Building the rear during the period of fighting against America to save the country, some experiences for the present

1. BUILDING THE RESERVE DURING THE PERIOD OF FIGHTING AMERICA AND SAVING THE COUNTRY (1954 – 1975)

The US imperialists had plotted to intervene in Vietnam since 1945-1946, when they supported Chiang Kai-shek's army to invade and overthrow the young revolutionary government and establish a puppet government. Since 1950, the US openly helped France maintain and promote the Indochina war, and since July 1954, when France failed, the US directly ruled and turned South Vietnam into a new type of colony of the United States. The US imperialists mobilized all possible resources to carry out the war of aggression against Vietnam.

Those figures prove that the Vietnam War was the largest, longest, and most expensive war of the American empire.

To cope with that war of aggression, under the leadership of the Communist Party and Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam attached great importance to building the rear in all aspects, creating increasingly great potential to ensure logistics, enhance the strength of the Army, to push the resistance from low to high, to complete victory.

In the North,politicallySince July 1954, Vietnam has had a policy of peaceful reunification, consolidating the North, deciding to gather forces from the South to the North, building the North into a revolutionary base for the whole country. During the period of 1955-1960, Vietnam focused on completing the remaining tasks of the national democratic revolution, restoring the economy, healing the wounds of war, carrying out socialist transformation to bring the North to socialism, and supporting the struggle for national reunification.

In September 1960, the Third Congress of the Party completed the Vietnamese revolutionary line in the new period, determining that although they both carried out a common goal of liberating the South, the North and the South had their own roles and positions, in which the socialist revolution in the North played the most decisive role for the entire Vietnamese revolutionary cause, with the unification of the Fatherland, so they had to make every effort to build and protect the North, making the North a base for the whole country, a strategic rear for the cause of liberating the South. Many mass movements competing to build socialism and strengthen national defense were launched, such as: "Gio Dai Phong, Song Duyen Hai, Co Ba Nhat", "each person works as hard as two for the beloved South", "all people do transportation", "all for the great frontline of the South".

-EconomicallyBy 1957, the North had completed its economic restoration plan, healed the wounds of war, and achieved the same growth rate as in 1939, the most prosperous year of the French colonial period. By 1965, the North had made a new step of development with the emergence of many large industrial zones in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Vinh, Thai Nguyen, Viet Tri; the goals set for the first 5-year plan (1961-1965) in agriculture, industry, transportation, improving people's lives, enhancing national defense potential... were all basically achieved and exceeded the requirements. From 1965 to 1972, despite great damage caused by the destructive war of the US air force and navy, especially industry and transportation, agriculture and local industry in the North were still maintained and continued to develop. Since 1973, after the Paris Agreement, the North focused on economic recovery, strongly developing the potential of the rear, by 1975 it had reached the growth level of 1965 and had more development, foreign relations were expanded.

- About culture and society, in the period of 1954-1964, the North promoted the movement to eliminate illiteracy, build a new life, strongly develop education and training, improve the educational level of all classes of people. Cultural, medical and educational facilities were built. In the period of 1965-1975, despite the fierce war, with the slogan "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom", with the spirit of "Three ready", "Three capable", "Splitting Truong Son to save the country", the North promoted more than ever the spirit of turning to the frontline, the North-South affection...

- About military,Immediately after the Geneva Agreement (1954) and the restoration of peace, the Party and State advocated strengthening the defense potential of the North. Since 1957, the People's Army has been built up to a modern, regularized level. The total number of standing troops was maintained at an appropriate level: in 1959 there were 160,000 people, in 1963 there were 170,000 people (equal to 1% of the population). In addition, there were 16,000 defense workers, 21,000 armed police, 1.2 million reserve troops, and 1.4 million militia. In early 1965, the North had 195,000 standing troops, and by the end of 1965 there were 400,000 people. Weapons and equipment were upgraded, and many technical military branches were established.

During the period 1965-1975, the people's war situation was firmly established, with many strong defense areas such as Hanoi and Zone IV. Group 559 was reinforced into the Truong Son Army with 3 engineering divisions, 2 divisions and 29 transport regiments, and 6,770 vehicles. The Truong Son Road had many longitudinal and transverse routes with a total length of 16,790 km (both East and West). There were 1,712 km of petroleum pipelines from the North to the South with 101 pumping stations.

-On receiving international aidWith the correct foreign policy and flexible international advocacy, the North received great spiritual support and a large amount of extremely important weapons and military equipment from other countries, mainly via railways and waterways. China's military assistance to Vietnam from 1964 to 1968 was enormous.

Soviet military assistance to Vietnam began to be stepped up in 1965 when the Soviet Union agreed to provide surface-to-air missile systems, aircraft, training pilots and technical staff to protect the area of ​​Hanoi, Hai Phong and a number of other important cities. In 1965, a number of MIG 15, 17 and IL 28 aircraft were delivered to Vietnam. By 1967, the total aid from socialist countries to Vietnam was about 1.5 billion rubles (more than 1.5 billion USD), of which Soviet aid accounted for 36.8% (608 million USD). By the end of 1967, Soviet aid increased to 50% of the total value of aid from the socialist bloc, of which military aid accounted for 2/3. In 1968, the Soviet Union led the list of socialist countries providing aid to Vietnam, with a total value of 542 million rubles (582.2 million USD). In addition, about 1,500 to 2,500 Soviet military experts, including engineers, pilots, and technicians in charge of radar and missile systems, served in Vietnam during the war.

During the period 1969-1972, the potential of the Northern rear was rapidly increased thanks to aid from the Soviet Union, China and socialist brother countries, especially in the military.

With the growth of the Northern rear and the great support of brother countries, Vietnam's military potential was strengthened in all aspects. On October 24, 1973, the 1st Army Corps (Quyet Thang Army Corps) was established in Tam Diep (Ninh Binh)...

The North won two destructive wars of the US imperialists, protected the area and contributed to "sharing the fire" with the front line in the South. In both times of fighting the destructive war, the North shot down 4,181 planes, including 68 B52s, 13 F111s, burned and sank 271 warships. Of which, the militia shot down 357 planes, the old militia shot down 6 planes, and the female militia shot down 30 planes. In the 1972 battle alone, especially the 12-day and night Dien Bien Phu in the air battle at the end of 1972 (December 18-30), the North shot down many types of modern US planes, including 62 B52s, 10 F111s, burned and sank 128 warships.

However, the North was also heavily devastated by two destructive wars by the US Air Force and Navy. In industry, 18% of industrial machinery was unusable, 26% of industrial machinery was damaged, the rest only operated 6 hours/day, 91 days/year. In agriculture, the cultivated area decreased by 3.6%, production costs increased by 75%. Income of cooperative members decreased by 23.7%, average food per capita decreased from 305 kg (1961-1965) to 252 kg (1966-1975). Transportation suffered 60% of the enemy's destruction. In the years 1965-1968, on average, every 1 km of road had 19.3 bombs and was hit 4 times, 1 km of Hanoi-Vinh railway was hit 19.5 times. Hundreds of thousands of people died. Most of the buildings, bridges, hospitals, schools... were destroyed.

In the South,vPolitical,Vietnam had an early policy of building a local rear base. In 1954, when regrouping forces to the North, many cadres stayed behind to stick to the base and turned the fighting into a political struggle, legally demanding a peaceful general election for unification as stipulated by the Geneva Agreement. Since 1960, after the Dong Khoi movement, Vietnam had a policy of protecting and building liberated areas into local rear bases, establishing and using the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam to concurrently function as a revolutionary government, consolidating the Central Office, building the Southern People's Revolutionary Party, building the Revolutionary Youth Union, the Liberation Labor Association... By 1969, Vietnam had a policy of establishing the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, building a system of revolutionary governments at all levels in liberated areas and guerrilla bases, and disputed areas. The National Liberation Front and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam were recognized by many countries in the world, established diplomatic relations, and provided support and assistance.

- On economy, culture and society,Since 1960, in liberated areas and large base areas, Vietnam has advocated developing production, ensuring part of the local food and weapons needs for the army and people, especially in the Central Highlands and the Southeast. On the other hand, it has effectively received material support from the Northern rear and sought every way to use the enemy's economy to fight the enemy, mobilized people in temporarily occupied areas to support the liberation army, and supplied the resistance bases. With great efforts, the local rear in the South has ensured an important part of the food, food, weapons and necessities needs for the main force, and most of the needs for local troops and guerrillas. With the local teaching force and those brought in from the large Northern rear, the general education system was built, first of all at the primary level. The health care network was strengthened with hospitals, infirmaries, nursing homes, and surgical stations at all levels. Film teams and art troupes have been on the move to serve soldiers and people...

- About military,Since 1960, when liberated areas and war zones were established, Vietnam has stepped up the construction of armed units at all levels, established the Liberation Army, the Commands of the whole region and of the zones and provinces. Many engineering workshops were built, producing weapons to supply to local armed forces. The taking of enemy weapons and means of war to fight the enemy was launched, becoming a common movement, achieving extremely great results. The system of warehouses, roads, and inter-stations to receive military support from the large rear areas was organized and interconnected, not only in the South but also developed widely in the neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia. With the support of the great rear base in the North, on May 17, 1974, the 2nd Corps (Huong Giang Corps) was established in Tri Thien, on July 20, 1974, the 4th Corps (Cuu Long Corps) was established in the Southeast, on March 27, 1975, the 3rd Corps (Tay Nguyen Corps) was established in the Central Highlands.

In general, at the bases and liberated areas in the South and in Laos and Cambodia, Vietnam has built a strong local rear base, capable of receiving personnel support from the large rear base in the North, ensuring increasingly adequate logistics for the Liberation Army of the entire region and for the entire battlefield of the three Indochinese countries to fight and win.

LimitIn the construction of the rear to ensure logistics for the Vietnamese Army in the period of 1954-1975, the thinking about building socialism in the North was still simple, imitating foreign countries, hastily reforming some economic sectors that were still effective, hastily promoting industrialization when basic conditions were lacking. The scale of production in many fields was not suitable, and there was a desire for large scale, especially in the context of war. The combination of construction with rear protection and frontline support in both the North and the liberated areas of the South was sometimes not tight, there were many wastes, in some places and at times the enemy caused great losses. Mass organizations and emulation movements were still formal and of low quality. The ideology of relying on and waiting for aid and support from outside was still heavy, the mentality of wartime subsidies became popular, causing long-term consequences later on...

2. SOME EXPERIENCES FOR THE PRESENT

- One is,The strength of the rear determines the strength of the army, the rear is the constant factor that determines the victory of the war. The general formula for the relationship between the rear, the army and the front line is always: SUPPLY OF THE RESERVE must always be equal to or greater than DEMAND OF THE ARMY/FRONTLINE for the army to win. Therefore, when there is war or in normal times, we must correctly perceive that viewpoint/formula to strive to build and protect the potential of all aspects of the rear, of the country, creating a position and force to ensure the army wins. Without real strength (material, human resources, technology, leadership, command, will, spirit, location...), the army cannot win on the battlefield, in protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity, territorial waters and airspace of the country.

Two is, building and protecting the rear, mobilizing the rear's strength for the army, for the war must be comprehensive in politics, economy, military, culture, science and technology... We must thoroughly grasp the viewpoint of relying on the people, relying on our own strength, and at the same time strive to gain international support. Our rear must be the rear of the people's war, must have a superior and progressive political, cultural and social regime, and gradually have a strong economy and national defense to be able to ensure logistics for the army, for the frontline to win.

Third,To have a strong rear, especially strategic rear areas, we must strive to protect and liberate places with “favorable weather, favorable terrain, and favorable people”, which used to be rear bases in previous resistance wars (such as Viet Bac, Tay Bac, Thanh-Nghe-Tinh, Truong Son-Tay Nguyen, Dong Nam Bo, etc.), and at the same time, we must base on the reality of each period and each region to create footholds, bases, and strategic rear areas suitable for the objects and directions of operations, with the new needs of war, of the Army, with the type of front line being the sea and island areas far from the mainland. In general, we must be extremely proactive, creative, and flexible in building and protecting the local rear, the strategic rear as well as the international rear.

Four is,Building, protecting the rear, ensuring logistics for the Army, and supporting the frontline is a process from low to high, from small to large. We must combine well the tasks of building with protection and support, not taking any task lightly, but depending on each period and each place, there is a focus on each field. In general, building must go hand in hand with protection, building is the basis for protection and support, we must mobilize the people's strength on the basis of nurturing the people's strength, we must do well the work of the army's rear, the rear after the war to "create a deep-rooted plan" for the army, for the long-term cause of protecting the country.

Five is, the more modern the war, the more the role of the economic factor, the rear for the army, the front line increases. The more modern the war, the shorter the duration, but the greater and faster the level of loss, especially for technical human resources, expensive weapons, so the army, the front line depends more on the rear, but the rear is attacked and difficult to respond. Therefore, there must be a combination of economy with national defense, national defense with economy from peacetime, from before the war, in the whole country as well as in each region, each locality so that the army is not passive, the rear is not in chaos when there is war. On the other hand, there must be a good combination between promoting and propagating the defense potential of the rear, of the country with concealing the strength and setting traps about the defense posture of the Army, avoiding unnecessary exposure of potential, about the posture.

Sixth,In the current national defense, although many issues are different from before, the decisive factor of the rear for the army's strength and the victory of the war is still the potential of the rear and the country. Building the rear in the new period must still focus on politics, economics, culture, military, science and technology; must combine economics with national defense and diplomacy. Grasping the dialectical viewpoint on the relationship between the country's strength and the army's strength, the decisive role of the rear for the victory of the front, the experiences of building and promoting people's strength, international strength, etc. of the period 1954-1975 is very necessary for contemporary generations. It not only helps to thoroughly and deeply understand the cause of victory of the past resistance wars against the US to save the country, but also has practical significance for the cause of industrialization, modernization, international integration and protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and seas and islands of Vietnam today./.

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Ngo Dang Tri, Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU.