Comparison table of 3 wars the US participated in (displayed at Ho Chi Minh Museum, Ho Chi Minh City Branch). Photo: Khoi Nguyen

Applying Lenin's theory of "Continuous Revolution", combining the Party's ideology of "Offensive Revolution"; after Resolution 15/1959, the Southern revolution developed strongly, from the "Dong Khoi Movement" to "Revolutionary War"; the Southern revolution was a series of continuous attacks, but knew how to win step by step, knew how to create time, establish position and seize opportunities, successively defeated the strategic plots of the US and the puppet government, forcing the US to sit in the Paris Conference, negotiating a peaceful solution in Vietnam in 1968.

Defeated on the Southern battlefield, the US imperialists mobilized the air force and navy to destroy the North with the most modern means of warfare in the 20th century with the ambition of "Bringing North Vietnam back to the Stone Age". Knowing the enemy's plot in advance, creating an active position, the Northern people "produced and fought at the same time", both supporting human and material resources for the Southern frontline, and smashing the "strategic raid" of the US air force, creating "Dien Bien Phu in the air" in the sky of Hanoi. With this failure, the US imperialists had to return to the negotiation round with us, and on January 27, 1973, the US was forced to "Sign the Paris Agreement to restore peace in Vietnam" and withdraw US troops and vassal troops back to the country. Thus, our army and people "Fighted to make the US go away", this was an important initial victory, creating a new opportunity, establishing a new position and strength to move towards "Fighting to make the puppet regime fall" to liberate the South.

After the Paris Conference, the US imperialists turned to the strategy of “Vietnamization of the war”, urgently providing the puppet army with a huge amount of goods in terms of firepower, weapons, modern means of war and a team of “Military officers, disguised as civilians” so that the Saigon government could “stand firm”, in order to continue to maintain the “New Colonialism” of the US in South Vietnam. Carrying out the US’s intentions, relying on US aid, the Saigon government tried to sabotage the Paris Agreement, continuously launching encroachment operations, creating “Oil stains”, with the plot to erase our position in the “Comb tooth” situation, in order to regain the initiative on the battlefield.

In that situation, implementing Resolution 21 of the Party Central Committee in July 1973, our army and people defeated the enemy's encroachment operations one after another, expanding the liberated areas. By early 1974, the development of the Southern revolution had undergone rapid changes in the comparison of forces, in our favor. At this time, the United States was falling into a political crisis, the "Watergate" incident forced President Nixon to resign, President George Pho took over and faced many difficulties; the situation in the United States was falling into total chaos, the economy was in recession. Thus, a new situation was created, creating a favorable opportunity for our Party to propose a plan to completely liberate the South and unify the country.

The situation changed rapidly, the opportunity appeared, on December 18, 1974, the Politburo met, and determined: If the US withdrew, it would be difficult to return; therefore, the historical opportunity and the practical possibility to open a decisive battle, a strategy to liberate the South had come. But to probe for sure whether "the US's attitude" was likely to return? we launched the Phuoc Long campaign. The Phuoc Long campaign was a "slap in the face to probe strategy" before making a bold decision to create time, establish a new offensive position. After the Phuoc Long victory, the Politburo affirmed that "the US was unlikely to return" and a new opportunity continued to open.

Grasping the strategic opportunity, the Politburo determined to liberate the South in 1975 and 1976, and if the opportunity was favorable, to immediately liberate the South in 1975. The Politburo chose the Central Highlands as the strategic attack direction to open the campaign. The victory of the Central Highlands campaign shook and broke the entire enemy defense system on the entire southern battlefield, causing them to be confused, bewildered, and mentally and organizationally exhausted, leading to a breakdown in the enemy's strategic chain. Thus, the Central Highlands campaign created a new strategic opportunity and breakthrough that was beneficial to us; this campaign marked a great step forward in the art of deception and deception of the enemy; the art of creating time, establishing a new position and force that was beneficial to us. While the puppet army and government were confused and in disarray, we continued to launch the Hue - Da Nang campaign and won. Thus, after nearly a month of continuous attacks, uprisings and consecutive victories, a new situation continued to open up, we continued to create opportunities, establish new positions and forces on the battlefield, completely beneficial to us.

Faced with the rapid developments of the situation, on March 31, 1975, the Politburo met and assessed: After a period of attacks and uprisings, we have continuously created time, established new positions and forces to change the entire battlefield situation in our favor; at this time, we have enough positions and forces to gain complete victory in a shorter time than expected. With that spirit, on April 14, 1975, the Politburo determined to launch the campaign to liberate Saigon - Gia Dinh, named "Ho Chi Minh Campaign". Implementing the ideology of decisive battle and strategy, with the method of encirclement, division, breakthrough, deep penetration, deep penetration and dangerous attacks, at exactly 5:00 p.m. on April 26, 1975, the Ho Chi Minh Campaign was "Opened", with the spirit of "Lightning speed, boldness, surprise, sure victory", carrying out a general attack and uprising "One day equals 20 years". Five armies coordinated their operations in five chosen directions, bravely attacking and breaking through the enemy's defense system blocking Saigon, rushing to liberate Saigon. At 11:30 on April 30, 1975, the revolutionary flag flew over the Presidential Palace - the last stronghold of the Saigon government - the Ho Chi Minh Campaign was completely victorious.

The General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975, culminating in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, was a victory of Vietnamese mettle, intelligence and culture; a victory of the strength of great national unity, international unity, a victory of the unique military art of creative, flexible and constantly changing fighting methods to create new opportunities, establish new offensive positions, create new strength and quickly seize opportunities when opportunities arise to turn our weak into strong, turn the strong enemy into weak, create an overwhelming position to crush all enemy resistance, and gain complete victory for the revolution.

History has gone back 50 years, since the day the South was completely liberated, historical observations are becoming clearer, many new issues are becoming clearer, when we have the opportunity to study deeply on the occasions of commemorating this great historical event. Currently, our entire Party, army and people are entering a new era - "The era of rising up" to promote the modernization of the country at a high stage, implementing multilateralization and diversification of international relations in the era of technology 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Therefore, preserving and maintaining the value of independence, seeing the great sacrifices and losses of the generation "Splitting Truong Son to save the country", the heroic and heroic song of the nation is the responsibility and conscience of every Vietnamese citizen, first and foremost the cadres and party members. The study of the unique military art of turning danger into safety, weakness into strength, constantly transforming to create opportunities, establishing new offensive positions, new strength and quickly seizing opportunities to create overwhelming positions, winning victories, is an everlasting value not only in the history of fighting against foreign invaders, but also in the "Era of Rising", reaching out to realize the "Aspiration for Prosperity" to build a peaceful, rich and powerful Vietnam; continuing to raise our national position to a new height with the times.

Bui Khac Hang

(Provincial Party Committee Inspection Commission)

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nghe-thuat-quan-su-doc-dao-ve-tao-thoi-lap-the-chop-thoi-co-trong-tong-tien-cong-va-noi-day-mua-xuan-1975-247209.htm