Fighting power to defeat all invaders
With the glorious Dien Bien Phu Victory, the army and people crushed all the strategic military plots of the French colonialists, the US intervention, forcing the French Government to sign the Geneva Accords (July 1954) recognizing the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of 3 Indochinese countries; gloriously ending the long-term, arduous resistance war against France lasting 9 years (1945 - 1954) of the Vietnamese nation.
The Dien Bien Phu victory is the crystallization of many factors, the most important of which is the wise leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh. It is the crystallization of the intelligence and bravery of the Party, with a strategic and talented command consisting of outstanding individuals. That leadership is not only reflected in the correct political and military guidelines, in the skillful strategic and tactical direction on the battlefield, but also the pioneering and exemplary role of Party members, the sacrifice, unity, overcoming all hardships of our army and people in the resistance war against foreign invaders.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quoc Ly - former Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the great Dien Bien Phu victory originated from the precious tradition of the nation, which has been nurtured over thousands of years of history. That is the tradition of ardent patriotism, spirit of independence, self-reliance, indomitable will, intelligence, creativity, and compassionate solidarity of the entire people. From that tradition, our army and people have created miracles, overcome difficulties that seemed impossible to overcome, and done things that seemed impossible to do, creating a breakthrough in ability and combat strength to defeat all enemies.
Defeated General Henri Navarre - Commander-in-Chief of the French army in Indochina - had to admit that: "The great strength of the Viet Minh lies in the legendary strength of the Vietnamese lineage, patriotism and especially the social consciousness they have built... The Viet Minh government brought the war into all fields - politics, ideology, economy, society and military - creating a very strong driving force".
Symbol of Vietnamese intelligence, bravery, and strength
After 72 years, the Dien Bien Phu Victory in 1954 still shines as a symbol of Vietnamese intelligence, bravery, strength and culture. The Dien Bien Phu Victory has affirmed a truth: A nation, no matter how small, if it has the right path, solidarity and determination, can completely defeat a much stronger opponent. This is the theoretical foundation for building an all-people national defense in the new era.
According to Major General, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Sau - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute of Strategy and History of National Defense, today, in peaceful conditions, lessons about people's war are creatively applied to building a people's national defense, a people's national defense posture associated with people's security, a people's security posture, dialectically associated with the people's hearts posture.
That is the combination of socio-economic development with consolidation and strengthening national defense and security; between building potential and building posture; between internal strength and external strength. The construction of a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern Vietnam People's Army is also the inheritance and development of military thought from Dien Bien Phu in new conditions.
The lessons from the Dien Bien Phu Victory in 1954 need to be creatively applied: Maintain the principle of independence and self-reliance in national defense strategy planning. Proactively grasp the situation, forecast early, and handle situations flexibly. Promote the overall strength of the entire nation, combining national strength with the strength of the times. Along with that is the lesson of building modern national defense potential, ready to respond to all dangers in the rapidly changing and unpredictable world situation.
