Đồng Sĩ Nguyên

Who is Đồng Sĩ Nguyên?

Đồng Sĩ Nguyên also spelled Đồng Sỹ Nguyên is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam, lieutenant-general of the North Vietnamese Army, and former minister of transport of Vietnam. He was born in Quảng Bình Province, home to general Vo Nguyen Giap and Ngo Dinh Diem, president of the Republic of Vietnam.

Born on March 1, 1923 to a middle-class family in Quang Trung Commune, Quảng Trạch, Quảng Bình Province, Dong Sy Nguyen attended Sainte Marie Lycée in Đồng Hới. He participated in anti-French political movements and was sought by the French colonists; therefore he fled to Thailand and participated in overseas Vietnamese patriotic movements there. He joined the Indochinese Communist Party in 1939. In 1944, he secretly returned to Vietnam and was made leader of the Communist Party committee branch in Quang Trach Phu, served as editor-in-chief of the Hong Lac Newspaper, built up the Trung Thuan Military Zone, trained the armed forces, and participated in the August Revolution. After the August Revolution, he was nominated as the leader of the Viet Minh in Quảng Bình Province.