General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam
Encyclopedia
The General Secretary (First Secretary from 1960–76) is the leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam
. The activities of Politburo and Secretariat are directed by the General Secretary. The post holder also maintains the top position in the Party's Central Military Commission
, which is considered the supreme military policy-making body. Since Vietnam is a single-party state
, the General Secretary is the most powerful authority figure within the Vietnamese government and also has the highest military command authority over the armed forces of Vietnam and is the de facto
ruler of the country.
Hô Chí Minh
was President of the Party from 1930-1969. After his death, the power of the Presidency
was modified and General Secretary became the highest post.
Communist Party of Vietnam
The Communist Party of Vietnam , formally established in 1930, is the governing party of the nation of Vietnam. It is today the only legal political party in that country. Describing itself as Marxist-Leninist, the CPV is the directing component of a broader group of organizations known as the...
. The activities of Politburo and Secretariat are directed by the General Secretary. The post holder also maintains the top position in the Party's Central Military Commission
Central Military Commission
A Central Military Commission or National Defense Commission is an organisation typical of Communist one-party states, responsible for supervising the nation's armed forces....
, which is considered the supreme military policy-making body. Since Vietnam is a single-party state
Single-party state
A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election...
, the General Secretary is the most powerful authority figure within the Vietnamese government and also has the highest military command authority over the armed forces of Vietnam and is the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
ruler of the country.
Hô Chí Minh
Ho Chi Minh
Hồ Chí Minh , born Nguyễn Sinh Cung and also known as Nguyễn Ái Quốc, was a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist revolutionary leader who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam...
was President of the Party from 1930-1969. After his death, the power of the Presidency
President of Vietnam
The President of Vietnam is the head of state of Vietnam, although the functions of the President are often ceremonial...
was modified and General Secretary became the highest post.
List of General Secretaries
| Name | Term start | Term end |
|---|---|---|
| Trần Phú Trần Phú Trần Phú was the first general secretary of the Indochinese Communist Party, later renamed to Communist Party of Vietnam. He was born on May 1, 1904, at the village an An Tho, now part of An Dan Commune, Tuy An District, where his father, Tran Van Pho, was as teacher... |
1930 | 1931 |
| Lê Hồng Phong | 1935 | 1936 |
| Hà Huy Tập | 1936 | 1938 |
| Nguyễn Văn Cừ Nguyen Van Cu Nguyễn Văn Cử was a lieutenant in the Vietnam Air Force, best known for being one of two mutinous pilots involved in the 1962 South Vietnamese Presidential Palace bombing on 27 February 1962, which aimed to assassinate South Vietnam's President Ngô Đình Diệm and his immediate family, who were his... |
1938 | 1940 |
| Trường Chinh Truong Chinh Trường Chinh Trường Chinh Trường Chinh (pseudonym meaning “Long March”, born Đặng Xuân Khu (b. February 9, 1907 in Xuân Trường District, Nam Định Province, d. September 30, 1988 in Hanoi) was a Vietnamese communist political leader and theoretician. From 1941 to 1957, he was Vietnam's second-ranked... |
1941 | 1 November 1956 |
| Hô Chí Minh Ho Chi Minh Hồ Chí Minh , born Nguyễn Sinh Cung and also known as Nguyễn Ái Quốc, was a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist revolutionary leader who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam... |
1 November 1956 | September 1960 |
| Lê Duẩn | September 1960 | 10 July 1986 |
| Trường Chinh Truong Chinh Trường Chinh Trường Chinh Trường Chinh (pseudonym meaning “Long March”, born Đặng Xuân Khu (b. February 9, 1907 in Xuân Trường District, Nam Định Province, d. September 30, 1988 in Hanoi) was a Vietnamese communist political leader and theoretician. From 1941 to 1957, he was Vietnam's second-ranked... |
14 July 1986 | 19 December 1986 |
| Nguyễn Văn Linh Nguyen Van Linh Nguyễn Văn Linh was a Vietnamese revolutionary and politician. He was the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam from 1986 to 1991 and a political leader of the Vietcong during the Vietnam War... |
18 December 1986 | 27 June 1991 |
| Đỗ Mười | 27 June 1991 | 29 December 1997 |
| Lê Khả Phiêu | 29 December 1997 | 22 April 2001 |
| Nông Đức Mạnh | 22 April 2001 | 19 January 2011 |
| Nguyễn Phú Trọng | 19 January 2011 | Incumbent |