- Proper name: Lê Văn Nhuận
- Native place: Bích La village, Triệu Đông commune (now
Triệu Thành), Triệu Phong district, Quảng Trị province
- Positions: Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Central
Committee of the Party from 1960 - 1975. He made the
most signicant decision of the Party in directing the
Southern Revolution to the nal victory, which brought
liberation to the South and reunication of the country.
He began his revolutionary career at his young age. In 1930, he became one of the first members of the Indochinese Communist Party.
Photo: Lê Duẩn comrade in his young age
Source: VNA
Comrade Lê Duẩn was arrested and imprisoned twice at Hỏa Lò and Sơn La prisons in Côn Đảo in 1931 and 1940 Comrade Lê Duẩn was imprisoned in 1940.
Comrade Lê Duẩn was imprisoned in 1940
Source: VNA
In 1947, he held the position of Secretary of the Southern Party Committee, personally leading the Party and people of the South in the resistance war against the French.
The photo was taken at the base of the Southern Resistance Committee in 1950; Comrade Lê Duẩn - Secretary of the Southern Party Committee (4th person as seen from the left)
After the victory of the Điện Biên Phủ campaign, in July 1954, the Geneva Convention was signed. when Comrade
Lê Duẩn was in Inter-zone IV, he received an Instruction from the Central Committee that asked him to "go to
the South soon" where he would participate in a regrouping in the North; however, he asked for permission to stay there.
When saw Comrade Sáu Thọ (Lê Đức Thọ) to the ship that left for the North (early 1955), Comrade Ba Duẩn said:
"Tell Uncle Hồ (Hồ Chí Minh) and the other members in the Politburo that, in 20 years, we will meet again."
And that prediction of Comrade Lê Duẩn came true.
Photo of Lê Duẩn taken in 1960
In 1957, facing complicated situations in the world and in the country, President Hồ Chí Minh and the Politburo decided to send Comrade Lê Duẩn to go on a business trip to the Central Committee.
Photo of Comrade Lê Duẩn taken in 1960
Source: VNA
In 1960, he was elected as the first Secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party. From 1960 to 1975, he along with the Politburo and the Military Commission of the Party Central Committee issued many important instructions so that the nation's resistance war against the US could end in a final victory.
Photo: Comrade Lê Duẩn and President Hồ Chí Minh, 1960
Source: VNA
When he was in the North for a few days, Mr. Ba (comrade Lê Duẩn) always thought about
the people in the South. Wherever he went, he often mentioned the kind, sincere, patriotic
people of the South in his story. When he met the delegation of Heroes and Soldiers of Emulation
of the South to visit the North, Mr. Ba said emotionally:
“when you come back, remember to tell people that I always miss the moms, dads and everyone there.”
Photo: Comrade Lê Duẩn met soldiers of the National Liberation Front of the South.
Source: VNA
Since he came to Hanoi and worked with the Central Committee and President Hồ Chí Minh, Comrade Lê Duẩn, along with the Politburo and the Military Commission of the Party Central Committee, discussed many strategic plans for the revolutions in the South. One of the decisive meetings for the country's destiny was held at the Vietnam People's Army Headquarters (House and Bunker D67).
Photo: President Hồ Chí Minh, Comrade Lê Duẩn and officers in the Politburo were discussing the battle plan for the 1968 General Offensive and Uprising
Comrade Lê Duẩn made an inspection at the battlefield during the historic "Air battles of Hà Nội - Điện Biên Phủ” in 1972.
On December 18, 1974, at the meeting room of the Politburo and the Military Commission
of the Party Central Committee, House D67,
"the first Secretary announced the opening of
the conference (Politburo’s open Conference). With a smile on his face, Mr. Ba pointed out
that the purpose of this meeting was to discuss a final strategy."
On the morning of January 8, 1975, the first Secretary concluded at the conference that:
“ ...if the opportunity comes in early or late 1975, we must liberate the South in 1975".
Photo: Comrade Lê Duẩn chaired the Politburo’s open Conference from December 18, 1974 to January 8, 1975
The book "Letters to the South" includes a number of letters and telegrams from comrade Lê Duẩn
(Brother Ba) to the leaders in the Southern battlefields during the resistance war against the US.
The contents of those letters and telegrams not only show the foresight, effective strategy,
sensitivity in commanding the battles, but also the cares, worries and his loyalty to the people
and soldiers of the South.
The book titled: Letters to the South by General Secretary Lê Duẩn
Stories told in the letters:
In the last months of the war, Comrade Lê Duẩn on behalf of the Politburo sent dozens of letters and telegrams
to the Southern battlefields. Each letter has the following structure:
Beginning: "Dear brother Bảy Cường, brother Sáu, brother Tuấn..."
with that addressing, he considered them as brothers in his family.
Body: He mentioned the guidelines:
“It is necessary to ensure that once an attack has been launched, it must be carried out strongly and
continuously until a complete victory; ...attack in the outer circle, at the same time, seize the opportunity,
then attack the center of Saigon from many directions with prepared forces."
(Extracted from a letter to Brother Tuấn, Brother Sáu, Brother Bảy Cường, and Brother Tư Nguyễn (April 9, 1975)
"The Politburo has approved the campaign to liberate Saigon to be named " Hồ Chí Minh Campaign""
(Extracted from a letter to Brother Tám Thành, Brother Bảy Cường, Brother Tuấn)
Conclusion: he always said as follows:
“Wishing you, brothers good health and glorious victory”
“We will definitely win”
“A victorious hello to you, Brothers from the other side”
"Seize the great opportunity, we will definitely win"
Comrade Lê Duẩn and officers of the Politburo had a group photo taken at Headquarters, House and Bunker D67 in 1975