(BNP) – The 114th birth anniversary of General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu (July 9, 1912 – July 9, 2026) provides an opportunity to honor and learn from his exemplary revolutionary ethics. Throughout his life, he remained steadfast in his revolutionary ideals, devoted himself wholeheartedly to the people, maintained close ties with workers and the masses, persevered through hardship and adversity, continuously cultivated his knowledge and character, and dedicated himself to safeguarding the Party and preserving its unity and solidarity.
Nguyen Van Cu Monument at Nguyen Van Cu Park, Vo Cuong Ward.
General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu was born on July 9, 1912 (the 25th day of the fifth lunar month of the Year of the Rat) in Phu Khe Village, Nghia Lap Commune, Tu Son Prefecture, Bac Ninh Province (now Phu Khe Ward, Bac Ninh Province). Raised by his maternal grandfather from an early age, he received a traditional Confucian education and was instilled with patriotism and a strong sense of national pride. Even as a child, he demonstrated exceptional intelligence, determination and unwavering resolve.
Lifelong Contributions to Vietnam's Revolutionary Cause
In 1927, Nguyen Van Cu moved to Hanoi to study and passed the entrance examination to Buoi School (now Chu Van An High School). During his time there, he became actively involved in patriotic movements and was introduced to revolutionary ideas through the newspaper Thanh Nien (Youth) and President Ho Chi Minh's work Duong Kach Menh (The Revolutionary Path). In early 1928, he joined the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League.
On June 17, 1929, the Indochinese Communist Party was established. Nguyen Van Cu, together with Le Van Luong and several others, became among its first members at the age of only 17. In September 1929, he was assigned to Hai Phong to organize communication routes between the Party's Central Committee and overseas revolutionary organizations via maritime channels before assisting the Hai Phong Provincial Party Committee under the direction of revolutionary leader Nguyen Duc Canh.
Following the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1930, Party organizations throughout the country were reorganized and expanded. Under Nguyen Duc Canh's leadership, Nguyen Van Cu worked tirelessly in the Quang Ninh mining region to build revolutionary organizations. Later that year, he proposed the establishment of a Special Regional Party Committee for the mining area, a proposal subsequently approved by the Northern Regional Party Committee, and was appointed its representative.
On February 15, 1931, while traveling from Cam Pha to Hon Gai on Party assignments, Nguyen Van Cu was arrested by the French colonial authorities. After being imprisoned in Hon Gai, Hai Phong and Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and exiled to Con Dao Prison in May 1931. There, he was detained alongside prominent revolutionaries including Le Duan, Pham Van Dong, Hoang Quoc Viet, Ha Huy Giap, Luong Khanh Thien, Le Thanh Nghi and Nguyen Van Linh. During his imprisonment, he systematically studied Marxism-Leninism, read classical revolutionary works and participated in the clandestine Party organization inside the prison.
Following the victory of the Popular Front Government in France, political prisoners in Indochina were granted amnesty. After more than five years in Con Dao Prison, Nguyen Van Cu was released in November 1936.
In late August 1937, he and Hoang Quoc Viet represented the Northern Regional Party Committee at a Central Committee conference held in Gia Dinh Province. At the meeting, Nguyen Van Cu was elected to the Party's Standing Committee alongside Ha Huy Tap, Nguyen Chi Dieu, Vo Van Tan and Le Hong Phong.
On March 29–30, 1938, at the Fifth Plenum of the Party Central Committee, delegates decided to establish the United Democratic Front, strengthen Party organizations, expand legal activities and adopt resolutions on national defense and military mobilization. The conference elected an 11-member Central Committee, including Nguyen Ai Quoc (President Ho Chi Minh), a five-member Standing Committee and a three-member Secretariat headed by Nguyen Van Cu.
At just 25 years old, Nguyen Van Cu became the fourth General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, making him the youngest person ever elected to the Party's highest leadership position. Despite not having received formal political training abroad like some of his predecessors, he earned the confidence of veteran revolutionaries through his outstanding intellect, exemplary character and extraordinary leadership.
Following the conference, as French colonial authorities intensified efforts to arrest him, Nguyen Van Cu secretly returned to Hanoi to direct the Party's legal press, including Tin Tuc (News) newspaper, while also overseeing the publication of Dan Chung (The People) in southern Vietnam.
After the outbreak of the Second World War, French colonial authorities intensified their suppression of revolutionary activities. Anticipating these developments, Nguyen Van Cu led the Party in shifting all organizational activities underground, strengthening clandestine networks and maintaining contact with President Ho Chi Minh abroad.
From November 6 to 8, 1939, he chaired the Sixth Plenum of the Party Central Committee in Hoc Mon, Gia Dinh, which adopted a historic resolution marking a strategic shift in the Vietnamese revolutionary movement by moving all Party activities into secrecy.
Shortly after the conference, on January 17, 1940, Nguyen Van Cu was arrested in Saigon together with Le Duan and several other revolutionary leaders. Despite severe torture by the French colonial police, he refused to betray the Party or his comrades.
In late 1940, Nguyen Van Cu, together with Le Hong Phong, Ha Huy Tap, Le Duan, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Vo Van Tan and other revolutionary leaders, was tried in several colonial courts. On August 28, 1941, he and fellow revolutionaries Vo Van Tan and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai were executed by firing squad at Nga Ba Giong in Gia Dinh Province. He was only 29 years old.
An Enduring Example of Revolutionary Morality
General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu devoted his entire life to Vietnam's revolutionary cause and the ideals of the Communist Party and the Vietnamese people. His life remains a shining example of the noble qualities of a communist revolutionary.
His exemplary character was first reflected in his unwavering commitment to lifelong learning and self-improvement. Despite never receiving formal theoretical education, he developed a profound understanding of political science through persistent study and practical revolutionary activities, eventually becoming the Party's highest-ranking leader.
He also exemplified the close bond between Party members and the people. Whether living among coal miners in Quang Ninh, working with farmers in southern Vietnam, participating in the "proletarianization" movement or serving as General Secretary, Nguyen Van Cu always maintained a humble lifestyle and remained deeply connected with the working people.
Serving as General Secretary during a crucial period of Vietnam's revolutionary movement, Nguyen Van Cu emerged as an outstanding revolutionary leader and distinguished political theorist. He firmly defended the Party's ideological unity, opposed Trotskyist tendencies, strengthened internal solidarity and provided timely strategic direction that helped prepare the Party for a new stage of the national liberation struggle.
His life and career continue to serve as a lasting source of inspiration, reflecting the revolutionary ethics, intellectual vision and unwavering dedication that remain valuable to generations of Vietnamese people today.
