Vietnamese Politician. He served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1960 until his death in 1986. Born in the Quang Tri province, he was raised during French occupancy and was educated in French-ran schools. He later worked as a railroad clerk and during this period, he became associated with the Vietnamese Communist Party. After fleeing to China during the mid 1920s, he joined the Revolutionary Youth League headed by Ho Chi Minh and in 1931, Duan helped found the Indochinese Communist Party. In 1931, he returned to Vietnam and was eventually imprisoned for his pro-Communist allegiance and remained incarcerated until 1945. During the 1950s, Duan's power within the organization rose. Following the United States' involvement and escalation in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh's role in the party diminished. Duan adopted a highly aggressive, militant approach for uniting North and South Vietnam and anyone who opposed his position was purged by imprisonment or put to death. Duan orchestrated the Tet Offensive (January 30, 1968) and the Easter Offensive in 1972 dramatically changed the course of the war. After a peace accord was reached in 1973, which led to the United States' withdraw of most of their troops and the release of American POWs, the fighting continued between the North and South Vietnamese Armies. In early 1975, Duan ordered an all out assault on the South. By early spring the North Vietnamese Army overpowered forces of the South and occupied several major cities. On April 30, 1975 Saigon fell to the North signifying both countries united under Communist rule. Following the war, the country saw both high inflation, rising poverty and in 1979, a massive military conflict with China. During his later years, Duan was in declining health and died from a heart attack in 1986.