In the 70s of the last century, in the face of Vietnam's unreasonable provocations, our country launched a self-defense counterattack against Vietnam. In this battle, there is a shocking scene, that is, in the Laoshan position, a bright red flag flutters high, and a soldier supports his body with a flagpole to let the red flag flutter over the position.
This scene is deeply touching and has the power to deeply move people's hearts.
The war of self-defense and counterattack against Vietnam is the memory of the older generation, it was a war that has passed more than 40 years since us, and for the younger generation, the cruelty of this war is not well known.
Today, we will take this opportunity to take you through the history of this war from the perspective of the Vietnamese side, especially the leadership experience of Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap.
Born in Vietnam into a family of landowners, Vo Nguyen Gia enjoyed a privileged life from an early age, but in Vietnam under colonial rule, he entered a French church school and was systematically educated in colonial culture.
However, he was naturally skeptical, dissatisfied with his education, and wanted to seek a more plausible explanation.
In his youth, Wu Yuanjia actively participated in the revolution and made great efforts to overthrow colonial rule. His actions naturally attracted the attention of the colonial authorities, who were imprisoned and put under surveillance.
During this time, he concentrated on his studies, entered university, and continued to engage in political activities during his university life, becoming a secondary school teacher after graduation. Although he continued to pay attention to politics after his work, joined the Communist Party in 1938, and published influential statements and articles in newspapers and magazines, his peaceful life did not last long.
In 1940, the French colonial** changed their attitude towards the Communist Party, and Wu Yuanjia was subjected to ** because of his party membership, so he could only flee to China for refuge. In China, he organized the diaspora and carried out revolutionary activities together with the people with lofty ideals in Vietnam.
Upon his return, he continued to play a role in grassroots organizing and preparations for the armed uprising, an experience that gave him a wealth of experience that would lay the foundation for his future contributions.
Figure 3In 1944, Vo Nguyen Gia received an order from Ho Chi Minh to begin the formation of the military force of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which was the prototype of what would become the People's Liberation Army of Vietnam.
At that time, Ho Chi Minh had no other available talents, so he could only temporarily send out Vo Nguyen Giap, a man with no experience in leading troops. However, to everyone's surprise, Wu Yuanjia showed excellent military talent and quickly adapted to his career as a horseman.
In the early days of the team's establishment, Vo Nguyen Gia led his soldiers to fight against the feudal forces in Vietnam and accumulated valuable experience. Subsequently, he followed Ho Chi Minh to start Vietnam's War of Independence, and gradually rose to prominence in a series of battles.
In 1945, after Japan's unconditional surrender, Vo Nguyen Gia and Ho Chi Minh took over the legacy left by the Japanese army, occupying much territory in Vietnam. With the assistance of the following New China, the Vietnamese army under the leadership of Vo Nguyen Gia successfully resisted the resurgent French colonizers.
Wu Yuanjia played an important role in the 7-year war of resistance against France that they waged, drawing experience from the war, honing the soldiers, and organizing a strong-willed contingent that dealt a heavy blow to the French invaders.
Of course, in the Vietnam Liberation War, although Wu Yuanjia performed eye-catchingly, he was not the protagonist. The real protagonist is the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Since the French colonizers attacked Vietnam, Vietnam's performance on the frontal battlefield was not outstanding, and it could only use guerrilla warfare to attack the logistics of the French army, which brought some interference to the war, but it could not organize an effective offensive and could not suppress the arrogance of the French colonists.
Between 1946 and 1950, Ho Chi Minh** in Vietnam was defeated on the battlefield and had no power to fight back, so he could only survive in the corner. In 1950, Ho Chi Minh secretly visited China to ask for help.
At that time, New China was in ruins, and there were many things to deal with at home, but *** still selflessly provided assistance to Vietnam such as military equipment and means of production.
Even when China later became involved in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, its aid to Vietnam did not stop.
Figure 5: With China's selfless assistance, Vietnam survived the most difficult period and began to have a chance to breathe. China not only provided military instructors and technical support, but also handed over Nightingale Island to Vietnam free of charge, demonstrating a deep sense of brotherhood.
With the help of New China, the Vietnamese People's Army recovered from the embarrassment and escape, and with the help of the Central Affairs Advisory Group, Vo Yuanjia fought a beautiful battle, successfully broke through the encirclement of the French army, and entered China to begin repairing and regrouping.
Next, starting in 1953, the Vietnamese People's Army, with the help of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, won a series of key battles, finally defeating the French colonizers and winning independence and liberation.
The victory at Dien Bien Phu became a decisive battle, giving Vietnam an overwhelming advantage in North Vietnam, forcing the French colonists to sit down at the negotiating table, and the two countries eventually signed a peace treaty that drew the line between South Vietnam and North Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Gia established power in North Vietnam, and Vo Nguyen Gia became a hero against the French colonizers, known as the "God of the Army", and was loved and praised by the people.
After independence, Vietnam faced the troubles of national fatigue and exhaustion. The United States intervened in South Vietnam, propped up the ** regime, and South Vietnam and North Vietnam started a war. The North Vietnamese army commanded by Vo Nguyen Gia was strong in combat and defeated South Vietnam, and the United States was forced to take it personally.
The Vietnam War became a chess game between the Soviet Union and the United States, and the fate of the Vietnamese people was not in their own hands.
Figure 7: The relationship between China and Vietnam in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Vietnam went hand in hand with China's domestic construction During this war, China gave Vietnam tremendous help and assistance, including not only military support, but also the provision of daily necessities and the construction of industrial facilities.
Although China's domestic construction was also in full swing at that time, China still did not hesitate to support North Vietnam. Vietnam's leader, Ho Chi Minh, has ignored China's advice and is no longer as respectful as he once was.
The Vietnamese military headed by Vo Nguyen Gia also did not accept the plan of the Chinese affairs advisory group very well, and arbitrarily revised the key offensive plan, which not only failed to achieve decent results, but was even almost pushed back by the American soldiers.
In the end, the Vietnamese army barely managed to take a few inconsequential strongholds with great sacrifices, and did not achieve the intended strategic objectives at all, but gave the Americans a chance to breathe.
After that, Wu Yuanjia did not learn his lesson, but continued to go his own way. He misjudged the situation, abandoned the essence of guerrilla warfare, and organized a large corps for a head-on duel.
As a result, it is conceivable that under the cover of powerful American firepower, the Vietnamese army suffered heavy losses, and Vo Nguyen Gia was also forced to step down as commander-in-chief and take an idle post in the General Staff.
Although the Tu-8 attack failed to work, the Americans have been struggling in the Vietnamese quagmire for years. Anti-war sentiment was growing at home, and the United States took the opportunity to begin a gradual withdrawal of troops from Vietnam in preparation for negotiations.
The ensuing process was uneventful, with the gradual decline of American influence in Vietnam, the expansion of North Vietnam's power, and the two sides soon reached an armistice, with all American troops withdrawing, and North Vietnam gradually encroaching on Vietnamese territory, and finally succeeding in unifying Vietnam.
In this war, which lasted for many years, the name of Vo Nguyen Gia was repeatedly mentioned, and this Vietnamese, known as the "Napoleon of the East", was pushed to the fore because of the situation to create heroes and became the hero of the Vietnamese people.
In the early days, Vietnam** had close relations with China, and the two countries lived amicably, so China unconditionally supported Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh is the father of the nation of Vietnam, and during his reign, the people of the two countries lived in harmony and all walks of life had friendly exchanges.
However, during Vietnam's war to resist the United States and save the country, Ho Chi Minh's physical condition gradually deteriorated, and he gradually handed over power to Le Duan, the number two person in Vietnam.
Fig.9 Le Duan Le Duan, an early member of the Communist Party of Vietnam and a capable leader of Ho Chi Minh, played a key role in the cause of Vietnam's independence and liberation. When he was young, he was enthusiastic about the revolution, and for the freedom of the nation, he studied abroad and struggled.
However, once he seized real power, he quickly became a puppet of power, actively cultivating cronies, bribing all forces, and becoming the number two person in the Communist Party of Vietnam.
As President Ho Chi Minh grew older, power in Vietnam gradually fell into the hands of Le Duan, and all major decisions were made with his nod. He once ignored China's suggestion and arbitrarily revised the operational plan of the Chinese Affairs Advisory Group, all out of his pro-Soviet and anti-China political stance.
Although there were still people who could control Le Duan during the lifetime of President Ho Chi Minh, after the death of President Ho Chi Minh, the only person who could admonish him was Vo Nguyen Giap. However, there were serious differences in the political ideas of Li Duan and Wu Yuanjia, and the relationship between the two was not harmonious.
After Li Duan took power, due to Wu Yuanjia's misjudgment, it led to a failed attack with heavy losses and had to step down. Vo Nguyen Giap's influence gradually weakened and he was unable to contain Le Duan, so the Le Duan anti-China clique began to run rampant, and Vietnam fell into chaos.
However, due to the solid foundation of the Ho Chi Minh period, in the later stage of the Vietnam War of Resistance Against the United States, the pressure on the United States was already very small. With the support of the Soviet Union and China, Le Duan soon reached a peace agreement with the United States, unifying the country and ending the North-South confrontation.
Due to the failure of Wu Yuanjia, there is no role in the country that can be matched. At this time, Le Duan's personal prestige reached its peak. Due to the pro-Chinese attitude of General Wu Yuanjia, he was gradually squeezed by the Le Duan clique, away from **, and no longer influential, so Le Duan's policies became more and more radical and pro-Soviet.
Ho Chi Minh's foreign policy was relatively tactful, and it maintained good relations with both the Soviet Union and China. However, despite receiving aid from the Soviet Union, Ho Chi Minh remained sober and had a clear understanding of his position, and he did not want to become a pawn of the Soviet Union and remained neutral.
Figure 11 Ho Chi Minh was a brilliant leader, but Le Duan foolishly followed the Soviet Union. After the War of Unification, his ambitions swelled and he wanted to expand his kingdom.
To achieve this, he set his sights on neighboring Laos and Cambodia. However, with the easing of relations between China and the United States and tensions with the Soviet Union, Le Duan's hostility towards the new China deepened.
Against this background, the USSR strengthened the defense of our country and even massed troops in the border areas to put pressure on us. Victory in the Vietnam War gave Le Duan the confidence that he could do anything.
At the same time, the Soviet Union provided a large amount of equipment, so that Li Duan was not afraid of our country, but wanted to try to provoke. At a time of internal chaos in Cambodia, Le Duan seized the opportunity to invade the country, quickly gaining the upper hand and capturing a large amount of territory.
In addition, Vietnam has severed diplomatic relations with our country, frequently provoked borders, shot and killed our border guards, and conducted large-scale anti-Chinese campaigns at home.
We have always exercised restraint in Vietnam's provocative acts, hoping that Vietnam will correct its mistakes and get back on the right track. But Vietnam insisted on going its own way and continued down the wrong path.
Although we have exercised restraint, Vietnam's behavior has exceeded our bottom line. In the face of unjustified provocations by Vietnam, our country decided to act to defend its territorial integrity and national dignity.
Vietnam's illegal occupation of some of our islands this time is beyond what we can bear. We have clearly defined the ownership of these islands, but Vietnam has ignored them in order to further provoke us.
Vietnam's behavior has led to a complete rupture in our relations with them. In the face of Vietnam's provocative acts, my country has decided not to allow it to do anything wrong. We must act to protect our territorial integrity and demonstrate our national strength and dignity.
During the war, the Chinese People's Liberation Army, as planned, broke through from the border line and reached Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Although the Vietnamese are no longer available, their second-line troops are still urgently being assembled.
We are well prepared and will teach Vietnam a profound lesson about who is the real master.
The offensive of our ** team has penetrated deep into the interior of Vietnam**, and at the same time, the blasting and demolition tasks in the rear have also been successfully completed. In order to achieve strategic goals, our country began to withdraw troops from northern Vietnam.
However, in order to maintain their rule, Le Duan** claimed victory in the war and continued to build up troops in the border areas, providing us with valuable training opportunities.
In the following 10 years, China conducted large-scale military exercises in the Sino-Vietnamese border areas, and many troops that had not experienced actual combat were tempered and improved in a difficult environment, and the combat effectiveness of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was also significantly enhanced.
In contrast, Vietnam did not recover during this decade, and could only survive the damage of the war until our country voluntarily stopped fighting. After the war, Vu Nguyen Gia concluded his speech and said that Vietnam's independence and liberation were not all smooth sailing, and many Vietnamese people with lofty ideals paid great sacrifices, and through the joint efforts of several peace-loving and justice-loving countries in the neighborhood, Vietnam finally succeeded in getting rid of the rule of the French colonizers and realizing the liberation of the nation.
However, while Li Duan**'s power is expanding, he doesn't seem to realize that this victory is short-lived, and in the face of great strength, everything is like a mirror, illusory and unreal.
Le Duan witnessed the liberation of Vietnam, but his decisions led to the turmoil of the country and the suffering of the people. In the face of great national power and general momentum, his actions seemed small and irresponsible, and brought great war trauma to the Vietnamese people.
Although history cannot be changed, the Vietnamese side can draw lessons from this war. In this sudden war, the rapid response of the Chinese People's Liberation Army caught the Vietnamese side by surprise, and it was not until two months later that Vo Yuan Gia, who had been idle by Le Duan, appeared at a meeting in Vietnam to express his views on the war.
In this report, Vo Nguyen Gia made a different point, emphasizing the importance of China and recalling President Ho Chi Minh's exhortation to remain friendly to China.
He is well aware that China and Vietnam share a border, and any disturbance could lead to conflict, and Vietnam must be cautious about its dispute with China.
In his report, Vo Nguyen Gia gave a detailed analysis of Vietnam's response to the war. He said that the Vietnamese side had prepared for a possible large-scale war in the north, planned the North Vietnamese buildings and troop reserves, and built a strong defensive line.
Before the outbreak of the war, they had already mobilized various departments and armies, made thorough preparations for war, and had the ability to protect themselves. However, the war turned out unsatisfactory, and the Vietnamese ** clearly did not take effective measures.
Wu Yuanjia predicted the purpose of China's war before the war, and formulated a targeted plan, but Li Duan** did not adopt it. Judging by the results, the war caused no small losses to Vietnam.
Vu Yuanjia believes that China's strategic goal is not to occupy Vietnam, but to undermine Vietnam's economic and military potential, demonstrate force deterrence, put pressure on Vietnam's external body, and maintain stability in Southeast Asia.
In his opinion, China's military action is only a knock on Vietnam, not an attempt to occupy Vietnam. Although Vo Nguyen Giap's report did not attract the attention of Le Duan**, it became a propaganda tool after the war to serve the face of Vietnam**.
This shows that even in war, rational analysis and careful preparation are crucial.
Figure 16: The squadron defeated Vietnam's expansionist ambitions with a thunderous momentum and successfully achieved its operational objectives, which had a positive impact on maintaining peace in the surrounding areas, striking at the strategic deployment of the Soviet Union, exercising the combat effectiveness of the army and enhancing its international status.
This self-defense counterattack demonstrated China's military strength and made those who harbor bad intentions against China understand that China cannot be underestimated.
After 40 years of trials and hardships, the war of self-defense and counterattack against Vietnam has become history. However, we must not forget those martyrs who bravely sacrificed their lives for the sake of the territorial integrity of the motherland and the security of the people.
We should draw wisdom from it, comprehend the truth, and realize that a strong motherland is the key to ensuring the well-being of the people.