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DOCUMENT NO. 114

Part II

VIET ·NAM
·DOCUMENTS AND RESEARCH
NOTES
 Part II

The Government Of The

Democratic Republic Of Viet-Nam.
1960 ... 1973

Announcements of changes in the government of the Demo-

cratic Republic of Viet-Nam (DRV) are released as com.m.uniques
of the National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC). There is
n9 doubt that the decisions are taken by the Council of Ministers
and the Politburo of the Viet-Nam Workers' Party. But, to
preserve the theory that the government is responsible to the
"elected" National Assembly, its Standing Committee makes the
announcements. (As we shall see the National Assembly itself is
usually called into session after major changes have been finalized.)

On June 14, 1973 such a communique was issued. "In

accordance with the proposal of the Premier, the NASC decided to
approve a new division of and assignments in the Council of
Ministers, ••• " said Hanoi Radio that day. The principal structural
change was noted in the reas signment of the DRV's planning chief:

"Comrade Nguyen Con, Vice Premier, will relinquish his

post as Director of the State Planning Commission to work in the
Standing Committee [or Bureau] of the Counsil of Ministers."

This was the first announcement that such an "inner cabinet"

existed. The other organizational change noted was:

"In accordance with the proposal of the Council of Ministers,

the NASC approved the creation of the Ministry of Building, a
merger of the Ministry of Construction and the Sta,te Committee
for Capital Construction.... Comrade Do Muoi, Vice Premier,
will additionally become Minister of Building." Do Muoi had been
Chairman of the Capital Construction Com.m.ittee. The incumbent
Minister of Construction, whose department had long been subject
to criticism in the Party press, "relinquished" his post.

Nguyen Lam, who held ministerial rank as Vice Chairman

of the State Planning Com.m.is sion, and was also head of the State
Price Com.m.ission was promoted to Con's old job. This may
establish him as the third of the DRV's younger economic planners
and managers: Nguyen Con, Do Muoi, and perhaps Nguyen Lam.

-82 ..
 -84-

tnanpower utilization. However, he asserted, "We cannot yet set

very high qualitative standards for our production and consutner
tnaterials. "

For the itntnediate future he set tnodest goals:

"The following are sotne general trends to be followed in

the cotning three years: we will concentrate our efforts on struggling
to tnake the greater part of our industrial products attain the tnini-
tnUtn qualititive nortns which were set forth in set [sic] standards
or regulations. We will struggle to stabilize the quality of our
products, to reduce to a tninitnutn fluctuations in the quality of our
products which are sotnetitnes of good and sotnetitnes of bad quality,
and on this basis gradually itnprove their quality. We tnust first
of all pay attention to insuring the quality of the products of a
nutnber of itnportant industrial branches, such as those producing
tnechanical equiptnent, coal, elect:dcity, building tnaterials, food,
clothes office articles and tnedicines.

"It is necessary to pay special attention to insuring the

stabilization and rapid itnprovetnent of our export products ••••

"Concerning consutner tnaterials, it is necessary to pritnarily

insure the usability and durability of products aitned at tneeting the
people's tnost essential requiretnent, first of all in the fields of
food, clothing, housing transportation and health, while paying
proper attention to aesthetic nortns.... It is also necessary to
intensively study the itnprovetnent of the quality of a nutnber of
special products for export, such as pineapples, bananas, tea,
rattan, jute, art objects and so forth."

Since the signing of the January 1973 Paris Agreetnent the

North Vietnatnese press, the Party official Nhan Dan, as well as
the breezier Hanoi Moi, has carried tnany letters frotn readers
voicing sotne of the cotnplaints Le Thanh Nghi seetned tnost concerned
to tneet. It is possible that "consutner pressure" will becotne an
operating factor in DRV econotnic decision tnaking? Until June 1973
"consutner pressure" was expressing itself tnost tangibly in dealing
with the "illegal free tnarket" rather than with the state stores or
the restricted "legal free tnarket." But Le Thanh Nghi did not
address hitnself to this troublesotne fact. Will the sort of reshuffling
which took place in the planning and construction tninistries on
June 14 be felt in 1973 in the industrial tninisiiries and those in
charge of distribution too?
 -85-

Despite concern over the supply of seeds and fertilizer,

and the farm-cooperatives' failure to plant as extensive a hectarage
of arable land as should be brought into cultivation, for the tenth-
month rice crop, there was no intimation that the agricultural
ministries were due for a shake up.

However, the Nhan Dan editorial of June 20, 1973 "The

Size Of Cooperatives" reminded readers of the regime's continuing
desire to increase the sh:;e and improve manpower utilization in
the nation's basic agricultural production units. Initially cooperatives
were often made up of only about 50 to 70 families, it said. While
no figures of current sizes of cooperatives were provided the tone
of the article implies that many were not now much larger than
that. But, it continued "there are advanced cooperatives with a
strong development momentum ••• with a greater size than the average
of the area." The resolution of the 19th Plenum of the VWP
Central Committee [held about December 1970, its full text has
not been published--editor] had apparently called for enlarging the
size of cooperatives. [It was the resolution of the 20th Plenum
held probably in January 1972 which gave the final signal for the
invasion of the South, but the economic formulations 19th Plenum
have not been considered as voided--editor.]

While reasserting this objective, the June 1973 editorial

made it quite clear that the Party and state would implement it
cautiously. The larger coops have proved more productive, by and
large, than the sroallers ones, it declared, but Nhan Dan insisted
that "the important requirement to be met after enlarging the size
of cooperatives is to organize labor satisfactorily so as to gradually
reduce labor used in cultivation and improve the collective animal
husbandry branch and enlarge other branches and occupations to
produce abundant social wealth •••.•

"Advancing cooperatives from small to large size is not

a very difficult task. What requires more effort and intelligence
is increasing labor productivity and the products' value per capital
of large cooperatives to a higher rate than in the past, when they
were small cooperatives. To achieve this besides the objective
conditions, it is necessary to have a capable managerial contingent.
These are the premises that must be considered adequately before
deciding to expand the size of cooperatives. II
 -86-

It appeared then that the test for Hoang Anh, head of the
Central Agricultural Commission, reznains the achieveznent of rice
self sufficiency in North Viet-Nazn, and diversification of agriculture
through the iznproveznent of the skills of its working force.
Increased production outside the Red River Delta, will be sought,
particularly in the znountainous areas. But Anh and his Party
colleagues did not in 1973 seezn to be on the verge of instituting
any hasty or coercive structural reforzns which znight undercut
their political credibility with the rural population. (1)
•
Articles in the North Vietnaznese press (see for exaznple
one by Chu Viet Tan, a zneznber of the State Planning Coznznission •
in Quan Doi Nhan Dan March 20, 1973) iznply that while the unful-
filled 1972 and 1973 State Plans had not been forznally abandoned
and that there will be a 1974 Plan, eznphasis in 1973 would be
on reconstruction of war daznaged facilities and on agricultural
production, not on grandiose planned goals, except for a few
projects like the Da River Dazn.

The first list in this section of this survey is of the govern-

znent of the DRV as it was announced by the Second Legislature
of the National Asseznbly at its July 1960 session. That was the
first zneeting of the National Asseznbly after the adoption of the
1959 Constitution of the DRV. The outgoing legislature had adopted
it on Deceznber 18, 1959, to take effect the last day of the year.
On May 8, 1960 the new or Second Legislature was elected, and
znet for the first tizne in July. It elected Ho Chi Minh, President,
Ton Duc Thang, Vice President, Truong Chinh, Chairznan of the
National,Asseznbly Standing Coznznittee (NASC), and Phazn Van Dong~
Preznier of the DRV on July 7.

This governznent, therefore, can be assuzned to have reflected ..

Ho's personal choices as well as those of Pham Van Dong, and
the VWP Politburo as it was then and still is constituted. Surely
the selection of Thang to be Vice President was Ho's, opening up •
the Chairmanship of the NASC for Truong Chinh, thus completing
his rehabilitation. Phazn Van Dong had been Premier since Ho
turned the job over to hizn in 1955.

Four of the five viCe premiers were VWP Politburo members,

and as such are profiled in Part I of this research note. The
fifth, Phan Ke Toai, who is still in office, merits brief mention.

(1) Radio Hanoi on July 26 reported a drought developing in the

"panhandle" while there was serious water logging in the Red
River Delta, at the time that the lO-znonth rice crop was being
transplanted.
•
Toai born in North Viet-Nam in the early 1900' s, was educated in
Hanoi and became a civil servant under the French colonial autho-
rities. He rose rapidly. There is no reason to believe that Toai
did not serve them faithfully, as he did the Japanese during their
four years in Viet-Nam, at least until 1945. When in that year
the Japanese persuaded Emperor Boo Dai to appoint Toai as
imperial delegate to Tonkin (North Viet-Nam) he perceived that
major changes would shortly take place in Viet-Nam. In carrying
out administrative reforms desired by the Japanese he weakened
the structure of administration that had been built up by the French,
and discretely established contact with the Viet-Minh in whose
seizure of power he acquiesced in August 1945.

This was hardly the type of activity out of which revolutionary

legends. are made, but in fact his contribution to the August Revo-
lution may have been considerable. In any event he had lost favor
with the F'rench and had little choice but to accompany the Viet-
Minh to the jungles in 1946-1947, when he was made Minister of
Interior in Ho's government, a post he held until 1963. Since
. then he has been carried on the books as a Vice Premier, but
has held no functional position, and is rarely heard from. (1)

All together 25 of the office holders on the 1960 list were,

when named or soon thereafter became. members of the VWP
Central Committee, or alternate members. The selection of the
government preceded by two months the convening of the Third
National Congress of the Party. But in all likelihood all 25 at
least knew that they had been tagged for Party as well as govern-
ment posts. This count does not include the six Party leaders and othe~s
whose names appear at the end of the list as the functionaries of
the NASC. but it does include the President and Vice President
of th.e Republic. If the NASC is thought of as part of the govern-
ment four more Party committeemen are added. All Politburo
members were thereby included in the government except Le Duan.
Le Duc Tho. and Nguyen Chi Thanh. Duan and Tho were working
full time in the Party apparatus and abstained then and for a
decade thereafter from taking governmental posts. Thanh was
at that time in the midst of his quarrel with Gen. Giap, and while
head of the General Political Directorate of the army was hardly
in line for membership in the civil government. He was. however,
named to the National Defense Council.

(1) Viet-Nam News Agency on June 27 announced the death of Phan Ke

Toai at the age of 84. A state funeral was being planned for him.
 -88-

One feature of the 1960 list is the prominence accorded to

the various boards at the Pre:mier's Office. In several instances
they were headed by Vice Pre:miers who were also me:mbers of
the Politburo, or by :me:mbers of the Party Secretariat. Hoang
Anh headed the Financial Board as well as its counterpart :ministry,
and the Do:mestic Affairs Board, about whose work little is known,
was chaired by the Ministry of Public Security. Pham Van Dong
himself continued to act as Foreign Minister as well as Premier.
Nguyen Duy Trinh, who was later to beco:me Foreign Minister,
then headed the State Planning Co:m:mission with Nguyen Con, who
was just co:ming into pro:minence, as his deputy. Do Muoi already
had a ministerial post.

It must not be thought that all :ministers and vice ministers

on the 1960 and the subsequent lists who are not coded as Central
Co:m:mittee:men were not :members of the VWP. Several, of course
were not. For example Hoang Minh Giam Minister of Culture
was and remains a leader of the tiny Viet-Nam Socialist Party;
Minister of Foreign Trade Phan Anh is a :member of the Democratic
Party of which Minister of State Far:ms Nghiem Xuan Ye:m is
secretary general. Needless to say, all these :men had long since
adhered to the Viet Minh.

Many, however, who were not VWP leaders were nonetheless

Party :men. For example the name Le Tat Dac appears on the
1964 list as a Vice Minister of Interior. On May 9, 1973 a Hanoi
Radio broadcast:mentioned his participation in a youth congress and
noted that Dac is "Deputy Secretary of the Party Central Committee
of the Central Civilian Government and Party Organs." This
committee, about which nothing is known, would appear to guide
an elite Party chapter whose me:mbers are in national government
offices and the Party's own offices. It probably has a great deal
to do with the assignment, transfer and promotion of cadre, which
:makes Dac something :more than just a Vice-Minister of Interior.
The obscure Dac and the Co:mmittee secretary, whose name is not
known, are, perhaps, potent dispensors of patronage. At another
level, Nhan Dan on June 4, 1973, announced the death of Bui Dinh
Dong who appears on the 1969 list as a Vice Minister of Heavy
Industry. He, said Nhan Dan, was a me:mber of the Haiphong City
Party Co:mmittee.
 In late January 1963, according to a Hanoi Radio broadcast
of the 24th, the Premier and his colleagues, no doubt in consu1ation
with the Party, decided that the government needed strengthening.
Consequently seven vice ministers were shifted from one post to
another. At the same time nine new vice ministerial appointments
were made, and a new Minister of Labor was appointed. So far
as can be ascertained there was no political significance to these
moves, nor was any change in the structure or policies of the
government involved.

The .January shifts may have been preparatory for the much
more important ones which were revealed in Nhan Dan on April 30,
1963. Pham Hung, the First Vice Premier, left the Agricultural
Affairs Board for the Financial and Commercial Affairs Board in
the Premier's Office. With the DRV perhaps already contempla-
ting intervention in the insurgency in the South (a decision taken
by the Central Committee at the end of 1963), Gen. Giap turned
over the chairmanship of the State Scientific and Technical Com-
mission to Nguyen Duy Trinh~ who was Chairman of the State
Planning Commis sion. Another Politburo member specializing in
economic affahs, Le Thanh Nghi added the Chairmanship of the State
Capital Construction Commission to his Chairmanship of the
Industrial Affairs Board· in the Premier's Office. Le Liem, a
less authoritarian personality, replaced To Huu as Chairman of
the Cultural and Educational Affairs Board in the Premier's Office.
Huu has not held a governmental position since then~ Xuan Thuy
became Minister of Foreign Affairs, replacing Ung Van Khiem,
to whomPham Van Dong had given the job in 1961. Khiem,
a zealous Party man, took over the Ministry of Interior from
Phan Ke Toai.

These changes, and a few others which took place between

1960 and 1964 are embodied in the June 1964 list which follows.
It was published at the First Session of the Third Legislature of
the National Assembly, which convened that month. The election
of the Assembly had taken place on April 26 just before the major
changes in the government were announced. This, essentially,
was the government which, with the changes to be noted shortly,
under Party instructions, led the DRV, throughout the 1964 to
1969 phase of its war with the Republic of Viet-Nam and the
United States.
 Sotne significant changes did take place during that period.
The tnost spectacular was the reassigntnent of First Vice Pretnier
Phatn Hung, To those positions he held in 1964 the chairtnanship
of the State Price Cotntnission had been added in April 1965. But
sotnetitne in the sUtntner or early aututnn of 1967 Hung left Hanoi
to becotne its key tnan in South Viet-Natn--the head of COSVN--
the VWP's Central Office for South Viet-Natn. Itnportant too was
the replacetnent of Xuan Thuy by Politburo tnetnber Nguyen Duy
Trinh at the Foreign Ministry. Thuy (according to a Hanoi broad-
cast of April 6, 1965) stepped aside "to take a rest for reasons
of health." Nonetheless the Party was probably glad to be able
to slot a Politburo tnetnber into the Foreign Office at atitne when
the war was becotning intense. Perhaps, too, Trinh had not proved
to be as effective an econotnic adtninistrator as it had seetned h~
tnight becotne.

In any event, Trinh's tnoving into the foreign affairs field

and Hung's going to COSVN has left Le Thanh Nghi as the one
Politburo tnetnber concerned virtually full titne with econotnic
probletns. As will be noted several younger Vice Pretniers have
been added to the governtnent to bolster its econotnics contingent
and one of thetn has also joined the Party Secretariat. But by
virtue of his Politburo status, Nghi has, since 1965, been the
DRV's senior econotnist. At the satne titne Hoang Anh, a veteran
Party leader, already a tnetnber of the Secretariat, who had
previously been Minister of Finance, becatne Minister of Agriculture,
a position which, despite changes in titles he continued to hold
in 1973.

There was evidence too in 1965 that the boards in the

Pretnier's Office were declining in itnportance and the tninistries
and a variety of cotntnissions were increasing their roles. While
in 1960 and even 1964 the boards were headed by tnen senior to
their counterparts in the tninistries, the job changes frotn 1965
onwards reversed that relationship. For exatnple Hoang Anh was
vastly senior to Central Cotntnittee alternate Nguyen Van Loc who
replaced hitn at the Agricultural Board when Anh becatne Minister
of Agriculture. In October 1965 the fortnidable Tran Quoc Hoan
was replaced at the so-called Dotnestic Affairs Board by one
Nguyen Van Tao who had no Central Cotntnittee rank. Hoan, of
course, continued to be Minister of Public Security. Sitnilarly
 -91-

when Hung went to COSVN he was replaced by Nguyen Thanh Binh,

a then little known alternate member of the Central Committee.

The upshot of these changes, plus the emergence of Nguyen

Con as a Vice Premier and as Chairman of the State Planning
Commission, succeeding Trinh, was the government of July 1969,
shortly after the Paris Peace Talks actually got underway, just
two months before Ho' Chi Minh's death. Xuan Thuy, meanwhile,
was narned Minister without Portfolio, when he was made nominal
head of the Paris Talks delegation.

Actually Ho's death occasioned no change of consequence

in the structure of the government of the DRV. He was automa-
tically replaced as President by Ton Duc Thang, and Nguyen Duong
Bang was elected Vice President by the National Assembly. In
the following months, however, a few changes of interest took
place. Do MUoi, who had been out of office for several years
because of ill health, was made a Vice Premier and Chairman of
the Economic Mfairs Board in the Premier's Office. It combined
the previous Agricultural, Industrial and Financial Boards. With
such a scope it was probably more advisory than functional.
Prior to July 1971 it was abolished and Muoi was given a working
job. His appointment, nonetheless, emphasized the beginning
of an appreciation of the necessity for augmenting economic mana-
gerial talent at the top.

A Ministry of Grain and Food Products, apparently to take

charge of the distribution of the rice staple and to run the food
processing industries, was created in December 1969. The Ministry
of Heavy Industry was divided into a Ministry of Power and Coal
and one usually, but not invariably called the Ministry of Metallurgy
and Engineering. Heading the second of these was, and still is,
Dinh Duc Thien who is also head of the Logistics Department of
the Army.

Thien is by no means the only VPA product to be an

official of the civil government. The long time Ministers of
Communications and Transportation and the Water Conservation
had been major generals. But Thien appears to be the only
"civilian" minister still holding a military job as well. North
Viet-Narn, in its modest way, has its "military-industrial complex."
 The 1970 list, also published on the occasion of a National
Assembly session, recapitulates the changes in the ten months
after Ho's death.

After seven year had passed, rather than the constitutionally

required four, another Assembly was elected in the DRV on April
11, 1971. (See Viet-Nam Documents and Research Notes No. 95
for an account of the election and a complete list of the members
of the Legislature which will be in office at least until 1975.)

The complete roster of DRV dignitaries and office holders

as approved by that session is available in Viet-Nam Documents
and Research Notes No. 103, printed as a verbatin transcript of
the communique(l). It is wO'rth looking at. For one thing it
lists the "presidium" of the June, 1971 Assembly. Immediately
after the names of President and Vice President of the Republic,
and ahead of the Chairman of the Assembly and the Premier was
the name Le Duan, the First Secretary of the VWP. Le Duan at
that time assumed the first public office he had ever taken:
membership on the National Defense Council (NDC). Somebody
noticed that President Ton Duc Thang who, by virtue of the
Constitution is Chairman of the NDC, had. never formally been so
named. He was. Gen. Giap long a Vice Chairman of the CO\lncil
was dropped to ordinary membership, leaving Pham Van Dong
the functioning head of it. Nguyen Con was added to its member-
ship. After all, a defense council should include an economist.
Tran Huu Duc, "Premier's Palace Minister", was added too, more
to underline Pham Van Dong's status than because of any p.articu1ar
qualifications of his own, one suspects.

For the ·first time Pham Hung, who had been atCOSVN
since 1967, .was not listed as a Vice Premier. of the DRV. Besides
Do Muoi, who had become a Vice Premier in.,December 1969,
there was now veteran Party Secretariat member Hoang Anh, who
was given Vice Premier's status in April 1971. At that time,
several weeks, before the election of the Assembly, according to
Hanoi Radio on April 1, 1971, Anh was named head of a new

(1) The text inexplicable does not list Do Muoi as a Vice Premier
which he unquestionably was, since December 1969.
Central Agricultural Commission which merged the Ministry of
Agriculture, the Ministry of State Farms and the Managerial Board
of Agricultural Cooperatives. Anh has remained the VWP-DRV
functionary responsible for the nation's primary economic activity.

At about the same time, Vice Premier Do Muoi was relieved

of his Economic Board at the Premier's Office post and made
Chairman of the State Capital Construction Committee. The last of
the Boards disappeared, for Tran Quang Huy, Chairman of the
Board of Culture and Education was relieved of that function and
designated simply "Minister of the Government", said an Hanoi
Radio broadcast of April 16, 1971. Since then Huy has been
redesignated as Minister Coordinator for Cultural and Educational
Affairs, and apparently also been given a similar post in the
structure of Party Boards.

It was, the.refore, clear by June 1971 that the riSing

civilian leaders of the DRV were Nguyen Con, Do Muoi, and
Hoang Anh. Their governmental order of seniority reads that
way, by date of designation as Vice Premiers. Party-wise,
however, Hoang Anh, who has been on the Party Secretariat since
1960 and a Central Committee member since 1951, is well ahead
of Nguyen Con who joined the Secretariat in 1968, and became a
member of the National Defense Council in 1971, Do Muoi is not
a member of the Secretariat, but he is a member of the Central
Committee. At least one of these three men will be among the
next choices for Politburo membership. But when that will happen
probably depends upon the convening of a Party Congress, although
there is no rule against the Central Committee's adding to the
Politburo's membership without convening a National Congress.

Clearly it has been in no hurry to do so. The Party

Statute recommends that a Congress be held each four years. It
is now 13 years since one has met.

The penultimate civil government list presented here is

of the Government of the DRV as it was on June 15, 1973.
Comparing it with the 1960 list one is more struck by the continuities
than by the changes. For convenience, the final tabulation of the
civil government of the DRV' are lists of the CoUncil of Ministers
in 1960, 1963, 1969 and 1973. They show a continuing enlarge-
ment of the council, but few deletions from its 1960 ranks.
 -94-

Pham Van Dong remains the top man, and Politburo members
Nguyen Duy Trinh and Le Thanh Nghi are still Vice Premiers, as,
of course, is Gen. Giap. Even the anomalous Phan Ke Toai is still
listed as a Vice Premier. A number of ministers and vice ministers
have switched jobs, but many have remained in place. At the top the
obvious change is the addition of Con, Muoi and Anh to the Vice
Premiers I ranks.

The Boards inthe Premier's Office have disappeared, but as

the June 14, 1973 communique implied there was now to be an "inner
cabinet, " with Con as a key figure. Some ministries have been
combined, others divided, as the DRV continues to search for a
division of labor at the top which will stimulate improved economic
performance at the bottom. Le Thanh Nghils June, 1973.articles talked
of "moral incentives" for workers, gearing prices to quality and making
"the quality of products a legally binding requirement". One doubts that
these measures will have much impact on a work force which, Nghi said,
is "new. .• and has not been trained syste matically. " (1)

Pham Hung Is status and whereabouts remain a mystery. He was

known from rallier reports, to be head of COSVN as recently as
August 1972. Everyone was 13 years older in 1973 than he was in 1960.
There is still no one from an urban workers' movement in a top leader-
ship position in the government of a country based on a "Workers'
Party, " and no woman in the Council of Ministers of a nation whose
military adventurism has resulted in its having an untypically high
majority of women in its population.

As was noted in Viet-Nam Documents and Research Notes No. 107,

the greatest power and influence in North Viet-Nam resides with those
who occupy key posts within both Party and state. But the ultimate
power is that of the Party. Le Duan and Truong Chinh were still named
in every "pecking order" list ahead of Pham Van Dong, despite the
latterls having the stellar combination of state and Party positions.
Clearly, in 1960 the crucial state offices went to persons who had made
their mark as revolutionaries, not as administrators.

Men like Le Thanh Nghi and Hoang Anh who combined these two
qualifications follow just behind the top leaders of the Party in status,
and then the "new men" like Nguyen Con, Do Muoi and

(1) A Nhan Dan June 22 article, however, and the lead editorial in
Hoc Tap for June, urge more rigorous application of "payment by
results" schemes rather than hourly wages. The Hoc Tap article assures
its readers that "fraternal socialist countries" will "whole heartedly" assist
in the recovery and development of the DRV.
 -95-
perhaps Nguyen Lam., who were all but unknown in 1960. Most
references to them in North Vietnam.ese media portray. them as
economic-managerially oriented. But on June 6, 1973 it was
Nguyen Con who led the DRV delegation to a "liberated area" in
Quang Tri Province, South Viet-Nam., to participate in a show
staged by the Provisional Revolutionary Governm.ent of the Republic
of South Viet-Nam (PRG). Perhaps he was needed for a few days
consultation with the PRG on the economic organization, but the
trip also gave a new political status to Con and identified him with
the southern revolution for the first time.

At the sam.e time Party First Secretary Le Duan, who had

never before formally visited the People's Republic of China, lead
a delegation to Peking along with Prem.ier Pham. Van Dong. They
presided over the negotiation of an agreement which promised
Chinese "econom.ic and military aid to the DRV in 1973 and 1974."

The ground for Nguyen Con's visit to the PRG in Quang Tri
was prepared by VPA Lieut. Gen. Tran Van Tra, an alternate
member of the Central Com.m.ittee of the VWP, and deputy com.m.ander
of the PRG's People's Liberation Armed Forces. Tra in February
and March 1973 headed the PRG's delegation on the short .. lived
Four Power Joint Military Com.m.ission established by the Paris
Peace Agreement. In April, 1973, after a hero's welcome in
Hanoi, Tra went to Quang Tri to "inspect" the troops there.

A survey of VWP-DRV leadership must include some conside-

ration of the military component of the Party-state amalgan

There are two parallel links between the civilian authorities

in North Viet-Nam. and the armed forces: the National Defense
Council (NDC) and the Central Military Affairs Party Com.m.ittee
(or Central Military Party Comm.ittee as the Vietnamese term is
sometimes translated). The membership of the NDC is customarily
published by the DRV at the opening sessions of new legislatures
of the National Assembly, and is reproduced here. As has been
mentioned, the NDC took on added prestige and perhaps more real
authority in June 1971 when Le Duan and Truong Chinh, the two
ranking leaders of the Politburo, took seats on it. Thus all four
of the "bases of power" in the DRV described in Viet-NaIll Documents
and Research Notes No. 107 were for the first time represented
 -96-

on the NDC by their top leaders. At the same time Gen. Giap was
demoted from a co-vice chairmanship of the Council to ordinary
membership, leaving Pham Van Dong the operative chairman, with
his personal friend and "chef du cabinet" Tran Huu Duc, as,
possibly, the Council's secretary. The addition of Nguyen Con
then chairman of the State Planning Commission corrected an
anamoly that had existed for several years, of there being no
practising economist on the NDC. In formal governmental terms
the Ministry of Defense is subordinate to the Council of Ministers,
but policy is made by the NDC.

One cannot speak with such relative preclslon about the

other link between the military and the non-military in the DRV.
The full membership of the Central Military Affairs Party Committee
(CMAPC) has never been published, so far as can be ascertained.
On September 4, 1972 Nhan Dan published a photograph of a
segment of the CMAPC placing a wreath before Ho Chi Minh's
statue in Hanoi. It is difficult to believe that Ho himself was not
chairman of the Committee during his life time. The identities
of most of the participants in the ceremony cannot be firmly
established, but in the center of the photo was Gen. Giap, and
beside him peace maker Le Duc Tho. Since then ralliers have
been asked who makes up the civilian component of the Committee,
which the Party Statute stat.es it must have. One replied that
Le Duc Tho was the only one. Others insist that Politburo
members like Le Duan and Pham Van Dong do participate in its
sessions. The Armed Security Forces of the DRV are under the
jurisdiction of the CMAPC as well as of the Ministry of Public
Security. It would seem logical that either Tran Quoc Hoan,
Minister of Public Security, or Maj. Gen. Pham Kiet who has
been commander of the Armed Security Forces since 1967 would
be on the CMAPC. The list which is presented here, however,
contains no civilian members and is simply a compilation of the
names which DRV media have mentioned at one time or another
as being members of the CMAPC. It is not definitive ..

During the· DRV's 1972 offensive against the southern Republic

of Viet_Nam, copies of orders and other documents captured by
South Vietname.se troops referred to the invasion's having been
ordered by the Politbu'ro and the CMAPC, or by the Party Central
Committee and "Th;e· High Command of the Viet-Nam People's ArmY."
It was the latter undefined body which issued the January 28
---------------.---

~97~

cease~fire order to VPA troops. One can safely assume that the
High Command is made up of the men whose names appear on the
lists which follow--the imperfect CMAPC list plus the Vice Ministers
of Defense, the Deputy Chiefs of Staff, and the heads of the General
Political Directorate. The Minister of National Defense, Gen. Giap,
and four of his six vice ministers are members or alternate
members of the VWP Central Committee. The Chief of Staff of
the VPA, Politburo member Col. Gen. Van Tien Dung and four
of his nine deputies are too. So is the head of the General
Political Directorate and two of his five deputies. All of the men
on these three lists who also hold Party rank are also, logically
enough, members of the CMAPC, as is the head of the General
Logistics Department of the Army, an alternate member of the
Central Committee, as well as the Minister of Metallurgy and
Engineering in the civil government of the DRV. Alternate Central
Committeeman Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Van Vinh is chairman of the
reunification commissions of both the Party and the government
as well as a deputy chief or staff of the VPA.

"The High Command of the VPA" like the Central Committee

of the VWP is beginning to age. Ta.king those 20 general officers
whose ages are known, the average age is just oyer 58. slightly
higher than that of the alternate members of the Central Committee.
If however, Le Quang Ba and Chu Van Tan, who do not seem to
have been active in military affairs recently, are dropped from the
list, and Lieut. Gen. Hoang Van Thai who has been fighting in
South Viet-Nam for something like eight years, the average would
range around 55 as does the average age of alternate members of
the Central Committee.

In short, while "The High Command of the VPA" is nearly

20 years older than it was at the time of the battle of Dien Bien
Phu, in which many of them fought, it is not superannuated. Its
two representatives on the Party Politburo are in fact its youngest
members--Giap being 61 and Dung 56. The army, unlike the top
echelon of the Party, is not threatened by a possible near simulta-
neous loss ofa number of key figures.

Can the "comers" in the VPA be identified? As has been

suggested Lieut.·· Gen. Tran Van Tra in 1973 looked like replacing
Lieut. Gen. Hoang Van Thai twelve years his senior as the principal
North Vietnamese commander of troops operating under COSVl\l.
(l)Oneofthem, Tran Qui Hai, wrote in the May, 1973 issue of the
army's magazine Quan Doi Nhan Dan instructing each unit to adhere
rigorou(illy to the VPA's practice of analysing all its combat expe~
riences. Apparently a thorough recapitulation of the 1972 offensive
was taking place at all levels in the VPA.
 -98-

Maj. Gen. Le Hien Mai, a full member of the Central Committee

of the VWP looked almost certain to be the next head of the
General Political Directorate. The other general most frequently
mentioned in Hanoi media as participating in public events, and
referred to as"the representative of the VPA," is Maj. Gen. Nguyen
Don, who is a Vice Minister of Defense, a Deputy Chief-of-Staff,
a member of the CMAPC, and an alternate member of the Party
Central Committee. As his biographical sketch recounts Don,
although ensconsed in the military-political bureaucracy in Hanoi,
for the past five years, was an I. C. P. member, active in the
pre-1945 revolutionary period, the "Resistance War" and has
commanded troops in the southern part of Central Viet-Nam, •
including his native Quang Ngai Province, during the 1960' s. (1)

The campaign performances of generals in the 1972 offensive

will probably be a factor in their future careers. So far as can
be determined Maj. Gen. Chu Huy Man, a Central Committee
member, did well in the B-3 Western Highlands Front with the
resources given him, better perhaps than Tran Van Tra on the
An Loc front where the coordination of armoured units with infantry
and artillery was at best spotty. Maj. Gen. Le Quang Hoa who
headed the DRV delegation to the Four-Party Joint Military
Commission (FPJMC) in February and March 1973 is listed here
as a Deputy Director of the GPO. He was also the commander
in DRV Military Region IV which borders on, and in DRV terms
crosses, the Demilitarized Zone. He apparently did a competent
job of supporting troops fighting on the Quang Tri front. Whether
or not he commanded them is not known. Hoa does not appear
to hold Party rank but his designation to the FPJMC indicated that
he had the Party's as well as the army's confidence. The DRV
has yet to publish an order of battle recounting where its senior
officers served in 1972. •
How far down the integration of military and extra-military
duties goes cannot be accurately assessed., It is, however,' kn~wn
..
that Col. Nguyen Ouy Thai is Maj. Gen. Dinh Duc Thien's Deputy
Director in the General Logistics Department of the VPA as well
as his senior vice minister at the Ministry of Engineering a.n,d
Metallurgy. Vu Van Can noted in June 1973 as Acting Minister
of Health who led a s'pecial delegation to China, is a M. D. ,
a senior colonel in the VPA, and either is or was head of the
army's medical services. In addition to being a naval commander,

•
(1) Don was in the Phatn Van Dong-Le Thanh Nghi party 'which
visited Mongolia and North Korea in late June' 1973 as the
army's re'pre'sentative.
 -99-

Sr. Col. Nguyen Ba Phat is a delegate from Quang Ninh Province

to the National Assembly. A number of more prominent military
officers are of course National Assembly members. Sr. Col.
Doan Phung, political officer of VPA troops in the Hanoi Capital
District seemed, according to numerous press references in 1972,
to be second only to Party Secretary Nguyen Van Tran in the
city's leadership structure. A cluster of senior colonels like Le
Nam Thang, commander of the Capital Military District, Le Van
Tri, commander of the Anti-Aircraft and Air Force of the VPA,
Hoang Van, his militia counterpart, and Col. Van Giang, secretary
of the VWP Committee of the Capital Air Defense Group may have
acquired something like heroes' status during 1972 particularly
among people in the Hanoi-Haiphong areas.

For the first time, so far as one knows, the Party and
government permitted the Army to stage a conventional "main
force'.' military parade in Hanoi on May D·ay 1973. Tanks, artillery
and missiles were on display as well as the VPA's. best trained
surviving foot soldiers. The entire Politburo except Pham Hung,
joined the President and Vice President of the DRV in cheering
the troops. With them in the reviewing stand was Mme Nguyen

• Thi 'sinh, Foreign Minister of the PRGRSV •

But as the DRV itself (except for its troops still stationed
in Laos, Cambodia and South Viet;..Nam) neared a half year of
peace, one obvious question was to what extent a society badly
needing to give priority to economic goals would continue to support
a large military establishment, and thereby deny itself the use of
personnel and material resources. The Hanoi press kept up an
almost constant flow of critiques and exhortations about the
accomplishments and short-comings of various branches of the
• armed forces, without implying that any degree of demobilization
was contemplated. There were however occasional references to
the employment of troops, even "main force" units, in economic
tasks.

On June 18, 1973 Quan Doi Nhan Dan, the VPA's daily
paper published an editorial "Actively Partidpate In Preventing
Floods And Controlling Floods And Typhoons. It warned that floods
might occur earlier than usual in 1973 asa result of intense heat
in January and February followed by heavy early spring rains.
Military andm.i1itia commands were told to make forecasts and

•
 to be prepa red to partic ipate in basic flood preve ntion
work as
well the prese rvati on of publi c order , "chec king disho
nest and
unscr upulo us peop le's bad actio ns," which is alway s
a majo r
preoc cupat ion in the DRY durin g flood years .

The previ ous mont h, on May 21, Quan Doi Nhan Dan
had
instru cted its reade rs to serio usly under take the "stren
gthen ing
of the milit ia and self-d efens e cadre s both quant itativ
ely and
quali tative ly." Ever y year men from these two categ
ories of
"loca l for.ce s" are "inte grate d into, the army and vario
us state
branc hes," the pape r said. While the cadre struc ture
of the
"loca l force s" them selve s must be main taine d, it contin
ued, plans
must be made for the assig nmen t of men with milit ia
traini ng to
those "mai n force " and civil gover nmen t agenc ies which
neede d
their parti cular skills . Thus the two milit ia force s
were to
contr ibute to the cadre impro veme nt drive annou nced
by the
Polit buro in its Febru ary 1973 resol ution . (See Yiet- Nam Docu -
ment e and Rese arch Notes No. 112 "The Cadr e Task
In 'The
New Phas e' ".)

Ther e may, there fore, b,e ways in which the diffe rence
s
in emph asis in the Febru ary-M ay speec hes of Giap,
who seem ed
deter mine d to keep the overs ized army intac t, can
be recon ciled
with the insist ence of Party leade rs like Le Duan , andP
re)'n ier
Pharn Van Dong that econo mic recon struc tion and grow
th must be
the DRY 's first conce rn in "the new phase " (inclu ding
the provi sion
of more consu mers ' goods and the attain ment of a highe
r cultu ral
level ). Theo retica lly at least it may be that the army
can be a
traini ng base for youth in a varie ty of job skills as
well as a
mobi le labor force to under take emer gency work like
flood contr ol
and devel opme nt tasks like work ing on majo r const ructio
n proje cts.(l )
While the influe nce of "The High Comm and of the YPA"
withi n
the decis ion maki ng proce ss of the DRY may be bridle
d if peace
is prese rved, it is most unlik ely that the impo rtanc e
of the milit ary
as a powe r cente r, and as a press ure group , withi n
the YWP _DRY
will decli ne in the fores eeabl e futur e. Quan Doi Nhan
Dan remin ded
milit ary cadre on May 29, 1973 that Party work must
be kept up
in the arme d force s. Proba tiona ry mem bers, not fully quali fied,
were given full Party mem bersh ip durin g 1972. But
with the war
(1) Quan Doi Nhan Dan in a May 24, 1973 edito rial noted
that army
units were helpi ng harve st the fifth- mont h rice crop
and would
be avail able too for work on the 10th- mont h crop. "Sati
sfact ory
traini ng" and "com bat readi ness" would be main taine d,
it said.
wound-down they were to be given full ideological training.
Experienced Party members were charged with "improving Party
chapter and cell activities." So, while the Army will remain
a potent force within the Party, the Party will, as always,
maintain its ideological and organizational hold within the armed
forces of: the DRV.
 -103-

Chairman of the Industrial

Affairs Board at the
Premier's Office: LE THANH NGHI

Chairman of the Cultural

and Educational Affairs
Board at the Premier's
Office: To HUU (?1958)

Chairman of the Domestic

Affairs Board at the
Premier's Office: TRAN QUOC HOAN

Minister of Agriculture: Nghiem Xuan Yem (Mar 1954)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Van LOC

Tran Viet Hung (?)

Minister of Culture: Hoang Minh Giam (Aug 1954)

Vice-Ministers: Le LIEM (May 1958)

Nguyen Duc Quy

Minister of Education: Nguyen Van Huyen (Nov 1946)

Vice-Ministers: Ha Huy GIAP (1956)

Minister of Finance: Hoang ANH (Nov 1958)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Thanh Son (May 1958)

Trinh Van Binh (Mar 1946)

Minister of Foreign Affairs: PHAM VAN DONG (Aug 1954)

Vice-Ministers: Ung Van KHIEM .(1954)

Nguyen Co Thach (Jan 1960)

Minister of Interior: Phan Ke Toai (Aug 1947)

Minister of Labor: Nguyen Van Tao (Mar 1946)

Minister of Home Trade: Do MUor (Apr 1958)

Vice-Ministers: Hoang Quoc Thinh (1958)

 -104-

Minister of Foreign Trade: Phan Anh (Apr 1958)

Vice-Ministers: Ly BAN (May 1958)

Hoang Van Diem

Minister of Heavy Industry: Nguyen Van TRAN (1)

Vice-Ministers: Tran Dai Nghia (2)

Minister of Light Industry: Kha Vang Can (1)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Van Kha

Ngo Minh LOAN (3)

Minister of National Defense: VO NGUYEN GIAP (A\l.g 1948)

Minister of Public Health: Pham Ngoc Thach (Dec 1958)

Vice-Ministers: Vu Van Cau

Ton That Tung (Nov 1946)
Dinh Thi Can

Minister of Public Security: TRAN QUOC HOAN (1953)

Vice-Ministers: Le Quoc THAN (may 1958)

Minister of Communications
and Transportation: Phan Trong TUE

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Huu MAl

Minister of Water Conser-

vation: . Duong Quoc CHINH

Minister of Construction: Bui Quang TAO (Apr 1958)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen CON (May 1959)

Minister of State Farms: Tran Huu DUC (Mar 1960)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Quang Xa (?) .

 -105-

Chairman of the State Plan-

ning Commission: NGUYEN DUY TRINH (Dec 1958)

Vice-Chairmen: Nguyen CON (Apr 1960)

Dang Viet Chau (1960)

Chairman of the State Scien-

tific and Technical Com-
mission:

Chairman of the State Basic

Construction Commission:

Chairman of the Nationalities

Comtnission: Le Quang BA (May 1960)

Chairman of the State Inspec-

tion Commis sion: Nguyen Thanh BINH (Dec 1959)

Chairman of the State Reuni-

fication Commission: Nguyen Van VINH

Chairman of the National

Assembly Standing Committee: TRUONG CHINH

Secretary-General: HOANG V AN HOAN

Vice-Chairmen: (Nguyen) Xuan THUY (4)

HOANG VAN HOAN
Ung Van KHIEM
Chu Van TAN
Nguyen Xi en
Tran Dang Khoa

(1) The Ministries of Light and Heavy Industry were created· from
the Ministry of Industry in July 1960.

(2) Nghia had been a Vice-Minister of Industry since September 1955.

(3) LOAN had been a Vice-Minister of Industry since May 19.59.

(4) THUY succeeded HOANd VAN ROAN as secretary general when

HOAN resigned that post in October 1962.
 -106-

The Government of the

Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam
July 1964

President: HO CHI MINH (Sep 1945)

Vice-President: Ton Duc THANG (Ju1 1960)

Premier: PHAM VAN DONG (Aug 1955)

Vice-Premiers: PHAM HUNG (1958)

VO NGUYEN GIAP (Sep 1955)
NGUYEN DUY TRINH (Jul 1960)
LE THANH NGHI (Ju1 1960)
Phan Ke Toai (Sep 1955)

Chairman of the Agricultural

Affairs Board at the
Premier's Office: Tun Huu DUC (Jan 1963)

Vice- Chairmen: Nguyen Quang Xa (Jan 1963)

Tran Viet Hung (Jan 1963)

Chairman of the Financial and

Commercial Affairs· Board
at the Premier's Office: PHAM HUNG (Jan 1963)

Chairman of the Industrial

Affairs Board at the
Premier's Office: LE THANH NGHI (poss 1960)

Chairman of the Cultural and

Educational Affairs Board
at the Premier's Office: Le LlEM (Jan 1963)

Vice-Chairmen: Ngo Tan Nhon (Jan 1963)

Secretary of State at the

Premier's Office: Nguyen KHANG (1)

(1) Khang was known to have held this position in early 1965
and it is probable he held the position in 1964.
 -107-

Chairman of the Domestic

Affairs Board at the
Premier I s Office: TRAN QUOC HOAN (poss 1960)

Minister of Agriculture: Duong Quoc CHINH (Jan 1963)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Van LOC (Jul 1960)

Le Quang Tuan (Jan 1963)

Minister of Culture: Hoang Minh Giam (Aug 1954)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Duc Quy (Jul 1960)

Ha Huy GIAP (Jan 1963)

Minister of Education: Nguyen Van Huyen (Nov 1946)

Vice-Ministers: Le Van Giang (Jan 1961)

Nguyen Khanh TOAN (Jan 1963)
Vo Thuan Nho (Nov 1963)

Minister of Finance: Hoang ANH (Nov 1958)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Thanh Son (May 1958)

Trinh· Van Binh (Mar 1946)

Minister of Foreign Affairs: (Nguyen) Xuan THUY (Apr 1963)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Co Thach (Jan 1960)

Hoang Van Tien (Dec 1961)
Hoang Van Loi (1963)

Minister of Interior: Ung Van KHIEM (Apr 1963)

Vice-Ministers: Le Tat Dac (1962)

To Quang Dau (?)

Minister of Labor: Nguyen Van Tao (Mar 1946)

Vice-Ministers: Bui Quy (Jan 1963)

Minister of Home Trade: Nguyen Thanh BINH (Jan 196~)

Vice-Ministers: Hoang Quoc Thinh (1958)

 -108-

Mini ster of Forei gn Trade : Phan Anh (Apr 1958)

Vice- Mini sters: Ly BAN (May 1958)

Hoan g Van Diem (Nov 1960)
Nghie m Ba Duc (Jan 1963)

Mini ster of Heav y Indus try: Nguy en Van TRAN (Ju1 1960)

Vice- Mini sters: Nguy en Xuan Lam (Jan 1963)

Mini ster of Light Indus try: Kha Vang Can (Ju1 1960)

Vice- Mini sters: Ngo Minh LOAN (Ju1 1960)

Nguy en Van Kha (Ju1 1960)

Mini ster of Natio nal Defen se: VO NGUY EN GIAP (Aug 1948)

Vice- Mini sters: LTG Hoan g Van THAI (Feb 1961)

LTG Song HAO (Feb 1961)
MG Tran Quy HAl (Feb 1961)
MG Tran Sam (1962 )

Mini ster of Publi c Healt h: Pham Ngoc Thach (Dec 1958)

Vice- Mini sters: Vu Van Can (Aug 1960)

Mrs. Dinh .Thi CAN (1962 )

Mini ster of Publi c Secur ity: TRAN QUOC HOAN (1953 )

Vice- Mini sters: Le Quoc Than (1958 )

Mini ster of Comm unica tions

and Trans porta tion: Phan Trong TUE (Ju1 1960)

Vice- Mini sters: Nguy en Huu MAl (Aug 1960)

Duon g Bach Lien (Jun 1961)
Nguy en Tuong Lan (Jan 1963.)

Mini ster of Wate r Cons ervat ion: Ha Ke TAN (Jan 1963)

Vice- Mini sters: Phan My (Jun 1962)

 -109-

Mini ster of Cons tructi on: Bui Quan g TAO (Apr 1958)

Vice- Mini sters:

Mini ster of State Farm s: Nghie m Xuan Yem (Jan 1963)

Vice- Mini sters: Le Duc Ninh (Jan 1963)

Chair man of the State Plan-

ning Comm ission : NGUY EN DUY TRIN H (Dec 1958)

Vice- Chair men: Nguy en CON (Apr 1960)

Dang Viet Chau (Jul 1960)
Le Viet Luong (Jan 1963)

Chair man of the State Scien -

tific and Tech nical
Comm ission : NGUY EN DUY TRIN H (Jan 1963)

Vice- Chair men: Le Khac (Jan 1963)

Chair man of the State Basic

Cons tructi on Comm ission : LE THAN H NGHI (Jan 1963)

Vice- Chair men: Tran Dai Nghia (Jan 1963)

Nguy en Van Phuon g (Jan 1963)

Chair man of the Natio naliti es

Comm ission : Le Quan g BA (?)

Chair man of the State Inspe c-

tion Comm ission : Nguy en Luong BANG (?)

Chair man of the State Reun i_

ficati on Comm ission : Nguy en Van VINH (?)

Chair man of the Natio nal

Assem bly Stand ing
Comm ittee: TRUO NG CH'INH

Secre tary- Gene ral: Ton Quan g Phiet (Apr 1963)

Vice- Chair men: HOAN G V AN HOAN

 -llO-

Vice-Chairmen of the National

Assembly Standing Committee
( continued): Nguyen Xien
Tran Dang Khaa
Nguyen Thi TRAP
Chu Van TAN
Nguyen Van Huang

.. )
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _.. _,-- ---.~- .. --_. __._--_ ... ,---,------

-111-

The Govermnent of the

Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam
July 1969

President: HO CHI MINH (Sep 1945)

Vice-President: Ton Duc THANG (Ju1 1960)

Premier: PHAM VAN DONG (Aug 1955) 1

Vice-Premiers: PHAM HUNG (1958)

VO NGUYEN GIAP (Sep 1955)
NGUYEN DUY TRINH (Ju1 1960)
LE THANH NGHI (Ju1 1960)
Nguyen CON (Nov 1967)
Phan Ke Toai (Sep 1955)

Chairman of the Agricultural

Affairs Board at the
Premier's Office: Nguyen Van LOC (Nov 1967) 2

Vice-Chairmen: Tran Viet Hung (Jan 1963)

Chairman of the Financial

and Commercial Affairs
Board at the Premier's
Office: Nguyen Thanh BINH (Nov 1966)

Vice-Chairmen: Hoang Van Diem (Apr 1965)

Chairman of the Industrial

Affairs Board at the
Premier's Office: Tran Danh TUYEN (Feb 1967)

Vice-Chairmen:

Chairman of the Cultural and

Educational Affairs Board
at the Premier's Office: Tran Quang HUY (Apr 1968) 3

Vice- Chairmen:
 -112-

Chairman of the Domestic Ai-

fairs Board at the
Premier's Office: Nguyen Van Tao (Oct 1965)

Vice-Chairmen:

Minister at the Premier's

Office: Tran Huu DUC (Apr 1965)

Minister Without Portfolio: (Nguyen)Xuan THUY (Apr 1968)

Minister of Agriculture: Nguyen Van LOC (Nov 1967)

Vice-Ministers: Le Quang Tuan (Jan 1963)

Chu Van Bien (Apr 1965)
Pham Van Chieu (Feb 1966)
Hoang Ba Son (May 1968)
Nguyen Chuong (May 1968)
Le Trung Dinh. (Nov 1968)

Minister of Culture: Hoang Minh Giam (Aug 1954)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Duc Quy (Ju1 1960)

Ha Huy GIAP (Jan 1963)
Ha Xuan Truong (Feb 1965)

Minister of Education: Nguyen Van Huyen (Nov 1946)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Khanh TOAN (Nov 1946)

Vo Thuan Nho (Nov 1963)
Le LIEM (Dec 1966)

Minister of Higher Educa-

tion and Vocational Middle
Schools: 5 Ta Quang Buu (Oct 1965)

Vice-Ministers: Tran Trong (Oct 1967)

Le Van Giang (May 1968)
Hoang Xuan Tuy (Apr 1969)

Minister of Finance: Dang Viet Chau (Apr 1965)

Vice-Ministers: Trinh Van Binh (Mar 1946)

Nguyen Thanh Son (May 1958)
 -113-

Minister of Foreign Affairs: NGUYEN DUY TRINH (Apr 1965)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Co Thach (Jan 1960)

Hoang Van Tien (Dec 1961)
Hoang Van Loi (1963)

Minister of Interior: Ung Van KHIEM (Apr 1963)

Vice-Ministers: Le Tat Dac (1962)

To Quang Dau (?)
Nguyen Van Ngoc (Jan 1967)

Minister of Labor: Nguyen Huu KHIEU (Oct 1965)

Vice-Ministers: Bui Quy (Jan 1963)

Mrs. Le Minh Hien (Jan 1967)

Minister of Home Trade: Hoang Quoc Thinh (Nov 1967) 6

Vice-Ministers: Bui Van Bao (Apr 1965)

Tran Van Hien (Jan 1967)
Le Thi Dieu Muoi (Apr 1968)

Minister of Foreign Trade: Phan Anh (Apr 1958)

Vice-Ministers: Ly BAN (May 1958)

Nghiem Ba Due (Jan 1963)
Nguyen Chanh (Jan 1967)
7
Minister of Heavy Industry: Nguyen Huu MAI (Nov 1967)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Xuan Lam (Jan 1963)

Nguyen Chan (Jan 1967)
Dinh Duc THIEN (Aug 1960)
Bui Dinh Dong (Nov 1967)
Vu Anh (Apr 1968)

Minister of Light Industry: Kha Vang Can ~Ju1 1960)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Duc Tam (Mar 1965)

Phan Van Huu (Jan 1967)
Ho Thi Chi (Jun 1967) t
 -114-

Minister of National Defense: VO NGUYEN GlAP (Nov 1946)

Vice-Ministers: LTG Hoang Van THAI (Feb 1961)

LTG Song HAO (Feb 1961)
MG Tran Quy HAI (Feb 1961)
MG Tran Sam (1962)
MG Nguyen DON (Ju1 1967)
MG Tran Chung (Jan 1969)

Minister of Public Security: TRAN QUOC HOAN (1953)

Vice-Ministers: Le Quoc THAN (May 1958)

Ngo Ngoc Du (Ju1 1966)
Pham Kiet (Jan 1967.)

Minister of Public Health: Nguyen Van Huong (Mar 1969) 8

Vice-Ministers: Vu Van Can (Ju1 1960)

Mrs. Dinh Thi CAN (Ju1 1960)
Nguyen Duc Thang (Aug 1964)
Nguyen Van Tin (Apr 1969)
Vo Cong Thuyet (Apr 1969)

Minister of Communications
and Transportation: Phan Trong TUE (Ju1 1960)

Vice-Ministers: Duong Bach Lien (Jun 1961)

Nguyen Tuong Lan (Jan 1963)
Hong Xich Tam (Sep 1965)

Minister of Water Conserva-

tion: Ha Ke TAN (Jan 1963)

Vice-Ministers: Phan My (Jun 1962)

Nguyen Nhu Quy (Jan 1967)

Minister of Construction: Bui Quang TAO (Apr 1958)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Cao Luyen (Jan 1967)

Vu Quy (Jan 1967)
 -115-

Minister of State Farms: Nghiem Xuan Yem (Jan 1963)

Vice-Ministers: Le Duc Ninh (Jan 1963)

Nguyen Van Tri (Jan 1967)
Le Duy Trinh (Jan 1967)
Nguyen Quang Xa (Jan 1967)
Le Xuan Tai (Mar 1969)

Chairman of the State Plan-

ning Commission: Nguyen CON (Apr 1965)

Vice-Chairmen: Le Viet Luong (Jan 1963)

MG Tran Quy HAl (Apr 1965)
Nguyen Van Kha (Sep 1966)
Dang Thi (Ju1 1968)
Nguyen Van Dao (Jan 1969)
Le Khac (? 1968)

Chairman of the State

Scientific and Technical
Commission: Tran Dai Nghia (Oct 1965)

Vice-Chairmen: ? Le Khac (Jan 1963)

? Nguyen Khanh TOAN (Aug 1960)

Chairman of the State Basic

Construction Commis sion: Tran Dai Nghia (Ju1 1964)

Vice-Chairmen: Nguyen Van Phuong (Jan 1963)

Chairman of the State Nation-

alities Commission: Le Quang BA(Jul 1960)

Vice-Chairmen:

Chairman of the State Reunifi"

cation Commission: Nguyen Van VINH (Jul 1960)

Vice- Chairmen:
 -116-

Chairman of the State Price

Commission: 9 Nguyen Thanh BINH (Nov 1966)

Vice-Chairmen:

Chairman of the State Social

Sciences Commission: Nguyen Khanh TOAN (Oct 1968)

Vice-Chairmen:

Chairman of the National As,;,

sembly Standing Committee: TR UONG CHINH (Ju1 1960)

Secretary-General: Ton Quang Phiet (Apr 1963)

Vice-Chairmen: HOANG VAN HOAN (Ju1 1960)

Nguyen Xi en (Ju1 1960)
Tran Dang Khoa (Ju1 1960)
Nguyen Thi THAP (1964)
Chu Van TAN (Ju1 1960)

NOTES:

1 By July 1969, Hung, although officially a Vice-Premier

until June 1971, had been in the South directing COSVN
operations for almost two years.

2 Loc did not assume this position from Tran Huu DUC, who
was Board Chairman in July 1964, but from Hoang ANH.
ANH, in turn, had replaced Duong Quoc CHINH, who had
held the position since April 1965.

3 Le LIEM, who had held this position since January 1963,

was relieved in October 1965. It is not known who held
the position between that date and April 1968.

4 LOC replaced Hoang ANH, who had taken over the Ministry
in April 1965 from Duong Quoc CHINH.
 -117-

5 The Ministry of Higher Education and Vocational Middle

Schools split off from the Ministry of Education in October
1965.

6 Thinh was named Acting Minister in November 1966, when

Nguyen Thanh BINH took over the Financial and Commercial
Affairs Board at the Premier's Office.

7 MAl took over from LE THANH NGHI, who had briefly held
the position from February to November 1967.

8 Huong had been Acting Minister since the death of Pham

Ngoc Thach in December 1968.

9 The State Price Commission was formed in April 1965. Its

first Chairman was PHAM HUNG.

•
 -118-

The Gove rnme nt of the

Demo cratic Repu blic of Viet- Nam
July 1970

Presi dent: Ton Duc Than g(De c 1969)1

Vice -Pres ident : Nguy en Luong Bang (Dec 1969)

Prem ier: PHAM VAN DONG (Aug 1955)

l?HAM HUNG (1958)

VO NGUY EN GLAP (Sep 1955)

NGUY EN DUY TRIN H (Jul 1960)

LE THAN H NGHI (Jul 1960)

Nguy en CON (Nov 1967)

Do MUO I (Dec 1969)

Phan Ke Toai (Sep 1955)

Mini ster at the Prem ier's

Offic e: Tran Huu DUC (Apr 1965)
Mini ster Witho ut Portf olio: Nguy en Xuan THUY (Apr 1968)

Chair man of the Econ omic

Affai rs Board at the Prem ier's
Offic e: 2 Do MUO I (Dec 1969)
•
Vice Chair men:

Chair man of the Cultu ral aad

Educ ation al Affai rs Board at the
Prem ier's Offic e: Tran Quan g HUY (Apr 1968)

Vice- Chair men: Ngo Tan Nhon (Jan 1963)

Chair man of .the Dome stic

Affai rs Board at the Prem ier's
Offic e: Nguy en Van Tao (Oct 1965)
 -119-
Mini ster of Agric ultur e:
Vice -Min isters :
Mini ster of Grain and Food
Prod ucts: * Ngo Minh LOAN (Dec 1969)
Vice -Min isters :
Mini ster of Cultu re:
Vice -Min ister s:
Mini ster of Educ ation :
Vice -Min isters :
Mini ster of Highe r Educ ation
and Voca tiona l Midd le
Schoo ls:
Vice -Min isters :
Mini ster of Finan ce:
V ice -Min ister s:
Mini ster of Forei gn Affai rs:
Vice -Min isters :
Mini ster of Inter ior:
Vice- Mini sters:
* Creat ed in Dece mber 1969.
Hoang ANH (Apr 1965)
Le Quan g Tuan (Jan 1963)
Chu Van Bien (Apr 1965)
Hoang Ba Son (May 1968)
Nguy en Chuo ng (May 1968)
Le Trung Dinh (Nov 1968)
Nguy en Quan g (Sep 1969)
Tran Van Hien (Dec 1969)
Hoang Minh Giam (Aug 1954)
Nguy en Duc Quy (Ju1 1960)
Ha HUy GIAP (Jan 1963)
Ha Xuan Truon g (Feb 1965)
Nguy en Van Huye n (Nov 1946)
Nguy en Khan h TOAN (Jan 1963)
Vo Thua n Nho (Nov 1963)
Le LIEM (Dec 1966)
Ta Quan g Buu (Oct 1965)
Tran Trong (Oct 1967)
Le Van Giang (May 1968)
Hoang Xuan Tuy (Apr 19·69)
Dang Viet Chau (Apr 1965)
Nguy en Thanh Son (May 1958)
Trinh Van Binh (Mar 1946)
NGUY EN DUY TRIN H (Apr 1965)
Nguy en Co Thach (Jan 1960)
Hoan g Van Tien (Dec 1961)
Hoang Van Loi (1963)
Ung Van KHIE M (Apr 1963)
Le Tat Dac (1962 )
To Quan g Dau (?)
Nguy en Van Ngoc · (Jan 1967)
Nguy en Thanh Binh (Dec 1969)
Le Dinh Thiep (Mar 1970)
 -120

Minister of Labor: Nguyen Huu KHIEU (Oct 1965)

Vice-Ministers: Bui Quy (Jan 1963)
Mrs. Le Minh Hien (Jan 1967)

Minister of Home Trade: Hoang Quoc Thinh (Nov 1967) ,

Vice-Ministers: Bui Van Bao (Apr 1965)
Le Thi Dieu Muoi (Apr 1968)
Minister of Foreign Trade: Phan Anh (Apr 1958)
Vice -Ministers: Ly BAN (May 1958)
Nghiem Ba Duc (Jan 1963)
Nguyen Chanh(Jan 1967)
Minister .of Materials: 3 Tran Danh TUYEN (Dec 1969)
Vice-Ministers:
Minister of Power and Coal:4 Nguyen Huu MAl (Dec 1969)
Vice-Ministers:
Minister of Engineering and
Metallurgy:4 Dinh Duc THIEN5 (poss 1970)
Vice -Ministers:
Minister of Light Industry: Kha Vang Can (Jul 1960)
Vice -Ministers: Nguyen Duc Tam (Mar 1965)
Phan Van Huu (Jan 1967)
Ho Thi Chi (Jun 1967)
Minister of National Defense: VO NGUYEN GIAP (Aug 1948)
Vice-Ministers: LTG Hoang Van THAI (Feb 1961)
LTG Song HAO (Feb 1961)
MG Tran Quy HAl (Feb 1961)
MG Tran Sam (1962)
MG Nguyen DON (Mar 1968)
MG Tran Chung (Jan 1969)
Minister of Publdc Health: Nguyen Van Huong (Mar 1969)
Vice -Ministers: Vu Van Can (Aug 1960)
Mrs. Dinh Thi CAN (1962)
Nguyen Duc Th1;1ng (Aug .19,64)
Nguyen Van Tin (Apr 1969)
Vu Cong Thuyet(Apr 1969)
Minister of Public Security:.· TRAN QUOC HOAN (1953)
Vice-Ministers: Le Quoc Than (1958)
Ngo Ngoc Du (Jul 1966)
Pham Kiet (Jan 1967)
 -121-
Minister of Communications
and Transportation:
Vice -Minister s:
Minister of Water Conservation Ha Ke TAN (Jan 1963)
Vice-Ministers:
Minister of Construction:
Vice-Ministers:
Minister of State Farms:
Vice -Ministers:
Chai.rman of the State Planning
Commission:
Vice-Chairmen:
Chairman of the State Scientific
and Techinca1 Commission:
Vice-Chairmen:
Chairman of the State Basic
Construction Commission:
Vice -Chairrrien:
Chairman of the Nationalities
Commission:
Vice -Chairmen:
Phan Trong TUE (Jul 1960)
Duong Bach Lien (Jun 1961)
Nguyen Tuong Lan (Jan 1963)
Hoang Xich Tam (Sep 1965)
Phan My (Jun 1962)
Nguyen Nhu Quy (Jan 1967)
Bui Quang TAO (Apr 1958)
Nguyen Cao Luyen (Jan 1967)
Vu Quy (Jan 1967)
Nghiem Xuan Yem (Jan 1963)
Le Duc Ninh (Jan 1963)
Nguyen Van Tri (Jan 1967)
Le Duy Trinh (Jan 1967)
Nguyen Quang Xa (Jan 1967)
Le Xuan Tai (Mar 1969)
Nguyen CON (Apr 1965)
Le Viet Luong (Jan 1963)
MG Tran Quy HAl (Apr 1965)
Nguyen Van Kha (Dec 69)
Dang Thi (Dec 69)
Nguyen Van Dao (Jan 1969)
Nguyen LAM (Dec 1969)
NGUYEN DUY TR:lNH (Jan 1963)
Le Khac (Jan 1963)
LE THANH NGHI (Jan 1963)
Tran Dai Nghia (Jan 1963)
Nguyen Van Phuong (Jan 1963)
Le Quang BA (?)
 -122-

Chairman of the State Reuni-

fication Commis sion: Nguyen Van VINH (?)

Vice-Chairmen:

Chairman of the State Price

Commission: Nguyen Thanh BINH (Nov 1966)

Chairman of the State In-

spection Commis sion: 6 Nguyen Thanh BINH (Dec 1969)
.,
Chairman of the National
Assembly Standing Committee: TRUONG CHINH

Secretary-GenElral: Ton Quang Phiet (Apr 1963)

Vice -Chairmen: HOANG VAN HOAN (?)

Nguyen Xien (?)
Tran Dang Khoa (?)
Nguyen Thi THAP (?)
Chu Van TAN (?)
Nguyen Van Huong (?)

1. According to the Constitution of the DRV, THANGbecanie

President upon Ho's death. However, he was not confirmed
in that position until December 1969.

2. The Economic Affairs Board was created in December 1969

to replace the Agricultural, Industrial, and Financial and
Commercial Affairs Boards.

3. In December 1969. the G'eneral Department of Materials

became the Ministry of Materials.

4. In December 1969. the Ministry of Heavy Industry was disband-

ed to form the Ministry of Power and Coal a,nd the Ministry
of Engineering and Metallurgy.

5. Although Thien was not named as Minister at thecreaHon ,of the

Ministry of Engineering and Metallurgy in December ,1969. he
is as sumed to have taken office shortly thereafter.'

6. The State Inspection Commission was, recr,ea,tedin ,December

•
1969.
 -123-

The Government of the

Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam
15 June 1973

President: Ton Duc THANG (Dec 1969)

Vice -Pre sident: Nguyen Luong BANG (Dec 1969)

Premier: PHAM VAN DONG (Aug 1955)

Vice-Premiers: VO NGUYEN GIAP (Sep 1955)

NGUYEN DUY TRINH (Ju1 1960) 1
LE THANH NGHI (Jul 1960)
Nguyen CON (Nov 1967)
Do MUOI (Dec 1969)
Hoang ANH (Apr 1971)
Phan K:e Toai (Sep 1955) 1

Minister of National Defense: VO NGUYEN GIAP (Aug 1948)

Vice -Ministers: Hoang Van THAI (Feb 1961)

Song HAO (Feb 1961)
Tran Sam (1962)
Tran Quy HAl (Feb 1961)
Nguyen DON (Mar 1968)
Tran Chung (Jan 1969)

(see also separate listing)

\:"
Minister of Foreign Affairs: NGUYEN DUY TRINH (Apr 1965)

.Vice-Ministers.:. Nguyen Co 'Thach (Jan 1960)

Hoang Van Tien (Dec 1961)
Hoang Van Loi (1963)

Minister of Public Security: TRAN QUOC HOAN (1953)

Le Quoc 'THAN (May 1958)

Ngo Ngoc Du (Jul 1966)
Maj. Gen. J?hatn Kiet (Jan 1967)
Viep, Chi (N'ov 1970) .

1 Toai died on June 26, 1973 aged 84. Dong and Nghi were on
a mission to North Korea at the time. Trinh,·· who delivered
Toai's eulogy, was referred to as "Acting Premier."
 -124-

Minister of Interior: . Duong Quoc CHINH (June 1971),

Vice -Minister s: LeTat Dac (1962)

To Quang Dau (?)
Nguyen Van Ngoc (Jan 1967)
Nguyen Thanh Binh (Dec 1969)
Le Dinh Thiep (Mar 1970)
Nguyen Ngoc Thuong (?)

Minister Without Portfolio: (Nguyen) Xuan THUY (Apr 1968)

Chairman of the State Nationalities •

Commission: Le Quang BA (Jul 1960)

Secretary (?) Standing Committee

of Council of Ministers Nguyen CON (Jun 1973)

Chairman of the State Planning

Commission: Nguyen LAM (Jun 1973)

Vice-Chairmen: Nguyen Van Sang (1)

Nguyen Van Kha (Dec 1969) (1)
Nguyen Van Dao (Jan 1969)
T ran Quy HAl (Apr 1965)
Le Khac (1968)
Le Viet Luong (Jan 1963)
Nguyen Van Phuong (7 1970)
Ho Viet Thang (? 1968)

Minister of Finance: Dang Viet Chau (Apr 1965)

Vice-Ministers: Trinh Van Binh (Mar 1946)

Nguyen Thanh Son (May 1958)
Dang Dinh Long (Jan 1972)
\
Dao Thien Thi (1973)
Nguyen Van Trieu (7)

Director General of State

Banks: Ta Hoang Co (Apr 1963)

Chairman of the State. Commission

for Price Control: Nguyen LAM (June 1971)

MiniiSter .of.Building . . Do. MUOI (J'll,n~ 1.97})

•
 -125-

Central Agricultural Commission

Chairman: Hoang ANH (Apr 1971) (2)

Ministers, Vice-Chairmen: Nguyen Van LOC (Apr 1971)

Nghiem Xuan Yem (Apr 1971)

Minister of Water Conservation: Nguyen Thanh BINH (Jun 1973)

Vice -Ministers: Tran Manh Quy (?)

Nguyen Nhu Quy (Jan 1967)

Minister of Power and Coal: Nguyen Huu MAl (Dec 1969)

Vice-Ministers: Vu Anh (Probably Dec. 1967)

Bui Dinh Dong Pro. Dec 1967)
Nguyen Chan ( " " " )
H~ang Huu Nhan (" " " )
Nguyen Van Phuong ( " " " )
Nguyen Van Hung (Oct 1970)
Nguyen Xuan Lam (Jan 1971)
Le Ba (1 Nov 1972)

Minister of Engineering and

Metallurgy: Dinh Duc THIEN (poss 1970)

Vice -Minister s: Nguyen Duy Thai (Jan 1971)

Tran Diep (Jun 1971)
Le Viet Thuong (Jan 1972)

Minister of Light Industry: Kha Vang Can (Ju1 1960)

Vice-Ministers: Nguyen Duc Tam (Mar 1965)

Pham Van Huu (Jan 1967)
Ho Thi Chi (Mar 1969)
Tran Huu Du (Feb 1970)

Minister of Grain and Food

Products: Ngo Minh LOAN (Dec 1969)

Vice-Ministers: Dang Gia (Dec 1971)

Tran Van Hien (Dec 1969)
Dang Van Thien (Jun 1971)
Luu Thi Phuong Mai (Ju1 1971)
 -126-

Minister of Communications
and Transportation: Phan Trong TUE (Jul 1960)

Vice-Ministers; Duong Bach Lien (Jun 1961)

Hong Xich Tam (Sep 1965)
Dinh Ngoc Diet (Feb 1971)
Vu Quang (Jun 1971)

Minister of Labor: Nguyen Huu KHIEU (Oct 1965) ,

Vice-Ministers: Bui Quy (Jan 1963)
Nguyen Dang (Jan 1967)
Mrs. Le Minh Hien (Jan 1967)
Mrs. Le Chan Phuong (?)

Minister of Materials: Tran Danh TUYEN (1970)

V ice -Minister s: Hoang Trinh (Nov 1970)

Minister of Home Trade: Hoang QUQC Thinh (Nov 1967)

Vice-Ministers: Bui Van Bao (Apr 1965)

Le Dong (Jan 1967) )
Le Thi Dieu Muoi (Apr 1968)
Vu Tuan (?)
Ha Uyen (Oct 1970)

Minister of Foreign Trade: Phan Anh (Apr 1958)

Vice-Ministers: Ly BAN (May 1958)

Nghiem Ba Duc (Jan 1963)
Nguyen Chanh (Jan 1967)
Nguyen Van Dao (Feb 1972)

Minister of CultUre: Hoang Minh Giam (Aug 1954)

Vice-Ministers: Cu Huy Can (1956)

Nguyen Duc Quy (Jul1960)
Ha Huy GIAP (Jan 1963)
Ha Xuan Truong (Feb 1965)

C)
-------------------------------------~~------
-12.7-
Minister of Education:
Vice-Ministers:
Minister of Higher Education
and Vocational Middle
Schools:
Vice -Minister s:
Minister of Public Health:
Vice-Ministers:
Minister -in-Charge of
Construction Da River Dam
Chairman of the State
Inspection Commission:
State Social Sciences
Commission Chairman:
Minister of the Premier's
Office:
Minister Coordinator of
Cultural and Educational
Affairs in the Premier's
Office:
--------
Nguyen Van Huyen (Nov 1946)
Ho Truc (?)
Nguyen Khanh TOAN (Jan 1963)
Vo Thuan Nho (Nov 1963)
Le LIEM (Dec 1966)
Le Chuong (Dec 1971)
.
Ta Quang Buu (Oct 1965)
Tran Trong (Oct 1967)
Le Van Giang (May 1968)
Hoang Xuan Tuy (Apr 1969)
Nguyen Van Huong (Mar 1969)
Vu Van Can (Aug 1960) (3)
Mrs. Dinh Thi CAN (1962.)
Nguyen Duc Thang (Aug 1964)
Nguyen Van Tin (Apr 1969)
Vu Cong Thuyet (Apr 1969)
Ha Kec TAN (June 1973)
Nguyen Khanh TOAN (Oct 1968)
Tran Huu DUC (Apr 1965)
Tran Quy HUY (1968)
designated as Minister Coordinator of
Culture and Education since June 1971
 -128-

Director of Cabinet of the

Premier IS Office: Phan My (Apr 1973) (4)

Chairman of the State

Reunification Commission: Nguyen Van VINH (1964)

** ****
Chairman of the National
Assembly Standing Committee: TRUONG CHINH (Jul 1960)

Vice-Chairmen: HOANG VAN HOAN (1958)

Nguyen Xien (1946)
Tran Dang Khoa (Jul 1960)
Chu Van TAN (Apr 1960)
Nguyen Thi THAP (1964)

Secretary-General: Ton Quang Phiet (Apr 1963)

Members - See Viet-Nam llicuments: and Research Notes No.103

(Appendix C)

(1) Nguyen Van Kha was identified in March 1973 as holding ministerial
rank, as were the two deputy chairmen Nguyen Lam and Nguyen
Van Sang in the official 1971 National Assembly list.

(2) The Central Agricultural Commission was created in April 1971

when the Ministries of Agriculture and State Farms and the
Managerial Board of Agricultural Cooperatives were merged.
Both LOC and Yem the former heads of the ministries absorbed,
hold ministerial rank.

(3) Can was identified in late May 1973 as Acting Minister of Public
Health. There is no information available on the health of
Minister Huong.

(4) The position of Director of the Cabinet of the Premier'sOffice

appears to have been created in April 1971. Its first occupant
was Dang Thi, who also held ministerial rank. Phan My replaced
Thi in mid-April 1973. It is not known if he also assumed minis-
terial rank, although it is likely he did.
 -129-

The Council of Ministers of the

Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam1

July 1960

PHAM VAN DONG (Sep 1945) Nguyen Van TRAN (Ju1 1960)

Phan Ke Toai (Aug 1947) Kha Vang Can (Jul 1960)

VO NGUYEN GlAP (Sep. 1945) Pham Ngoc Thach (Sep 1945)

PHAM HUNG (Dec ? 1958) TRAN QUOC HOAN (1953)

LE THANH NGH! (Sep 1955) Phan Trong TUE (Ju1 1960)

NGUYEN DUY TRINH (Dec 1958) Duong Quoc CHINH (Jul 1960)

Nghiem Xuan Yem (Mar 1954) Bui Quang TAO (Apr 1958)

Hoang Minh Giam (Aug 1954) Tran Huu DUC (Jul 1960)

Nguyen Van Huyen (Nov 1946) Le Quang BA (Jul 1960)

Hoang ANH (Nov 1958) Nguyen Thanh BINH (Dec 1959)

Nguyen Van Tao (Mar 1946) Nguyen Van VINH (Ju1 1960)

Do MUOI (Apr 1958) Nguyen Luong BANG (1957)

Phan Anh (Jan 1947) Le Viet Luong (?)

1 According to Article 72 of the DRV Constitution, the Council

of Ministers consists of the Prerp.ier~ Vice Premiers, Ministers,
Chairmen of State Commissions and the Director of the National
Bank.
 -130-

The Council of Minister of the

Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam

July 1964

PHAM VAN DONG (Sep 1945) Nguyen Thanh BINH (Dec 1959)

VO NGUYEN GIAP (Sep 1945) Phan Anh (Jan 1947)

Phan Ke Toai (Aug 1947) Nguyen Van TRAN (Ju1 1960)

PHAM HUNG (Dec ? 1958) Kha Vang Can (Jul 1960)

LE THANH NGHI (Sep 1955) Pham Ngoc Thach (Sep 1946)

NGUYEN DUY TRINH (Dec 1958) Phan Trong TUE (Jul 1960)

Nguyen KHANG (Sep 1960) Ha Ke TAN (Jan 1963)

Duong Quoc CHINH (Ju1 1960) Bui Quang TAO (Apr 1958)

Hoang Minh Giam (Aug 1954) Nghiem Xuan Yem (Mar 1954)

Nguyen Van Huyen (Nov 1946) Tran Dai Nghia (Ju1 1964)

Hoang ANH (Nov 1958) Le Quang BA (Ju1 1960)

(Nguyen) Xuan THUY (Apr 1963) Nguyen Luong BANG (1957)

Ung Van KHIEM (Apr 1963) Nguyen Van VINH (Jul 1960)

Nguyen Van Tao (Mar 1946) Ta Hoang Co (April 1963)

TRAN QUOC HOAN (1953)

 -131-

The Council of Minister of the

Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam

July 1969

PHAM VAN DONG (Sep 1945) Hoang Quoc Thinh (Nov 1967)

PHAM HUNG (Dec ? 1958) Phan Anh (Jan 1947)

VO NGUYEN GIAP (Sep 1945) Nguyen Huu MAl (Nov 1967)

NGUYEN DUY TRINH (Dec 1958)
LE THANH NGHI (Sep 1955)
Nguyen CON (Apr 1965)
Phan Ke Toai (Aug 1947)
Tran Huu DUC (Apr 1965)1
Kha Vang Can (Jul 1960)
TRAN QUOC HOAN (1953)
Nguyen Van Huong (Mar 1969)
Phan Trong TUE (Jul 1960)
Ha Ke TAN (Jan 1963)

(Nguyen) Xuan THUY (Apr 1968)2 Bui Quang TAO (Apr 1958)

Nguyen Van LOC (Nov 1967) Nghiem Xuan Yem (Mar 1954)
Hoang Minh Giam (Aug 1954) Tran Dai Nghia (Jul 1964)

Ng-uyen Van Huyen (Mar 1946) Le Quang BA (Jul 1960)

Ta Quang Buu (Oct 1965) Nguyen Van VlNH (Jul 1960)
Dang Viet Chau (Apr 1965) Nguyen Thanh BlNH (Dec 1959)
Ung Van KHIEM (Apr 1963) Nguyen Khanh TOAN(Oct 1968)
Nguyen Huu KHIEU (Oct 1965) Ta Hoang Co (Apr 1963)

1 Also March 1960 to January 1963.

2 Also April 1963 to April 1965.

 -132-

The Council of Minister of the

Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam

June 1973

PHAM VAN DONG (Sep 1946) Phan Anh (Jan 1947)

VO NGUYEN GlAP (Sep 1946) Tran Danh TUYEN (Dec 1969)

Phan Ke Toai (Aug 1947) Nguyen Huu MAl (Nov 1967)

LE THANH NGHI (Sep 1955) Dinh Duc THIEN (Oct 1970)

NGUYEN DUY TRINH (Dec 1958) Kha Vang Can (Jul 1960)

Nguyen CON (Apr 1965) Nguyen Van Huong (Mar 1969)1

Do MUOI (Dec 1969)2 TRAN QUOC HOAN (1953)

Hoang ANH (Apr 1971)3 Phan Trong TUE (Jul 1960)

Tran Huu DUC (Apr 1965)4 Ha Ke TAN (Jan 1963)

(Nguyen)Xuan THUY (Apr 1968)5 Bui Quang TAO (Apr 1958)

Ngo Minh LOAN (Dec 1969) Tran Dai Nghia (Jul 1964)

Hoang Minh Giam (Aug 1954) Le Quang BA (Jul 1960)

Nguyen Van Huyen (Nov 1946) Nguyen Van VINH (Jul 1960)

Ta Quang Buu (Oct 1965) Nguyen Thanh BINH (Dec 1969)

Dang Viet Chau (Apr 1965) Nguyen Khanh TOAN (Oct 1968)

Duong Quoc CHINH (Jun 1971)6 Ta HO'!l-ng Co (Apr 1963)

•
Nguyen Huu KHIEU (Oct 1965) Nguyen Van LOC (Nov 1967)

Hoang Quoc Thinh (Nov 1967) Nghiem Xuan Yem (Mar 1954)

1 Although Huong apparently remains Minister, Vu Van Can has

held the title of Acting Minister since mid-April 1973.
2 Also April 1958 to February 1961.
3 Also November 1958 to November 1967.
4. Also March 1960 to January 1963. t
5 Also April 1963 to April 1965.
6. Also July 1960 to April 1965.
 -133-

National Defense Council

Chairm.an: HO CHI MINH Ton Duc' THANG

Vice-Chairm.en: PHAM VAN DONG PHAM VAN DONG

VO NGUYEN GIAP (Gen)

Mem.bers: VAN TIEN DUNG (Gen) LE DUAN

Song HAO (Lt. Gen) TRUONG CHINH
TRAN QUOC HOAN VO NGUYEN GIAP (Gen)
Chu Van TAN (Gen) V AN TIEN DUNG (Col. Gen)
NGUYEN CHI THANH (Gen) TRAN QUOC HOAN
Nguyen Van TRAN Nguyen CON
NGUYEN DUY TRINH Chu Van TAN (Col. Gen)
Song HAO· (Lt. Gen)
Tran Huu DUC

*********
Ho Chi Minh died in 1969, Nguyen Chi Thanh in 1967.

In 1960 Nguyen Duy Trinh was Chairm.an of thoe State Planning

Com.m.ission, but in 1971 when the current NDC was constituted he
was Foreign Minister, a shift which m.ay well account for his replace-
m.~nt on the NDC by Nguyen Con then Chairm.an of the State Planning
Com.m.is s ion.

Sim.ilarly the other 1960 m.em.ber dropped in 1971, Nguyen Van

Tran, had been Vice Chairm.an of the State Planning Com.m.ission and
Minister of Heavy Industry, but since at least 1968 Tran has been
without national governm.ent office and his principal assignm.ent has
been as Secretary of the Hanoi Municipal Party Com.m.ittee. He m.ay
be said to have been replaced by Tran Huu Duc, although Duc does
not currently hold any econom.ic post, but is Minister in Prem.ier
Pham. Van Dong's office.

Under the term.s of the Constitution the President of the

Republic is Chairm.an of the NDC, but Thang was not publicly announ-
ced as having assum.ed the chairm.anship until the NDC was reconstituted
at the First Session of the Fourth National Assem.bly in June 1971.
•

-134-

Giap was reducedfroxn .,yice ,Chair.rnan to m<ernber, and the two

senior members of the VWP Politburo, Le Duan and Truong
Chinh came on the NDC for the first time. In Le Duan's case
it was the firs't' and to date the only state office which he has
held. The· name order of the 1973 list is as published in a
June 21,,197.3 I>tational Assembly Communique.

, ','I'

v'
 -135-

Central Military Affairs Party Committee

VO NGUYEN GlAP, Gen. Minister of National Defense;

Secretary Commander-in-Chief of VPA:
Member of National Defense Council

VAN TIEN DUNG, Col. Gen. Member of National Defense Council;

Deputy Secretary Chief of General Staff ofVPA

Song HAO, Lt. Gen. Member of National Defense Council;

Deputy Secretary Vice Minister of National Defense;
Director of the General Political
Directorate (GPD)

Le Quang DAO, Maj. Gen. Deputy Director of GPD

Tran DO, Maj. Gen. Deputy Political Officer of

People's Liberation Armed Forces (COSVN)

Nguyen DON, Maj. Gen. Vice Minister of National Defense;

Deputy Chief of Staff

Tran Quy HAl, Maj. Gen. Vice Minister of National Defense;

Deputy Chief of Staff

Le Hien MAl, Maj. Gen. Deputy Director of GPD

Pham Ngoc Mau, Maj. Gen. Deputy Director of GPD

Tran Van Quang, Maj. Gen. Deputy Chief of Staff, VPA

Tran Sam, Maj. Gen. Deputy Chief of Staff, VPA

Chu Van TAN, Col. Gen. Member of National Defense Council

Hoang Van THAI. Lt. Gen. Vice Minister of National Defense;

Deputy Chief of Staff of VPA;
Commander of People's Liberation
Armed Forces (COSVN)

Dinh Duc THIEN, Maj. Gen. Minister of Machinery and Metallurgy

,

-136-

Tran Van TRA, Lt. Gen. Deputy. Chief of Staff YPA: Deputy
Commander of People's Liberation
Armed Forces (COSYN)

All of the officers coded as Politburo or YWP Central

Committee members or alternates are profiled in Part I of this
research note. Maj. Gen. Tran Sam is the DRY's expert on arms
aid negotiations.· Insufficient information is available about Sam
and the others not in the Party hierarchy to warrant profiling them.
Other military officers may be members of the Committee. No
complete list of its members is known to have been published.

As noted in the sketch of Politburo member Le Duc Tho

he is also a member of the Central Military Party Committee.
The Party Statute provides that it shall have non-military as well
as military members. A rallier has stated that Tho is the only
civilian to attend CMPC meetings. Others believe that Le Duan
and Pham Van Dong, at least, are also CMPC members.
 -137-

"THE HIGH COMMAND OF THE VIET-NAM PEOPLE'S ARMY"

Ministry of National Defense

Minister Gen. VO NGUYEN GIAP

Vice -Ministers Lt. Gen. Hoang Van THAI
Lt. Gen. Song HAO
Maj. Gen. Nguyen DON
Maj. Gen. Tran Quy HAl
Maj. Gen. Tran Sam
Maj. Gen. Tran Chung

Viet-Nam People IS Army (VPA)

Commander -in-Chief Gen. VO NGUYEN GIAP

General Staff
Chief of the General Staff Col. Gen. VAN TIEN DUNG

Deputy Chiefs Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van VINH

Lt. Gen. Hoang Van THAI
Maj. Gen. Le Trong Tan
Maj. Gen. Nguyen DON
Maj. Gen. Tran Quy HAl
Maj. Gen. Tran Sam
Maj. Gen. Tran Chung
Maj. Gen. Vuong Thua Vu
Maj. Gen. Phung The Tai

General Political Department (GPD)

Director Lt. Gen. Song Hao

Deputy Directors Mai, Gen, Ljil WSUJ. MA~

Maj. Gen. Le Quang DAO
Maj. Gen. Le Quang Hoa
Maj. Gen. Pham Ngoc Loi
Maj. Gen. Pham Ngoc Mau

General Logistics Department

Director Maj. Gen. Dinh Duc THIEN

(Plus the other members of the Central Military Affairs Party

Committee named on the preceding list.)
 -138-

Years of birth and birthplaces are known for the following general
officers of the Viet-Nam People's Army:

Age in
Name YOB POB 1973 .

Maj Gen Le Quang BA 1907 Cao Bang 66

Maj Gen. Tran DO 1922 NVN 51 ,l
Maj Gen Nguyen DON 1914 Quang Ngai 59
Col Gen V AN TIEN DUNG 1917 Ha Dong 56 .,
Sen Gen VO NGUYEN GIAF 1912 Quang Binh 61
Maj Gen Tran Quy Hai 1917 Quang Ngai 56
Maj Gen Le Quang HOA 1918 Hai Phong 55
Maj Gen Pharo Kiet 1910 Quang Ngai 63
Maj Gen Tran LUONG 1913 Ha Tinh 60
Mal Gen Le Hie.n MAl 1915 Son Tay 58
Maj Gen Chu HuyMAN 1920 Nghe An 53
Maj Gen Tran Dai Nghia 1915 SVN 58
Col Gen Chu Van TAN 1908 Thai Nguyen 65
Maj Gen Le Trong Tan 1917 NVN 56
Lt Gen Hoang Van THAI 1906 Thai Binh 67
Maj Gen Hoang· Minh Thao 1919 Thai Binh 54
Lt Gen Tran Van TRA 1918 Quang Ngai 55
Mal Gen Pharo Trong TUE 1917 Son Tay 56
Lt Gen Nguyen Van VINH 1917 Nam Dinh 56
Maj Gen Vuong Thua Vu . 1916 Son Tay 57

The average age of these 20 general officers is 58. 1 years.