Looking back on the heroic historical path of the past 75 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the education and training of President Ho Chi Minh and the assistance of the people, as well as inheriting and building upon the patriotism and military art of the nation, the VPA has overcome countless challenges and hardships and fought bravely to join the entire population to defeat the French colonialists and the US imperialists to complete the cause of national liberation, firmly defending socialist Vietnam and fully fulfilling its international obligations. During the period of national construction and protection, the VPA always upholds the spirit of revolutionary vigilance, while always being prepared to prevent any dangers of infringing on the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. That path has written heroic traditions and witnessed glorious feats which are closely associated with the great achievements of the Vietnamese revolution in the Ho Chi Minh era, and have profound international and era significance.
In order to continue promoting the traditions of the heroic Army and the role of the people in the cause of national defence, on October 17, 1989, the Secretariat of the CPV Central Committee (sixth tenure) issued Directive No. 381-CT/TW deciding on December 22, the founding day of the VPA, as the All People’s Defence Festival. This decision created a special feature in the national defence culture of the Ho Chi Minh era, contributing to solidifying and strengthening the political and spiritual power – an important factor in the building of the all people’s defence. At the same time, it also demonstrates the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent policy of considering the building of strong all people’s defence as the revolutionary cause of the entire Party, people, army and political system, in which the VPA is a core force. The task of all people’s defence is not only to firmly safeguard national independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, but also to protect the Party, the people and the socialist regime, as well as maintaining peace, political stability, national security and social order and safety, and proactively fighting to prevent and defeat all plots and acts of sabotage by hostile forces aimed at the people’s revolutionary cause. The people must be at the forefront of national defence, and all people and socio-political organisations have the responsibilities and obligations to participate in building strong and comprehensive defence.
After 30 years of implementation, the all people’s defence festival has promoted the role and responsibility of the whole Party, people, army and political system in building and consolidating the all people’s defence and constructing the people’s armed forces. The defence festival has many unique features which are unprecedented in history, meeting the requirements and aspirations of the people, while affirming the creativity of the Party in mobilising the power of the entire nation for the cause of national defence.
After three decades of implementing the all people’s defence festival, Vietnam has obtained significant achievements, including maintaining national independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; defeating all intrigues and tricks of sabotage by hostile forces; ensuring a peaceful and stable environment for the development of the country in a socialist orientation; and raising the country’s position and prestige in the international arena. The all people’s defence festival has truly become a festival for the whole nation, promoting the country’s tradition of struggling for national defence and honouring the feats and the noble image of Uncle Ho’s soldiers. It is a convergence of the will and the power of great national unity, as well as the determination to firmly safeguard the socialist Vietnam, contributing to building strong all people’s defence.
Currently, the world and regional situation continues to be ever complicated; competition between powers is getting increasingly tense; and disputes over sea and island sovereignty in the East Sea still pose many unpredictable risks. Inside the country, hostile and reactionary forces continue to accelerate “peaceful evolution” and acts of sabotage against the Vietnamese revolution with increasingly sophisticated and cunning tricks. Meanwhile, natural disasters, floods, epidemics and environmental pollution is still proceeding in a complex manner.
Those challenges require the VPA to maintain constant vigilance, stay combat ready, constantly improve political guts and professional qualifications, and actively participate in international peacekeeping activities, as well as in salvage and rescue activities.
Marking the 30th All People’s Defence Festival and the 75th anniversary of the VPA offers an occasion for the entire Party, people and army to review the heroic history of the nation, as well as the fine nature and traditions and the glorious feats of the Vietnamese army and people. This will help to arouse national pride, promote revolutionary heroism, raise patriotism and love for socialism, and uphold the self-reliant will to overcome all difficulties and challenges, towards building the revolutionary, formal, elite and modern VPA to serve as a core force in building the strong all people’s defence and thus contributing to multiplying the national defence strength in the new situation and creating a peaceful and stable environment for national construction and development.
