Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Ya zama Babban Sakatare a 1960, a hukumance ya zama babban mutum a jam'iyyar bayan Hồ Chí Minh. Bayan mutuwar Hồ, Lê Duẩn ya karɓi jagorancin Arewacin Vietnam. A cikin Yaƙin Vietnam na 1955 zuwa 1975, Lê Duẩn ya ɗauki halin tashin hankali, yana ganin harin a matsayin mabuɗin nasara. Lokacin da Kudancin Vietnam ta haɗu da Arewacin Vietnam a 1976 kuma an sake tsara jam'iyyar, Lê Duẩn ya zama Babban Sakataren Jam'iyyar. Lê Duẩn da abokansa suna da kyakkyawan fata game da nan gaba. Shirin Shekaru Biyar na Biyu (1976<unk>1980) ya gaza kuma ya bar tattalin arzikin Vietnam cikin rikici. Ya amince da
Harin da Vietnam ta kai Kambodiya a watan Disamba na shekarar 1978, da nufin kifar da gwamnatin Khmer Rouge da ke samun goyon bayan kasar Sin. Wannan ya yi tasiri sosai kan alaƙar da ke tsakanin Vietnam da China, tare da Vietnam da ke amsawa da fitar da 'yan asalin kasar Sin da China da ke aiwatar da aikin hukunta manyan rashi a kan Vietnam a shekarar 1979. Tun daga wannan lokacin, Vietnam ta ci gaba da kawance da Tarayyar Soviet kuma ta shiga Comecon a shekarar 1978.