Glittering golden pages of history

Many singing and dancing performances in the Historical Reenactment Program brought many emotions to the audience.

The program was organized by the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army in coordination with the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen province on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Traditional Day (September 7, 1945 - September 7, 2025). With 3 chapters: "Origin - Imprint - Reaching out", elaborately staged, combining traditional and modern performing arts, the program vividly recreated the 80-year journey of formation, fighting and growth of the General Staff.

Going back in time, 80 years ago, the August Revolution succeeded, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was established. However, at this time, the Vietnamese revolution faced countless difficulties and challenges. The construction of a military organization and the development of armed forces on a national scale posed a series of urgent problems regarding unifying the organization, command, training of cadres, ensuring weapons, food, understanding the enemy, understanding ourselves... Therefore, the organization of a strategic staff agency became an objective and urgent requirement.

Thousands of people from Dinh Hoa commune and communes in the area came to ATK Square to attend the Program.

On September 7, 1945, at the Presidential Palace, President Ho Chi Minh summoned comrade Hoang Van Thai to assign the task of organizing the staff agency. Also attending was Minister of the Interior Vo Nguyen Giap. President Ho Chi Minh pointed out many very basic issues of decisive importance in the direction of construction, operation and development of the General Staff, staff agencies at all levels in the entire army, not only in the immediate future but also for the entire growth and development of this agency.

The speaker said: We have just gained independence and freedom, the Provisional Government has decided to organize the Ministry of National Defense, now the Union (Party) has established the General Staff to command and operate the armed forces throughout the country. The General Staff is the confidential military agency of the union, an important agency of the Army, with the task of: Organizing and training the army well, organizing to grasp the enemy and ourselves clearly; devising clever strategies; organizing smooth, secret, quick, timely, and accurate command to defeat all enemies, protect the revolution. Now we have no experience, no understanding of staff work, it is difficult, but we must try to learn while doing, with determination, no matter how difficult it is, we can do it...

Carrying out the task assigned by President Ho Chi Minh, with a positive and urgent spirit, on September 7, 1945, comrade Hoang Van Thai established and was directly in charge of the Operations - Maps Department, and at the same time, assigned comrade Hoang Minh Dao to prepare to establish the Intelligence Department. After the process of researching and learning about strategic staff work, the agencies under the General Staff were successively established and immediately began to perform the functions and tasks of the strategic staff agency. September 7 became the Traditional Day of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army.

In the early days of its establishment, all aspects were extremely difficult, but the officers, employees and soldiers of the General Staff were united and unified, both perfecting the Party organization, command organization, expanding the focal points, adding troops, developing tasks, researching methods of operation... while combining work with studying, training and improving the level of strategic advice for the Ministry of National Defense and the Party Central Committee according to their functions and tasks. Along with the continuous growth and maturity of the Vietnam People's Army, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, the General Staff has excellently fulfilled the responsibility of the highest command and staff agency of the People's Army and the Militia and Self-Defense Force.

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

During the resistance war against the US, having to confront the strongest military force in the world, but with a steadfast spirit, thoroughly grasping and creatively implementing the Party's fighting line, the General Staff focused its intelligence, "plotted and calculated", commanded the army and people of the two regions to successively defeat the war strategies of the US imperialists, firmly protecting the Northern rear, and serving as a support for the revolution in the South.

The General Staff contributed greatly to the "earth-shaking" victories such as the General Offensive and Uprising of the Spring of Mau Than 1968, the strategic offensive of 1972, the victory of "Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the air" in 1972... forcing the US imperialists to sign the Paris Agreement, ending the war, restoring peace in Vietnam, and withdrawing troops.

Low-altitude fireworks display closed the program.

Low-altitude fireworks display closes the program.

After the country's reunification, in response to the requirements of the task of building and defending the Fatherland, the General Staff conducted research and proposed to the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense to develop an organizational plan and adjust the strategic arrangement appropriately to meet the requirements of the task in the new situation; at the same time, proposed to build an all-people national defense, associated with people's security to protect the Fatherland.

Over the past 80 years, with its strategic talent and creativity in military art, especially the art of understanding the enemy, commanding and directing, and coordinating strategic operations, the General Staff has greatly contributed to the resounding victories of the Vietnam People's Army in particular and the Vietnamese revolution in general, building the tradition of "Loyalty - strategy, dedication - creativity, solidarity - coordination, determination to fight - determination to win".

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