Hoang Van Thai and assigned him the task of organizing the staff agency. Minister of Interior Vo Nguyen Giap was also present. President Ho Chi Minh pointed out many fundamental issues of crucial importance that would determine the direction of the General Staff's construction, operation, and development, not only for the immediate future but also for the entirety of this agency's growth and development.

The speaker essentially said: We have just gained independence and freedom, and the Provisional Government has decided to establish a Ministry of National Defense. Now, the Party is establishing the General Staff to command and manage the armed forces throughout the country. The General Staff is the Party's confidential military agency, a crucial organ of the Army, with the following tasks: to organize and train the army effectively, to clearly understand both our own and the enemy; to devise clever strategies; to organize smooth, secret, rapid, timely, and accurate command to defeat all enemies and protect the revolution. Currently, we lack experience and understanding of staff work, so there are difficulties, but we must strive to learn as we go. With determination, we can overcome any difficulty…

Fulfilling the task assigned by President Ho Chi Minh, with a proactive and urgent spirit, on September 7, 1945, Comrade Hoang Van Thai established and directly supervised the Operations and Cartography Department, while also assigning Comrade Hoang Minh Dao to prepare for the establishment of the Intelligence Department. After a period of research and study on strategic planning, the agencies under the General Staff were successively established and immediately began carrying out their functions and tasks as strategic planning agencies. September 7th became the Traditional Day of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army.

In its early days, facing numerous challenges, the officers, staff, and soldiers of the General Staff Department united and worked together to consolidate the Party organization and command structure, expand branches, increase personnel, develop tasks, and research operational methods. Simultaneously, they combined work with learning and training to improve their strategic planning skills for the Ministry of National Defense and the Central Party Committee, according to their functions and duties. Along with the continuous growth and development of the Vietnam People's Army, under the leadership of the Central Party Committee, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defense, the General Staff Department has successfully fulfilled its crucial responsibilities as the highest command and staff agency of the People's Army and the Self-Defense Militia.

During the resistance war against French colonialism, the General Staff advised and directed the building and development of the main army, local troops, and militia; unified the organization and structure of the main army units, determined the principles of force organization and combat methods; directed the redistribution of battlefields and military training; organized and directed the people's war, progressing from guerrilla warfare to large-scale concentrated combat, contributing to important victories in campaigns such as: Viet Bac (1947), Border (1950), Hoa Binh (1951-1952), culminating in the historic Dien Bien Phu Campaign (1954), completely defeating the aggressive will of the French colonialists.

During the war against the US, facing the world's most powerful military force, but with unwavering resolve, and a thorough understanding and creative implementation of the Party's struggle line, the General Staff concentrated its intellect, devised strategies, and commanded the people and armed forces of both North and South Vietnam to successively defeat the war strategies of the US imperialists, firmly protecting the rear area of the North and providing support for the revolution in the South.

The General Staff played a huge role in achieving "earth-shattering" victories such as the Tet Offensive of 1968, the 1972 strategic offensive, and the "Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the Air" victory in 1972... forcing the US imperialists to sign the Paris Agreement, ending the war, restoring peace in Vietnam, and withdrawing their troops.

The low-altitude fireworks display brought the show to a close.

After the reunification of the country, in response to the demands of national construction and defense, the General Staff conducted research and proposed to the Central Party Committee, the Politburo, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defense a plan for organizing and adjusting strategic deployments to meet the requirements of the new situation; at the same time, it proposed building a national defense system based on the participation of all citizens, linked with a people's security system to protect the Fatherland.

Over the past 80 years, with its strategic brilliance and creativity in military art, especially in the art of understanding the enemy, directing and commanding strategic operations, the General Staff has made a tremendous contribution to the resounding victories of the Vietnam People's Army in particular and the Vietnamese revolution in general, building the tradition of "Loyalty - strategic brilliance, dedication - creativity, unity - cooperation, determination to fight - determination to win".

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202508/lap-lanh-nhung-trang-su-vang-c5b5e01/