On December 22, 1944, implementing the Directive of leader Ho Chi Minh, in the forest between the two communes of Hoang Hoa Tham and Tran Hung Dao, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army with 34 soldiers in "brown pants and cloth shirts" - the predecessor of the Vietnam People's Army, led by comrade Vo Nguyen Giap, was established. Immediately after its establishment, with the support, help and protection of the people, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army won the victory of Phai Khat, Na Ngan, opening the traditional history of "hundred battles, hundred victories" of the Vietnam People's Army. Under the leadership of the Party and Uncle Ho, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army, along with the National Salvation Army units and guerrilla teams, developed into the Vietnam Liberation Army, together with the people of the whole country carried out the General Uprising, successfully carried out the August Revolution in 1945, took power into the hands of the people, established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam - the first people's democratic state in Southeast Asia, opening a new era in the history of the nation, the era of independence and freedom.
During the resistance war against the French colonialists, our Army grew rapidly in all aspects; with the determination to fight and win, the spirit of "Determination to die for the survival of the Fatherland", together with the entire people, we waged a long-term resistance war, bankrupted the enemy's strategy of "quick fight, quick victory", the plot of "pacification", "counterattack", and achieved glorious feats. The Winter-Spring strategic offensive (1953-1954) culminated in the historic Dien Bien Phu victory "famous in five continents, shaking the world" forced the French Government to sign the Geneva Agreement, restore peace in Indochina, withdraw troops, completely liberate the North, becoming a source of pride and a shining example for the national liberation movement in the world when for the first time a colonial country, a young army defeated a professional army equipped with modern weapons of the colonial empire.
During the resistance war against the US to save the country, facing a formidable empire with the strongest economic and military potential in the world, a professional expeditionary army with strong soldiers and generals. However, under the talented and wise leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, our Army promoted its revolutionary nature, heroic tradition, with the spirit of courage, intelligence, creativity, determination to fight and win, implementing Uncle Ho's words "Fight to make the US go away, fight to make the puppet government fall", overcame all difficulties, hardships, sacrifices, "dare to fight, determined to fight, know how to fight and know how to win", together with the whole people smashed the strategy of "Special War", "Local War", "Vietnamization of the war"... defeated two destructive wars in the North by the US imperialists' air force and navy, creating the battle of "Dien Bien Phu in the air" (December 1972); carried out the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975, culminating in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, successfully ending the resistance war against the US to save the country, gloriously completing the cause of national liberation and unification, writing a heroic and glorious page of history in the Ho Chi Minh era; the country was reunited, entering a new era - an era of peace, independence, freedom, and the whole country moving towards socialism.
Not only gaining independence for the nation and freedom for the people, the Vietnam People's Army has actively fulfilled its noble international duties, helping the Lao people firmly protect the fruits of the revolution, helping the Cambodian people escape genocide, carrying out the national revival, and winning the war to protect the Fatherland in the southwestern and northern borders.
During the period of national renovation, the good nature and tradition of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” forged through two resistance wars and national defense wars continue to shine in the cause of building and defending the socialist Fatherland. The Vietnam People’s Army is exemplary in implementing the Party’s resolutions, directives and conclusions; constantly striving, uniting, joining hands and hearts, overcoming all difficulties and challenges, together with the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army to firmly defend the socialist Fatherland in all situations; actively participating in socio-economic development, caring for the people’s lives, and constantly contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world. The image of military officers and soldiers always present in vulnerable, difficult and dangerous places, sacrificing themselves to protect the lives and property of the people and doing mass mobilization work has further enhanced the qualities and traditions of "Uncle Ho's soldiers", strengthened the solidarity and close relationship between the army and the people, built a solid "people's heart position", and increased the people's trust in the Party, the State and the socialist regime; the image of Vietnamese "soldiers" in the international peacekeeping force in many lands still in the flames of war in the world has shown the new scope and strength of the Vietnam People's Army.
The great achievements in the cause of national liberation, protection and construction of the socialist Fatherland, and fulfillment of international obligations over the past 80 years are due to: (i) The Vietnam People's Army has always been under the absolute, direct, and comprehensive leadership of the Party in all aspects, bearing the nature of the Vietnamese working class, shouldering the historical mission of the working class, the people, and the Vietnamese nation. (ii) The Vietnam People's Army is an army of the people, by the people, and for the people; relying on the strength of the people, closely attached to the people, always with a burning desire for a prosperous and happy life for the people; besides the interests of the Fatherland and the interests of the people, our army has no other interests. (iii) The purpose of building the army is to defend the nation, gain independence for the Fatherland, freedom for the people, protect independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, maintain peace and stability, and contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world. Our army fights with no other goal than to successfully realize the ideals of the Party, of the working class, for national independence and socialism. (iv) Generations of cadres and soldiers with a spirit, steely will, courage, intelligence, regardless of hardship and sacrifice, always hold high the flag of national independence, freedom and happiness of the people and socialism. (v) Solidarity and support from international friends have contributed to creating the strength of the Vietnam People's Army.
2. The world is in a period of epochal change; this is also the time to shape our future. Strategic competition among major countries is increasingly fierce, increasing challenges to peace, stability and development of nations. Epochal change brings new opportunities and advantages, but also many challenges, of which the latter is more prominent. However, new opportunities can appear in the moment amid sudden changes in the world situation, our task is to seize that opportunity to move the country forward. The 4th Industrial Revolution has been changing the way countries operate, organize, conduct wars, engage, intervene and many other aspects of military, security and intelligence activities. Hostile, reactionary and opportunistic political forces are actively implementing the strategy of "peaceful evolution" with many insidious, sophisticated and dangerous tricks. The above situation poses increasingly high requirements and tasks for the task of protecting the Fatherland. To achieve the requirements and tasks in the new period, the People's Army needs to promote the good nature and tradition of "Uncle Ho's soldiers", focusing on the following tasks:
Firstly, strengthen the absolute and direct leadership of the Party in all aspects; constantly consolidate the working class nature, the people's nature and the national character of the Army. The leadership of the Party is an immutable principle, an objective requirement, and a decisive factor in all victories in the cause of defending the Fatherland and in the national defense task; in any circumstances, we must maintain and strengthen the absolute and direct leadership of the Communist Party in all aspects over the Army. Upholding the revolutionary nature; steadfastly upholding Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought in building and organizing the implementation of the functions and tasks of the Army; consolidating the unity between the working class nature, the people's nature and the national character of the Army are the conditions to ensure that our Army will forever be a truly clean political and fighting force, absolutely loyal and trustworthy to the Party, the State and the people. The Army must be “filial to the people”, have the responsibility to “serve the people”, “serve the Fatherland”, respect the people, be closely attached to the people, share the hardships and difficulties of the people, be ready to sacrifice to save the people, must make the people trust, obey, love, remember when they go, love when they stay. Unite and closely coordinate with the People's Public Security to build and promote the “people's heart position” in the national defense of the whole people, the national defense position is associated with the people's security, the people's security position is solid.
Second, the Vietnam People's Army must be exemplary and take the lead in implementing the Party's resolutions, directives and conclusions, first of all Resolution No. 44-NQ/TW of the 13th Central Executive Committee on the Strategy for National Defense in the new situation. Grasp and accurately forecast the situation, promptly advise and effectively handle defense situations, and absolutely not be passive and surprised in any situation. Maintain independence and autonomy; ensure the highest national and ethnic interests on the basis of the fundamental principles of international law; firmly protect the socialist Fatherland early and from afar; resolutely and persistently protect the independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, seas, islands and airspace of the Fatherland. Actively propagate, mobilize and set examples for the people to well implement the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, carry out patriotic emulation movements and revolutionary tasks; firmly consolidate the great national unity bloc, mobilize the great strength of the people in building and defending the Fatherland.
Third, focus on building a truly clean, strong, disciplined, elite, and modern People's Army that meets the requirements and tasks of the new era, the era of development and prosperity. Resolutely deploy solutions to "basically build a lean, compact, and strong Army by 2025, creating a solid foundation to strive for a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, modern Army that is strong in politics, ideology, ethics, organization, and personnel by 2030" according to the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. Build a modern Army in the spirit of "people first, guns later" and proactively prepare in all aspects for modern warfare; vigorously advance to master outer space, advance in research to master water surfaces, oceans, and seabeds; research and develop air defense and air force, master the airspace, and handle well unmanned aerial vehicles in the air, at sea, and seabed robots. Building a politically strong Army, Party organizations in the Army that are clean, strong in politics, ideology, ethics, organization and cadres. Building a contingent of Army cadres who are absolutely "loyal to the country, filial to the people", striving for the Party's ideal goals throughout their lives; wholeheartedly serving the Fatherland and the people, always putting the interests of the nation, the people, and the interests of the people above all; being diligent, frugal, honest, upright, impartial and selfless; daring to think, daring to do, daring to take responsibility, daring to innovate for the common cause, actively setting examples in implementing the Party's policies.
Fourth, enhance the contribution of the Vietnam People's Army in implementing the 100-year strategic goals under the Party's leadership, the 100-year founding anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) and maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world. Implementing the Party's strategic goals, in addition to opportunities and advantages, there are many difficulties and challenges, requiring the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army, in which the People's Army must be one of the core forces advising the Party and the State to seize opportunities and push back challenges; the People's Army must truly be a "fighting army", "working army", "production labor army", in which the role of the "production labor army" must be further promoted to develop the defense industry in the overall direction of building an independent and self-reliant economy. Strengthening Vietnam's contribution to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world through the activities of the Army, first of all defense cooperation to strengthen trust, minimize disagreements and conflicts; actively participating in international search and rescue, and participating in the United Nations peacekeeping force.
With brilliant achievements, with great contributions to the cause of national liberation, defending the Socialist Fatherland over the past 80 years, with the revolutionary nature and tradition of "Uncle Ho's soldiers", our Army deserves to be the heroic Army of the heroic Vietnamese nation, the pride of the Party, State, Vietnamese people and people who love peace, freedom and justice all over the world.
