Who Is Lê Duẩn? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Lê Duẩn was born on April 7, 1907, and passed away on July 2, 1986. During his lifetime, he was a prominent figure in Vietnamese politics, serving as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam from 1960 until his death. In 2025, we reflect on his significant contributions to Vietnam’s political landscape and how his legacy continues to impact the nation.
| Occupation | Other |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | April 7, 1907 |
| Age | 79 Years |
| Birth Place | Quảng Trị Province, Annam Protectorate, French Indochina |
| Horoscope | Aries |
| Country | Vietnam |
| Date of death | 10 July, 1986 |
| Died Place | Hanoi, Vietnam |
Popularity
Lê Duẩn's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific height and weight statistics for Lê Duẩn during his lifetime are not readily available, historical photographs suggest he had a moderate build typical of individuals of his era and profession.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Lê Duẩn was married to his wife, Trần Lệ Hoa, and the couple had three children together. While he was a public figure, detailed personal accounts of his relationships outside of marriage are not well-documented. His family remains part of his legacy, with descendants still involved in Vietnamese society.
Locals from his generation say that Duan's parents were metal scrap collectors and blacksmiths. The son of a railway clerk, he became active in revolutionary politics as a young man. He received a French colonial education before working as a clerk for the Vietnam Railway Company in Hanoi during the 1920s.
Through his job, he came into contact with several communist activists. In this period, he educated himself to a Marxist.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his passing in 1986, Lê Duẩn held a significant position within Vietnam's political structure. However, exact figures regarding his net worth and salary are not disclosed, reflecting the political norms of the time in regards to personal finances.
After the war, per-capita income stood at US$101; it decreased to $91 in 1980 and then increased to $99 by 1982, according to United Nations figures. Phạm Văn Đồng admitted that per-capita income "had not increased compared to what it was ten years ago".
Physical health declined and malnutrition increased under Lê Duẩn, according to the Ministry of Health. According to the International Herald Tribune, an estimated 6,000,000 Vietnamese were suffering from malnutrition, leading the government to request aid from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Lê Duẩn's policies and the war against Pol Pot (1976-1979) and China (1979) led to an abrupt decline in the standard of living; monthly per capita income in the North declined from $82 in 1976 to $58 in 1980.
Career, Business, and Investments
Lê Duẩn's career was deeply intertwined with the Communist Party and its policies in Vietnam. He played a crucial role in the Vietnam War and the reunification of Vietnam, influencing socio-economic strategies that shaped the nation. His investments were primarily in political capital, focusing on the growth and stability of the Communist ideology in Vietnam.
During the First Indochina War Lê Duẩn served as the Secretary of the Regional Committee of South Vietnam, at first in Cochinchina in 1946, but was reassigned to head the Central Office of South Vietnam from 1951 until 1954.
The Viet Minh's position in the South became increasingly tenuous by the early to mid-1950s and in 1953 Lê Duẩn was replaced by his deputy Lê Đức Thọ and moved to North Vietnam.
Social Network
In terms of social networks, Lê Duẩn's influence during his lifetime extended to many political figures both domestically and internationally. Today, his legacy is celebrated through historical studies and political discourse, particularly on platforms focused on Southeast Asian politics.
In 1957, he was given a seat in the Politburo. At the 1957 May Day parade, Trường Chinh was still seated as the country's second most powerful figure. Lê Duẩn was gradually able to place his supporters, notably Lê Ðức Thọ, in top positions and outmaneuver his rivals.
He visited Moscow in November 1957 and received approval for his war plans. In December 1957, Hồ told the 13th Plenary Session of a "dual revolution"; Trường Chinh became responsible for the socialist transformation of the north, while Lê Duẩn focused on planning the offensive in the south.
By 1958, Lê Duẩn ranked second only to Hồ in the party hierarchy, although Trường Chinh remained powerful. Lê Duẩn was a party man and never held a post in the government.
He made a brief, secret visit to South Vietnam in 1958, writing a report, The Path to Revolution in the South, in which he stated that the North Vietnamese had to do more to assist the southern fighters.
In January 1959, under increasing pressure from southern communist cadres who were being successfully targeted by Diệm's regime, the Central Committee in Hanoi approved plans for North Vietnam to fully support the effort to overthrow the South Vietnamese government and reunify Vietnam under a communist government.
In July 1959, North Vietnam invaded Laos, occupying eastern parts of the country in order to establish the Ho Chi Minh trail which would be used to send soldiers and weapons to South Vietnam.
Education
Lê Duẩn pursued education in a time when learning was heavily influenced by the revolutionary wave in Vietnam. He became politically active from a young age, participating in guerrilla warfare against colonial powers, which shaped his understanding of political theory and strategies.
In South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem’s regime countered the communists by launching the "Denounce the Communists" campaign. Tens of thousands of suspected communists were detained in "political re-education centers". There were also increasing attacks by communist cadres, with over 450 South Vietnamese officials assasinated in 1956.
The North Vietnamese government claimed that over 65,000 individuals were imprisoned and 2,148 killed in the process by November 1957. According to historian Gabriel Kolko, from 1955 to the end of 1958, 40,000 political prisoners had been jailed and many were executed.
Historian Guenter Lewy considers such figures exaggerated, stating that there were only 35,000 prisoners in total in South Vietnam during the period.
