( Bqp.vn ) - Implementing the Ministry of National Defense 's Plan on organizing activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2024), on the morning of April 4, in Ninh Binh, the People's Army Newspaper coordinated with the 12th Corps Command to organize a seminar with the theme: "Military art in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign - Practical lessons in current combat training". Major General Doan Xuan Bo, Editor-in-Chief of the People's Army Newspaper and Major General Nguyen Duc Hung, Political Commissar of the 12th Corps chaired the seminar.
Delegates attending the seminar.
Attending the seminar were generals, scientists ; leaders of agencies and units under the Ministry of National Defense; representatives of Dien Bien province; historical witnesses and veterans who participated in the Dien Bien Phu campaign.
Major General Nguyen Duc Hung delivered the opening speech at the seminar.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Major General Nguyen Duc Hung emphasized that this seminar is one of the practical activities towards the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, aiming to affirm the stature, historical value, and reasons for the victory of the Dien Bien Phu Victory; to deeply clarify the military art in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, affirm the correctness and certain victory of the people's war policy, the national defense posture under the leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh; to draw lessons, creatively and effectively apply them to training, exercises, ensuring logistics and techniques, building a strong and comprehensive "exemplary and typical" unit and building defense zones, combat plans in the new situation, ensuring victory over the enemy in all situations. Thereby, arousing the honor and pride of cadres, soldiers and people; creating motivation to compete to successfully complete all tasks, contributing to building a lean, strong, modern Army.
Major General Doan Xuan Bo delivered a keynote speech at the seminar.
In his opening speech, Major General Doan Xuan Bo stated that the victory of the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring campaign, culminating in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, dealt a decisive blow, crushing the aggressive imperialist and colonialist ambitions, forcing the French Government to sign the Geneva Agreement (July 1954), ending the war in Indochina, opening a new page in the history of the Vietnamese revolution; at the same time, it was an important event, signaling the complete collapse of old colonialism on a global scale. That victory originated from the heroic and indomitable tradition of our nation, from the wise leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh; the strength of the great national unity bloc; the determination to fight, to win, and the ability to fight, to win, and to overcome any difficulty of the heroic Vietnam People's Army; the strategic talent of the generals in the Ho Chi Minh era, headed by General and Commander-in-Chief Vo Nguyen Giap.
Military art in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign
In early September 1953, the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, after studying and assessing the situation in all aspects, outlined the Winter-Spring 1953-1954 operational plan. At the end of September 1953, the Politburo approved the Winter-Spring 1953-1954 operational plan; implementing the operational motto of "active, proactive, mobile, flexible" with the guiding principle of destroying enemy forces, nurturing our forces, fighting for sure, fighting to destroy; choosing places where the enemy was vulnerable and less prepared; maintaining the initiative, forcing the enemy to disperse its forces. This was a correct, flexible, and creative strategic policy of the Politburo and the General Military Commission to promote the initiative, conduct strategic attacks, forcing the enemy to break the concentrated mobile block, disperse each part of the enemy's main force in different directions, then choose a favorable direction to conduct a large-scale annihilation battle. Based on the actual developments on the battlefield, based on the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides and the assessment of the enemy's plot, the Party Central Committee and President Ho Chi Minh decided to launch the Dien Bien Phu Campaign - conducting a strategic decisive battle to change the situation of the war. This was a wise decision, demonstrating the Party's acumen and flexibility in leadership and direction of military and combat work, demonstrating the Party's mettle in the face of historical challenges.
Reality has proven that, under the leadership of the Party, our army and people have overcome all difficulties and challenges, accepted hardships and sacrifices to achieve the Dien Bien Phu Victory that "resounded throughout the five continents and shook the world", bringing the resistance war against French colonialism to final victory.
Discussion scene.
Referring to the correct strategy in the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring Campaign, culminating in the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the delegates' presentations all agreed that our strategic combat command had taken the French colonialists completely by surprise. We had attracted a large force of the most elite French troops to the Northwest battlefield, upsetting the enemy's Navarre Plan. In the Dien Bien Phu basin, we did not accept a general engagement (expected to last for 3 nights and 2 days) with more than 16,000 elite and battle-hardened French troops stationed in a strong stronghold group considered "inviolable" but promptly changed the combat motto from "fight fast, solve fast" to "fight firmly, advance firmly"; conducted a long-term siege; destroyed supply lines, built artillery positions and maneuver roads, dug hundreds of kilometers of trenches, ensuring that troops could fight in all conditions; Successfully applied the tactic of "encircle, encroach, attack, destroy"; concentrated firepower to destroy each stronghold, cluster of strongholds, and resistance centers of the enemy, moving towards completely destroying the Dien Bien Phu stronghold complex.
Delegates attending the seminar took a group photo.
In the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, our Army brought into full play the nation's art of fighting and defending the country, created effective fighting methods, brought into play our strengths and advantages, limited the enemy's strength, and successfully carried out the strategic decisive battle. The victory of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign brought Vietnam's military art to a new level, demonstrating Vietnam's intelligence and bravery, which is a valuable asset for the nation's struggle to defend the country. At the same time, it marked a remarkable growth of our Army in terms of political bravery, combat skills, force organization, weapons and fighting methods. It was the result of a process of hard training and experience accumulation from combat practice and the work of our armed forces.
After 9 years of both building and fighting, both fighting and training, through extensive political activities, campaigns of "training troops to make achievements", "forging cadres and rectifying troops", rectifying organization and staff... our troops have improved their political qualities, mastered and skillfully used weapons and equipment, and improved techniques and tactics in various types of combat. The command level of the cadres and basic combat techniques of the troops have been improved. The rapid growth in both quantity and quality of the main force is one of the extremely important factors contributing to the Dien Bien Phu Victory.
Practical lessons in current combat training
Based on the lessons learned in the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the delegates all agreed that in the current period, it is necessary to focus on improving the quality of training and combat readiness, especially improving the mobility, coordination and cooperation of troops and services; improving the overall quality and combat strength of the Vietnam People's Army; continuing to apply lessons learned and tactical forms in combat to new conditions, ensuring victory over the enemy in all situations. First of all, it is necessary to focus on building a politically, ideologically and organizationally strong Army, ensuring that the Army is truly a loyal and trustworthy political force of the Party, State and People; officers and soldiers have high determination, are ready to fight and sacrifice for the Fatherland.
Delegates discuss at the seminar.
In addition, the presentations at the seminar also focused on clarifying lessons learned in the following aspects: Party work, political work; logistics and technical support work; experience of main corps; coordination with local armed forces; experience in promoting the strength of the people's war posture; the rear with the frontline and gaining support and assistance from international friends... These are the combined factors that create the strength of the entire nation to ensure the victory of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in particular and the resistance war against French colonialism in general, leaving valuable lessons to apply in current practice.
Through the discussion, we continue to affirm the correctness and inevitable victory of the people's war policy under the leadership of the Party and beloved President Ho Chi Minh. At the same time, it is also an opportunity to review traditions; build trust, determination, and sense of responsibility of cadres and soldiers; provide scientific arguments to serve the leadership and direction of the Party, State, Central Military Commission, and Ministry of National Defense in building and enhancing the combat strength of the Army, contributing to building and firmly protecting the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam in the new situation.
Minh Hoa - Ministry of National Defense Portal
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