Nguyễn Văn Cao (15 November 1923 - 10 July 1995) was a Vietnamese composer, painter, poet and revolutionary. He is best known as the author of “Tiến quân ca” which later became the national anthem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and often considered among the most salient figures in contemporary Vietnamese music alongside Trịnh Công Sơn. His works often contain themes related to loss, desolation and death, but also includes a significant number of Red Music and marching songs. He was also an important figure in Vietnamese politics, having worked for Viet Minh as the chief organiser of its assassination bureau during the Resistance against the French, and was also involved in the Nhân Văn - Giai Phẩm affair.
