. Phm Vn ng Pham Van Dong in 1954 Chairman of h! Co"n#i$ of Mini%!r% In offi#! 2 Jly 19!" # 1$ Jne 19$! Pr!#!&!& '( Po%t e%ta&li%hed )"##!!&!& '( Ph'm ()ng Prim! Mini%!r of h! D!mo#rai# R!*"'$i# of Vi!nam In offi#! 2* +eptem&er 1955 # 2 Jly 19!" Pr!#!&!& '( (, -h. /inh )"##!!&!& '( Po%t a&oli%hed M!m'!r of h! Po$i'"ro In offi#! 1951#19$! P!r%ona$ &!ai$% +orn 1 /arch 19*" 01c 23n 4illage, /5 01c di%trict, in 6ang 7gai pro4ince, 8ndochina Di!& 29 9pril 2*** :aged 94; (anoi, +ociali%t <ep&lic of Vietnam Naiona$i( Vietname%e Po$ii#a$ *ar( -ommni%t Party of Vietnam Mi$iar( %!r,i#! A-ar&% Phm Vn ng : li%ten= 1 /arch 19*" # 29 9pril 2***; >a% an a%%ociate of (, -h. /inh. (e %er4ed a% prime mini%ter of 7orth Vietnam from 1955 throgh 19!", and >a% prime mini%ter of a nified Vietnam from 19!" ntil he retired in 19$! nder the rle of ?@ DAn and 7gyBn VCn ?inh. D1E (e >a% con%idered one of (, -h. /inhF% clo%e%t lietenant%. D2E Con!n% 1 Garly life 2 2he Fir%t 8ndochina War H 1954 to 19$! 4 <etirement 5 +ee al%o " <eference% Ear$( $if! 9ccording to an official report, Dong >a% &orn into a family of ci4il %er4ant% in 01c 23n 4illage, /5 01c di%trict, in 6ang 7gai pro4ince on the central coa%t on 1 /arch 19*". 8n 1925 at the age of 1$, he Ioined fello> %tdent% to %tage a %chool %itJin to morn the death of the famo% patriotic %cholar Phan -h 2rinh. 9&ot thi% time he de4eloped an intere%t in the -ommni%t party and in the nification of Vietnam. 8n 192", he tra4eled to KangLho in %othern -hina to attend a training cor%e rn &y 7gyen 9i 6oc :later to &e kno>n a% (o -hi /inh;, &efore &eing admitted a% a mem&er of the Vietnam <e4oltionary Moth 9%%ociation, the predece%%or of the -ommni%t Party of Vietnam :-PV;. 8n 1929, he >orked for the re4oltionary a%%ociation in +aigon. 8n the %ame year, he >a% arre%ted, tried &y the French colonial athoritie% and %entenced to ten year% in pri%on. (e %er4ed the term in Polo -ondor 8%land Pri%on ntil 19H" >hen he >a% relea%ed nder the general amne%ty granted &y the go4ernment of the Poplar Front in France after it% recent electoral %cce%%e%. Th! Fir% In&o#hina .ar (e Ioined the 8ndochine%e -ommni%t Party in 194* and then contined to take part in acti4itie% led &y (o -hi /inh. 9fter (o -hi /inh ro%e to po>er dring the 9g%t <e4oltion in 1945, Pham Van Dong >a% appointed mini%ter of finance of the ne>ly e%ta&li%hed go4ernment of the Democratic <ep&lic of Vietnam :D<V;, a po%ition he occpied ntil 1954. Nefore he a%%med the po%ition of /ini%ter of Finance, he >a% >ell kno>n a% head of the Vietname%e delegation to the VietnamJFrance po%tJ>ar negotiation% at Fontaine&lea :France; in /ay 194". Follo>ing the defeat of Japan, nationali%t force% foght French colonial force% in the Fir%t 8ndochina War that la%ted from 1945 to 1954. 2he French %ffered a maIor defeat at the Nattle of Dien Nien Ph in 1954 and peace >a% %oght. 8n /ay 1954, he led the delegation of the (o -hi /inh go4ernment to the Kene4a -onference. 9fter inten%e negotiation% a peace treaty >a% %igned and the French force% >ithdre> from direct conflict >ith the ne>ly independent 7orth Vietnam. (e %igned the peace accord% >ith French Premier Pierre /endO% France. /012 o /034 Dring 1954 he %er4ed a% ViceJPremier and /ini%ter of Foreign 9ffair%. 9t the 5th %e%%ion of the D<V Fir%t 7ational 9%%em&ly con4ocation :1955;, Dong >a% appointed prime mini%ter. (e i% >ell kno>n for &eing one of the leader% of Vietnam dring the >ar >ith the Pnited +tate%. (e >a% kno>n to ha4e clo%e link% >ith the -hine%e go4ernment, >hich helped fnd the conflict >ith +oth Vietnam. (e >a% al%o one of the figre% in4ol4ed in peace talk% to end the conflict nder the admini%tration% of ?yndon Naine% John%on and <ichard 7iQon. 8n general, Pham Van Dong >a% con%idered a %tanch commni%t and a great nationali%t leader, one of the mo%t faithfl di%ciple% of (o -hi /inh and a maIor figre in VietnamF% fight for independence and nity. (e >a% kno>n a% a politician >ho tried to maintain a netral po%ition in the 4ario% conflict% >ithin the party, particlarly after the nification of Vietnam in 19!5. 8n a 19$1 inter4ie> >ith +tanley Rarno>, Pham Van Dong remarkedS Me%, >e defeated the Pnited +tate%. Nt no> >e are plaged &y pro&lem%. We do not ha4e enogh to eat. We are a poor, nderde4eloped nation. Vous savez, >aging a >ar i% %imple, &t rnning a contry i% 4ery difficlt. DHE 2hi% pragmati%m might eQplain ho> he %tayed in the po%ition of Prime /ini%ter for H2 year% ntil 19$!, >hen hi% retirement >a% appro4ed &y the "th 7ational Party -ongre%%. R!ir!m!n 9lthogh retired from p&lic office, he %er4ed a% an 9d4i%er to the Party -entral -ommittee from Decem&er 19$" to 199!. (e often rged the party to make greater effort% to %top corrption, >hich i% %till a >ide%pread pro&lem in Vietnam today. (e ga4e ad4ice on %imilar i%%e%, e4en after hi% term a% an ad4i%or to the -entral -ommittee had ended. 9% he &ecame older, hi% 4i%ion deteriorated and he >a% left &lind for the la%t 1* year% of hi% life. 9fter %e4eral month% of illne%%, Ph'm VCn 0,ng died in D(anoiE on 29 9pril 2***, at the age of 94. (i% death >a% annonced &y the Vietname%e -ommni%t Party and the Vietname%e go4ernment a >eek later on 2 /ay. -ommemoration and fneral %er4ice% >ere held on " /ay 2*** in (anoi.