Phạm Văn Đồng facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phạm Văn Đồng
Phạm Văn Đồng in 1972
1st Prime Minister of Vietnam Chairman of the Council of Ministers
In office 2 July 1976 – 18 June 1987
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Phạm Hùng
Prime Minister of North Vietnam
In office 20 September 1955 – 2 July 1976
Preceded by	Hồ Chí Minh
Succeeded by	Himself as Prime Minister of Vietnam
Deputy Prime Minister
In office 25 June 1947 – 20 September 1955
Prime Minister	Ho Chi Minh
Succeeded by	Phan Kế Toại Võ Nguyên Giáp
Member of the Politburo
In office 1951–1987
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office April 1954 – February 1961
Preceded by	Hoàng Minh Giám
Succeeded by	Ung Văn Khiêm
Minister of Finance
In office September 1945 – March 1946
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Lê Văn Hiến
Counsellor of the Party Central Committee
In office 18 December 1986 – 29 December 1997 Serving with Trường Chinh, Lê Đức Thọ, Nguyễn Văn Linh, Võ Chí Công
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Võ Văn Kiệt
Personal details
Born	(1906-03-01)1 March 1906 Đức Tân village, Mộ Đức, Quảng Ngãi Province, French Indochina
Died	29 April 2000(2000-04-29) (aged 94) Hanoi, Vietnam
Nationality	Vietnamese
Political party	Communist Party of Vietnam (1940–1997)
Awards	Gold Star Order

Phạm Văn Đồng (born March 1, 1906 – died April 29, 2000) was an important Vietnamese political leader. He served as the Prime Minister of North Vietnam from 1955 to 1976. After North and South Vietnam became one country, he continued as Prime Minister of Vietnam until he retired in 1987. Many people saw him as one of Hồ Chí Minh's closest and most trusted friends and helpers.

Early Life and Political Beginnings

Phạm Văn Đồng was born on March 1, 1906, in Đức Tân village, which is in Quảng Ngãi Province in Vietnam. His family worked in government jobs.

Joining the Revolution

When he was 18, in 1925, he joined other students in a protest. They were mourning the death of a famous Vietnamese patriot named Phan Chu Trinh. Around this time, he became very interested in the Communist Party and the idea of uniting Vietnam.

In 1926, he traveled to Guangzhou, a city in southern China. There, he took a special training course led by Nguyen Ai Quoc, who later became known as Ho Chi Minh. After this, Phạm Văn Đồng joined the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association. This group was an early version of what would become the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Imprisonment and Release

In 1929, he worked for the revolutionary group in Saigon. That same year, the French rulers arrested him. He was put on trial and sentenced to ten years in prison. He spent his time in the Poulo Condor Island Prison. He was finally set free in 1936. This happened because a new government in France, called the Popular Front, gave a general pardon to many prisoners.

After his release, he worked secretly in Hanoi. In 1940, he went to China with Võ Nguyên Giáp. He joined the Indochinese Communist Party. Ho Chi Minh then gave him the job of building a secret base near the Vietnam-China border. In 1945, he was chosen to be part of a special committee. This committee helped prepare for the August Revolution, which led to Vietnam's independence.

Vietnam's Fight for Independence

Phạm Văn Đồng continued to work closely with Ho Chi Minh. After Ho Chi Minh came to power in 1945, Phạm Văn Đồng became the Minister of Finance for the new government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV). He held this job until 1946.

Seeking Peace and Independence

In 1946, he led a group from Vietnam to a meeting in Fontainebleau, France. The goal was to find a peaceful way for Indochina to become independent. However, the talks did not succeed because France did not agree to a clear plan for Vietnam's future.

The First Indochina War then began. Phạm Văn Đồng was sent to lead important party and government work in South Central Vietnam. In 1947, he became a key member of the Indochinese Communist Party. From July 1949, he served as Deputy Prime Minister.

The Geneva Conference

In 1954, Phạm Văn Đồng led the Vietnamese group to the Geneva Conference about Indochina. His team played a very important role in making the conference a success. After many difficult discussions, an agreement was reached on July 20, 1954. This agreement stopped the fighting in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. It also recognized the independence and freedom of these three countries.

After the conference, French forces left Vietnam. Phạm Văn Đồng signed the peace agreements with the French Premier, Pierre Mendès France.

Post-War Leadership Roles

In September 1954, Phạm Văn Đồng became the Minister of Foreign Affairs for North Vietnam. From September 1955, he was the Prime Minister of North Vietnam. When Vietnam was reunified in 1976, he became the Prime Minister of all Vietnam. He also served as Vice President of the National Defense Council until he retired in 1987. He was a member of Vietnam's National Assembly for many years, from 1946 to 1987.

The Vietnam War Era

From 1954, Phạm Văn Đồng served as Vice-Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1955, he was appointed Prime Minister of North Vietnam.

Leading During Conflict

In the early 1960s, Ho Chi Minh became less involved in the daily running of North Vietnam due to health issues. Because of this, Đồng became the main public face of North Vietnam during the war with the United States. He often spoke with foreign diplomats and journalists. He was known to have strong connections with the Chinese government, which helped provide money for the war against South Vietnam. He was also involved in peace talks to try and end the conflict.

Peace Efforts and Discussions

In 1963, Đồng was part of discussions with Mieczysław Maneli, a Polish official. Đồng showed interest in a peace plan that suggested uniting North and South Vietnam. He said that if American advisors left South Vietnam, they could reach an agreement with any Vietnamese group. He also mentioned that North Vietnam was willing to consider a ceasefire and trade coal for rice from South Vietnam, due to drought problems.

From 1964 to 1965, Đồng met with J. Blair Seaborn, a Canadian diplomat. On June 8, 1964, Đồng met Seaborn in Hanoi. Seaborn brought an offer from U.S. President Johnson. The offer promised billions in American economic aid and diplomatic recognition for North Vietnam. In return, North Vietnam would have to stop trying to overthrow the South Vietnamese government. Seaborn also warned that President Johnson was thinking about bombing North Vietnam if the offer was refused. Đồng told Seaborn that the American terms were not acceptable. He demanded that the U.S. stop helping South Vietnam. He also wanted South Vietnam to become neutral and for the Viet Cong to be part of a new government in Saigon.

Later Years and Legacy

Phạm Văn Đồng was seen as a strong communist and a great leader for Vietnam. He was one of Ho Chi Minh's most loyal followers. He played a huge part in Vietnam's fight for independence and unity. He was known for trying to stay neutral in arguments within the Communist Party, especially after Vietnam became one country in 1976.

Even after he retired from his official government jobs, he continued to be an important advisor to the Party Central Committee from 1986 to 1997. He often urged the party to work harder to stop corruption, which is still a problem in Vietnam today. He kept giving advice on important issues even after his time as an official advisor ended.

As he grew older, his eyesight became very poor, and he was blind for the last ten years of his life. After being sick for several months, Phạm Văn Đồng passed away in Hanoi on April 29, 2000, at the age of 94. The Vietnamese Communist Party and government announced his death a week later. His funeral services were held on May 6, 2000, in Hanoi.

Books and articles

• Karnow, Stanley Vietnam: A History, New York: Viking, 1983, ISBN: 0670746045.
• Miller, Edward Misalliance: Ngo Dinh Diem, the United States, and the Fate of South Vietnam, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2013, ISBN: 0674072987

See also

In Spanish: Phạm Văn Đồng para niños