Event The August Revolution of 1945 - A Monumental Event in Vietnamese National History

1. Historical Context and Course of the General Uprising

By early 1945, World War II was nearing its end. The Soviet Red Army had achieved decisive victories on the European battlefield, liberating a series of countries and advancing straight into the fascist stronghold in Berlin. On May 9, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally, marking the end of the war in Europe. On August 8, 1945, the Soviet Red Army launched a massive assault on the Japanese army. On August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally, bringing World War II to an end. According to the agreements of the Allied powers, after Japan's surrender, British and Chinese troops were to enter Indochina to disarm the Japanese forces. Meanwhile, the French colonialists were eager to rely on the Allies to restore their dominant position; the American imperialists were ready to intervene in Indochina; and reactionary elements in the Japanese puppet government were scheming to replace their masters and oppose the revolution.

Domestically, after various trials, by 1945, the revolutionary movement had intensified. On March 9, 1945, the Japanese fascists staged a coup, ousting the French. On that very night, the expanded Central Committee decided to launch a revolutionary movement as a precursor to the general uprising, changing propaganda, mobilization, organization, and struggle methods to suit the situation. In March 1945, the Central Committee issued the directive “Japan - France Conflict and Our Actions.” In April 1945, the Central Committee convened the Revolutionary Military Conference of Northern Vietnam, resolving many crucial issues and unifying the armed forces into the Viet Minh Liberation Army. On April 16, 1945, the Viet Minh Central Headquarters issued a directive to organize national liberation committees at all levels and prepare to establish the National Liberation Committee of Vietnam, which would become the Provisional Revolutionary Government of Vietnam.

From April 1945 onwards, the anti-Japanese national salvation movement surged in intensity, rich in content and form. In early May 1945, Ho Chi Minh moved from Cao Bang to Tuyen Quang, choosing Tan Trao as the revolutionary base to direct the nationwide revolution and prepare for the National Congress. On June 4, 1945, the Viet Bac Liberation Zone was established, under the leadership of the Provisional Command Committee, becoming the national base. In August 1945, the National Congress of the Party met in Tan Trao (Tuyen Quang) and affirmed: “A very good opportunity for us to gain independence has arrived” and decided to mobilize the entire population to rise up and seize power from the Japanese fascists and their collaborators before the Allied troops entered Indochina. The Congress proposed three principles to ensure the success of the general uprising: concentration, unity, and timeliness. At 11 PM on August 13, 1945, the Insurrection Committee issued Order No. 1, calling on the entire population to launch a general uprising. On August 16, 1945, the National Assembly met in Tan Trao, passing the "10 Major Policies of the Viet Minh" and the "General Uprising Order"; it established the Central National Liberation Committee, i.e., the Provisional Government with Ho Chi Minh as President. President Ho Chi Minh issued a call to the entire nation for the general uprising, stating: “The decisive hour for our national destiny has arrived. The entire nation should rise up to liberate ourselves.”

Under the leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, the entire nation rose up, conducting the general uprising and seizing power. From August 14 to 18, the general uprising achieved victory in the rural areas of the Red River Delta, most of Central Vietnam, parts of the South, and in the towns of Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Ha Tinh, Hoi An, Quang Nam... On August 19, the uprising successfully seized power in Hanoi. On August 23, the uprising succeeded in Hue and in Bac Can, Hoa Binh, Hai Phong, Ha Dong, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Binh Dinh, Gia Lai, Bac Lieu... On August 25, the uprising succeeded in Saigon - Gia Dinh, Kon Tum, Soc Trang, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Bien Hoa, Tay Ninh, Ben Tre... In Con Dao, the Con Dao Prison Party led the imprisoned revolutionary soldiers in rising up to seize power.

In just 15 days at the end of August 1945, the general uprising achieved complete victory, and power across the country was handed over to the people.

On September 2, 1945, at Ba Dinh Square (Hanoi), before a rally of nearly one million people, President Ho Chi Minh solemnly read the Declaration of Independence on behalf of the Provisional Government, announcing to the nation and the world: The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). Since then, September 2 has been our National Day.

2. Causes of Success

The swift success of the August Revolution in 1945 was due to several factors, with the most important being the Party’s correct, wise, and skillful leadership; the correct application and development of Marxism-Leninism under the specific conditions of our country in a manner that was independent, self-reliant, and creative. The Party had suitable and flexible revolutionary methods, strategies, and tactics; it recognized and actively seized the opportunity, decisively taking advantage of it to conduct a general uprising and seize power nationwide.

The success of the August Revolution was also due to the patriotic spirit, unity, and indomitable will of the various strata of our people, who refused to live as slaves of a conquered nation; fully following the Party and being led by it through various trials, they were determined to rise up for national independence. After 15 years of extremely arduous and heroic struggle under the Party's leadership, many compatriots and soldiers sacrificed their lives for the goal of national independence.

The August Revolution occurred in an internationally favorable context. The fascist regimes of Germany, Italy, and Japan had been defeated, and the liberation struggles of oppressed nations and progressive forces worldwide were gaining momentum.

3. Historical Significance

The success of the August Revolution of 1945 was the first great victory of our people under the Party’s leadership, marking a monumental turning point in Vietnamese national history. Power was transferred to the people, and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was established - the first worker-peasant state in Southeast Asia; it ended the feudal monarchic system in Vietnam; and it concluded more than 80 years of colonial and fascist domination. The Vietnamese people transitioned from a state of slavery to being citizens of an independent nation, masters of their own destiny. Vietnam went from a semi-colonial, semi-feudal country to an independent, free, and democratic nation. The Communist Party of Vietnam became the ruling party.

The August Revolution was a victory of Marxism-Leninism creatively applied to the specific conditions of the Vietnamese revolution; it was a victory of Ho Chi Minh's thought and the Party's revolutionary line linking national independence with socialism, and integrating national strength with the strength of the era; it was the first successful implementation of Marxism-Leninism in a colonial country in Asia. It also represented the inevitable development of national history over thousands of years of struggle, the pinnacle of indomitable will, communal strength, and intellectual height of the nation, blending Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought with the trends of the era for peace, democracy, social progress, national independence, and socialism.

The victory of the August Revolution inspired the national liberation movements in countries oppressed and dominated by imperialist colonialism. It affirmed that, under the proletarian revolutionary wave, a revolution led by a working-class party could not only succeed in a less developed capitalist country, the weakest link in imperialism but also succeed in a semi-feudal, colonial country to advance the entire nation along the path of socialism.

4. Some Valuable Lessons

The August Revolution of 1945 left many valuable lessons, prominently including: