Make a big splash around the world

International tourists visit the War Remnants Museum (Ho Chi Minh City). Photo: Le Phuong

After World War II, Vietnam became the focus of the US imperialists’ global counter-revolutionary strategy. Losing Vietnam could cause the US to lose its position and influence in many regions of the world, first of all in Southeast Asia - where the US has many political, economic and military interests. For that reason, massively sending troops to South Vietnam, with the aim of suppressing and defeating Vietnam, not only helped the US imperialists defeat and deter the national liberation movement, but also defeat socialism in the region and consolidate the US position among its allies.

To carry out that plot, the US imperialists threw into the Vietnam War all the resources that the US could use, including money, weapons, technology, etc. At the same time, they maximized the strength of the army, air force, and navy; used the most modern means of war, with the highest quality (except nuclear weapons). Thereby, they spent a huge amount of budget, more than the cost in World War II. At the same time, they practiced the most vicious counter-revolutionary strategies (4 strategies including Unilateral War, Special War, Local War, and Vietnamization of the War); went through 5 Presidents and 8 changes of the Minister of Defense, 4 changes of the Commander-in-Chief of the US army in the battlefield of South Vietnam.

With huge resources poured into the war, the US empire wanted to turn Vietnam into a fierce battlefield, where the fierce "historical confrontation" between socialism and capitalism, between national independence and imperialist slavery, between revolution and counter-revolution, between the power of bombs, steel and human spirit and will took place...

Facing a powerful and brutal enemy, there were worries and concerns: "How to fight and win against America?". Then in the world, many governments and famous figures also expressed concern that the war could spread and become a new world war. And they gave Vietnam the advice "not to confront America - a superpower that has never been defeated". They also launched diplomatic campaigns, hoping to find a political solution that both we and America could accept... However, all those efforts and goodwill did not bring results. The war continued in an increasingly fierce direction, because the American authorities plotted to use military force to impose their will on the Vietnamese people. However, the victory of the Vietnamese people completely overwhelmed the ambitions of the American empire. Although the war lasted 21 years, with countless losses and sacrifices, victory belonged to the righteous, courageous, and brave Vietnamese people.

The war in Vietnam became a hot issue, attracting millions of people to stand on one side or the other and was the center of attention of all mankind in the 60s and 70s of the 20th century. Therefore, the victory of the Vietnamese people created a great echo around the world. That victory bankrupted an important part of the global strategy of the US empire, when the US was driven out of South Vietnam - a foothold that helped control Southeast Asia, finding a way to advance south and north. At the same time, with the victory of the Vietnamese people, a "great defense line" to prevent the world revolutionary movement was also broken. The war strategies and a series of military tactics that the US had used became useless. The social foundations of the US, which were praised by the West as a model of the "free world", were shaken. The prestige and international position of the US collapsed. America's commanding role over other imperialist and capitalist countries has declined... And within America, society is divided and "cracking into pieces"; "progress in material life and confidence in the nation can no longer be maintained"...

It can be affirmed that the Party's strategic talent, the indomitable spirit of the People and the valuable lessons of the Vietnamese people in the resistance war against the US to save the country have become "a shining example for all oppressed peoples in the world who are waging a just struggle against foreign oppressive forces". That struggle also "created for other peoples more favorable external conditions for their revolutionary struggles". Many peoples quickly learned the forms, methods and experiences of Vietnam's struggle and that contributed to helping them win in the cause of national liberation and national liberation.

During the time our people waged the resistance war, the movement for national liberation and protection of independence took place vigorously throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America. By the mid-1960s, 70 Asian, African, and Latin American countries had gained independence. In Asia, due to being bogged down in the Vietnam War, the United States had to withdraw from a number of important military bases in Thailand; at the same time, the presence of US troops in Japan, the Philippines, etc. was also strongly opposed. In Southeast Asia alone, the people of the two neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia continuously fought side by side with the Vietnamese people until complete victory. In Latin America, the climax of the struggle against imperialism and dictatorship exploded strongly in the 1960s and 1970s and was dubbed the "burning continent". The movement spread to countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Nicaragua, Chile, El Salvador... As a result, dictatorial governments in many countries were overthrown, democratic governments were established in many countries. In Africa, before World War II, there were only 2 countries that were nominally independent; but by 1968, 39 countries had gained independence, accounting for 85% of the territory and 95% of the population of the entire continent...

Since the US gained the advantage of the first and second world wars, becoming the richest and most powerful empire, nurturing the ambition to dominate the world and forcing humanity to follow their trajectory. From there, it also formed a mentality of fearing American power. However, the victory of the Vietnamese people has contributed to awakening the conscience of humanity, strongly encouraging the revolutionary fighting spirit of oppressed peoples around the world. The victory of the Vietnamese people has made the people of the world not only no longer afraid of America, but also dare to fight America, know how to fight and win against America. That victory has proven a truth, in today's era, a nation, though small, with a narrow territory, small population, and underdeveloped economy, but knows how to unite and be determined, has a correct and creative revolutionary path suitable to its conditions and circumstances, and is supported and helped by international friends, can completely defeat invaders many times stronger.

From the victory of the August Revolution in 1945 and the resistance war against French colonialism in 1954, Vietnam proved to the world the complete collapse of old colonialism. Then, with the victory in the resistance war against the US to save the country, Vietnam continued to prove to the world that the bankruptcy of neo-colonialism was inevitable. The victory of the Vietnamese people in this "historic confrontation" has become a new symbol of the power of combining the flag of national independence and socialism. Because in Vietnam, that power has shattered the myth of "the unimaginable power of America"!

Le Phuong

The article uses materials from "History of the resistance war against America to save the country 1945-1975".

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tao-tieng-vang-lon-tren-toan-the-gioi-247029.htm