Văn Tiến Dũng Explained

Văn Tiến Dũng
Office:Secretary of the Central Military–Party Committee of the Communist Party
Term Start:1984
Term End:1986
Predecessor:Lê Duẩn
Successor:Trường Chinh
Office1:6th Minister of Defence
Term Start1:February 1980
Term End1:February 1987
Predecessor1:Võ Nguyên Giáp
Successor1:Lê Đức Anh
Office2:2nd Chief of General Staff
Term Start2:1953
Term End2:1954
Predecessor2:Hoàng Văn Thái
Successor2:Hoàng Văn Thái
Term Start3:1954
Term End3:1978
Predecessor3:Hoàng Văn Thái
Successor3:Lê Trọng Tấn
Office4:Member of the Politburo
Term Start4:20 December 1976
Term End4:18 December 1986
Birth Date:2 May 1917
Birth Place:Từ Liêm, Vietnam, French Indochina
Death Place:Hanoi, Vietnam
Party: Communist Party of Vietnam (1936–1986)
Allegiance:Vietnam
Branch: Việt Minh
People's Army of Vietnam
Nickname:Lê Hoài
Serviceyears:1945–1986
Rank:General
Commands:Vietnam People's Army
Battles:
Awards: Gold Star Order
Ho Chi Minh Order
Military Exploit Order
Resolution for Victory Order
Honorific Prefix:Army General

Văn Tiến Dũng (in Vietnamese van tǐən zǔŋmˀ/; 2 May 1917  - 17 March 2002) was a Vietnamese general in the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), PAVN chief of staff (1954–74); PAVN commander in chief (1974–80); member of the Central Military–Party Committee (CMPC) (1984–86) and Socialist Republic of Vietnam defense minister (1980–87).[1]

Military career

Born in Cổ Nhuế commune, Từ Liêm District, Hà Nội of Tonkin (French protectorate) to a craftsman family, Văn Tiến Dũng took part democracy movements and public struggles of Hà Nội workers since 1936, joined the Indochinese Communist Party in 1937. He was imprisoned by French colonial three times and escaped from prisons successfully two times between 1939 and 1944.[2]

In the August Revolution, Dũng directed the armed forces to seize power in the province of Hòa Bình, Ninh Bình and Thanh Hóa. In 1951, he was appointed to the commander cum commissar of newly formed Brigade 320. By November 1953 during the First Indochina War, he rose to Chief of Staff of the Vietnam People's Army under General Võ Nguyên Giáp prior to the siege of Điện Biên Phủ in 1954.[3]

He commanded the vital Tri-Thien-Hue Front during the 1972 Easter Offensive, replacing his mentor as PAVN commander in chief in 1974, when the Vietnam War against the Americans and South Vietnamese evolved from a guerrilla struggle into a more conventional war. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Dũng planned and commanded the 1975 spring offensive, which overwhelmed South Vietnamese defenses and captured Saigon in 1975.[8] He also directed Vietnam's invasion of Khmer Rouge Cambodia and the resulting border conflict with the People's Republic of China in 1979.[9] [10] [11] [12] He was appointed defence minister in 1980. He retired in December 1986 at the 6th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Văn Tiến Dũng died on 17 March 2002 in Hanoi, at the age of 84.[13]

References

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM – the chaotic end of one hell of a war. .
  2. Web site: General Văn Tiến Dũng . hoalo.vn . 24 April 2024.
  3. Web site: Minister Văn Tiến Dũng . mod.gov.vn . 23 April 2024.
  4. Michael Lee Lanning and Dan Cragg, Inside the VC and the NVA: The Real Story of North Vietnam's Armed Forces (Texas A&M University Press, 2008)
  5. Mai Elliott, RAND in Southeast Asia: A History of the Vietnam War Era (Rand Corporation, 2010) p525
  6. Web site: Vietnam: A History of the Bulwark B-2 Theater Translation of Kết thúc cuộc chiến tranh 30 năm. . Colonel General Trần Văn Trà . United States. Joint Publications Research Service . February 1983 . 14 October 2015.
  7. Web site: REUNIFICATION GAME THAT BROUGHT NORTH AND SOUTH VIETNAM TOGETHER. 16 November 2017. .
  8. Web site: Audio Slideshow: Black April. Los Angeles Times. 2009-05-28.
  9. "China "Should Learn from its Losses" in the War against Vietnam" from "August 1" Radio, People's republic of China, 1400 GMT, February 17, 1980, as reported by BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 22 February 1980
  10. Book: Xiabing Li . [{{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=HClVMlNksQMC |page=436 }} A History of the Modern Chinese Army ]. University Press of Kentucky . 2014-07-09.
  11. soha.vn/quan-su/bien-gioi-phia-bac-1979-30-ngay-khong-the-nao-quen-1-20150216095114962.htm
  12. http://countrystudies.us/cambodia/33.htm Cambodia – The Fall of Democratic Kampuchea
  13. Web site: Văn Tiến Dũng, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death . 2022-09-15 . www.bornglorious.com.