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Valuable lessons from 'Fighting in the Siege'

NGUYEN VIET THANH December 22, 2024 10:30

The publication 'Fighting in the Siege' by author Huu Mai, published by the People's Army - Thanh Nien Publishing House in 1995, marked a heroic period in the nation's history.

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Cover of the book Fighting in the Siege

"Fighting in the Siege" is a memoir of General Vo Nguyen Giap, performed by Huu Mai.

The book consists of 10 chapters and 440 pages, like a panoramic picture of the fight of our army and people from the day after the declaration of independence until the end of 1950.

The book devotes 22 pages to this section. The introduction and the last 30 pages analyze the event of leader Nguyen Ai Quoc's departure to find a way to save the country and draw valuable lessons from 5 years of fighting in the siege.

The appeal of the book lies in the explanation: How a young army, just one year after its establishment, had to face a much stronger enemy, surrounded on all sides, fought back unilaterally, and won step by step, creating a solid foundation for the following years, leading to the glorious victory in the Dien Bien Phu campaign.

Our Party, headed by President Ho Chi Minh, had unparalleled faith in the people. He said: "Having the people means having everything."..Our army comes from the people and fights for the people. Image of Uncle Ho's soldiers is the highest symbol of a soldier of a just army.

From the people, military power is exploited at the highest level of the miraculous people's war. From the foundation of the people, we have a wise resistance command, a noble heart of putting public service first, a spirit of unity and unity that always sticks closely to the reality of combat, and in every situation, skillfully finds a way to resolve it.

After the declaration of independence and then the nationwide resistance war, we skillfully resolved many dangerous situations in a historical period that were "hanging by a thread".

The successful election of the National Assembly on January 6, 1946 created the premise for the legal basis of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and the signing of the Preliminary Agreement on March 6 and the Provisional Agreement on September 14 were ways to eliminate enemies and gain time to prepare for the resistance. History changes rapidly, opportunities wait for no one. The Resistance Command grasped the situation promptly and responded intelligently, making the enemy unable to anticipate it.

We actively waged guerrilla warfare in the city, making it impossible for the French to use their modern means of warfare. Sixty days and nights of holding back the enemy in Hanoi with the French.is a strange war,enough time for us to significantly wear down the enemy, making it impossible for them to aggressively overwhelm us, especially since we were able to preserve our forces and withdraw to our base in a spectacular manner.

Next, the battle to protect the Viet Bac base in the fall and winter of 1947 was a surprise to the French. We advocated not setting up battle lines but using small forces to fight big ones, relying on the mountainous terrain to find the enemy's weak points in each battle. With the main goal of wearing down the enemy but having to preserve our forces, the enemy was like a giant that kept bleeding and could not recognize who the enemy was."Sometimes even the sound of wind blowing or running water can startle them..."

Relying on the people means strongly believing in patriotism, in the talent and endless creativity of the people. Reading it today, we cannot help but be surprised at the short time it took to launch the campaign.Golden WeekThe state had 370 kg of gold and 20 million Indochinese piastres. And in a short time, from only having bombs, the Ordnance Department had produced bazookas, DKZs, mines, grenades, rifles and millions of bullets. Later, we were able to produce mortars...

During the arduous fighting days, Voice of Vietnam radio still transmitted signals to the South.…

Life in the war zone goes deeper every day, meaning a way of life has been formed.culture of resistanceThe army and the people were as close as fish and water, everyone lived in a spirit of mutual support and assistance, we just understood that hundreds of thousands of people, including soldiers and people from the lowlands, came to evacuate and supported each other, although the first days were very difficult, there was no famine. In the war zone, whoever had the ability was promoted, with the people actively increasing production, those who knew how to read and write taught those who did not, scientists and artists all devoted themselves...National resistance, comprehensive resistance, tresistance beamhas permeated every soldier as well as every citizen of Viet Bac.

Later, French historians almost unanimously agreed on one statement:“… in early 1950 France failed in its attempt to re-conquer Vietnam militarily and was mired in an endless and unwinnable war...And it is also interesting that during the Indochina war, France had to change generals 7 times.

"Fighting in the Siege" is a book of many voices and styles. First of all, it is a book about the military, but we also see a sharp political perspective, one could say it is a blend of military and politics.

The author named the book as a memoir, which is appropriate because the space and time are too vast, and there are too many events and details to go into detail. However, there is still a touch of memoir, and it is this blend that makes the work come alive.

The pages written about cultural activities in the war zone, about the simple meals at Uncle Ho's house or the general promotion ceremony... all left an unforgettable impression on every reader.

It can be said that among his works, "Fighting in the Siege" is a special work of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

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(*) Italicized words are quotes from the book.

NGUYEN VIET THANH
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Valuable lessons from 'Fighting in the Siege'