Lê Duẩn was a Vietnamese communist politician. He rose in the party hierarchy in the late 1950s and became General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (VCP) at the 3rd National Congress in 1960. He continued Hồ Chí Minh's policy of ruling through collective leadership. From the mid-1960s until his own death in 1986, he was the top decision-maker in Vietnam.

The general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, simply and informally the general secretary, is the current title for the holder of the highest office within the Communist Party of Vietnam and practically being the highest position in the politics of Vietnam. The general secretaryship used to be the second-highest office within the party when Hồ Chí Minh was the chairman, a post which existed from 1951 to 1969, and since 1969, the general secretary has generally been regarded as the highest leader of Vietnam. The general secretary also holds the title of the secretary of the Central Military Commission, the leading party organ on military affairs. The current general secretary is Nguyễn Phú Trọng, ranking first in the Politburo. The position was once designated the first secretary from 1951 to 1976.