Reporter (PV):

General Pham Van Tra: Correctly assessing and evaluating the situation to make the right decisions is a decisive factor for the success or failure of the war. Even before the Geneva Agreement was signed, at the 6th (enlarged) Conference of the 2nd Party Central Committee (from July 15 to 17, 1954), the Party Central Committee and President Ho Chi Minh stated: "America is not only the enemy of the people of the world, but America is becoming the main and direct enemy of the people of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos."

When the US imperialists set up a puppet government and implemented a new type of invasion policy in South Vietnam, our Party affirmed that the US and its puppets had a large army but did not have a deep and solid political foundation. Although the US and its puppets' military was still strong, their politics were very weak, and the weakest was in the countryside. From this assessment, the Party determined that the basic development path of the Vietnamese revolution in the South was an uprising to seize power for the people. With that correct policy, the uprising from Ben Tre spread throughout the South and won many victories, helping the Southern revolution overcome challenges, shifting from a position of preserving forces to an offensive position, defeating the US's "Special War" strategy.

In 1965, the US imperialists shifted to the “Local War” strategy, massively sending expeditionary troops to fight in South Vietnam; using air force and navy to attack the North of our country. The idea of ​​“fearing America” made many people lack confidence in victory. The question now was: “Do we dare to fight America? Can we defeat America and how can we defeat America?”…

Studying the situation carefully, our Party assessed: America was a strong army, but it entered the South not in a position of strength but in a position of weakness, a passive position. America's most fundamental weakness was still politics. In December 1965, the Party Central Committee determined to fight America and defeat America. From the first battles against America, such as: Nui Thanh, Van Tuong, Bau Bang, Dat Cuoc, Plei Me..., the army and people of the South advanced to defeat the enemy's two strategic counterattacks in the dry seasons of 1965-1966 and 1966-1967; followed by the victory of the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of Mau Than 1968, defeating the Lam Son 719 operation and crushing the last effort of American imperialism in the skies of Hanoi and Hai Phong at the end of 1972... These were vivid proofs of the talented leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh.

General Pham Van Tra.

PV:

General Pham Van Tra: After the Paris Agreement, the US and its vassals had to withdraw from South Vietnam, and the comparison of forces between us and the enemy had a big change. The question now was whether the puppet army could replace the US army and whether the US had the ability to intervene again? With the victory at Thuong Duc (August 1974), our Party affirmed that our main force was far superior to the puppet army's main force. By the victory at Phuoc Long (January 1975), our Party concluded that the US army would not return. In particular, with its sharp assessment of the situation and its strict and scientific organization, the Party led and directed our army and people to successfully carry out the Central Highlands Campaign, shaking both the plains and the cities, and demoralizing the puppet government and army in Saigon. Seizing the great opportunity, the Party ordered the rapid capture of Hue and Da Nang, thereby creating a completely favorable situation and opportunity to carry out the decisive blow.

In the final strategic battle, in order to create an overwhelming position to attack the enemy from a position of strength, speeding up the process of liberating the South, in addition to directing the concentration of forces, the Party advocated combining a general military offensive with a mass uprising. In which, the military offensive went one step ahead, playing a decisive role. With the right method, applying flexible and creative military art, the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising quickly achieved complete victory in less than two months with the Central Highlands Campaign as the opening blow (March 4, 1975) and ending with the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign (April 30, 1975).

PV:

General Pham Van Tra: One of the biggest characteristics that covered the entire resistance war against the US to save the country of our people was that the country was divided into two regions: the North carried out the socialist revolution, the South carried out the people's national democratic revolution. Although each region carried out a strategic task, the revolutions of the two regions had a close organic relationship with each other, promoting each other to achieve a common goal. The slogan of the army and people of the whole country at that time was "All to defeat the American invaders". The common task of the revolution of the whole country was to fight against the US imperialists and their lackeys, protect the North, liberate the South, unify the country, and complete the people's national democratic revolution throughout the country. The people of the two regions shared the same enemy and the same goal; the revolutionary cause was still led by one party.

In the context of the country being divided into two regions, if this relationship is not resolved well, it will be difficult to create great strength to defeat the powerful invaders. At the 7th (enlarged) Conference of the 2nd Party Central Committee (from March 3 to 12, 1955), the tasks of the two regions were specifically determined: The North has the most decisive role in the entire cause of liberating the South and unifying the country; the South has a direct decisive role in overthrowing the domination of the US imperialists and their lackeys to liberate the South, unify the country, and complete the people's national democratic revolution. The Resolution of the 3rd Party Congress (September 1960) affirmed: Carrying out the socialist revolution in the North is the most decisive task for the cause of unifying the country...

Reality has proven that the solidarity of the revolutions of the two regions has created an invincible strength throughout the country. Along with stepping up the war of aggression in the South, the US has intensified its attacks on the North in order to destroy, suffocate the North, and isolate the South. However, they have been dealt very painful blows and have not been able to prevent the North from providing support to the South. As for the people of the South, under the direct leadership of the Central Office, have played a decisive role in defeating the US imperialists and their lackeys. This is also one of the successes in the strategic direction of our Party.

PV:

General Pham Van Tra: We carried out the resistance war against the US to save the country in a complex international context, with many advantages but also many difficulties, especially discord, even a tendency to compromise. Our enemy was a leading imperialist power in the world, they plotted to invade South Vietnam, at the same time dividing the North and the South, dividing the socialist camp. The confrontation between the Vietnamese people and the invading US imperialists became a typical and extremely fierce confrontation between revolution and counter-revolution. Our Party was independent and autonomous in planning its resistance strategy. But to defeat an invader with great potential and strength in both economy and military like the US, while our strength was limited, we had to combine both national strength and the strength of the times.

The Party leads the maximum development of the nation's internal strength, on the other hand, it must implement a clever foreign policy to gain the sympathy and support of countries around the world, especially the Soviet Union and China. In 1965, when the US imperialists implemented the strategy of "Local War" in the South and the destructive war in the North, our Party and President Ho Chi Minh pointed out: We need to firmly grasp the principle of relying mainly on our own strength, but at the same time, we must do our utmost to gain the sympathy and support of socialist countries, of Asian, African, Latin American peoples and of the people of the world, including the American people. Our Party and President Ho Chi Minh always attach importance to strengthening national unity and building a strong people's armed forces, capable of fulfilling all tasks, standing firm against all challenges of war and political storms.

To strengthen international solidarity, our Party advocates mobilizing all possible forces, taking advantage of all positive factors that can be utilized, welcoming all initiatives for peace, being resolute in a principled manner, while being clever, flexible, and persistent in persuading to limit negative factors in international relations. Independence and autonomy are closely linked to creativity in defining and directing the successful implementation of our Party's policies, which is also the source of strength for the Vietnamese revolution.

Not only during the resistance war, after the country's reunification, we faced countless difficulties. Our Party skillfully combined national strength with the strength of the times, leading our country to gradually escape from the economic and social crisis, firmly protecting the Fatherland's borders and fulfilling international obligations; implementing the renovation policy, bringing the country to comprehensive and solid development. As our Party has affirmed, never before has our country had such a foundation, potential, position and international prestige as it does today...

PV:

PAINTING (performed)