Lesson 2: The days when flags flew everywhere, thousands of golden stars

In the song of joy “August 19” by musician Xuan Oanh, there is a passage: “All Vietnamese people stand up and contribute one day. Swear to use their blood and bones to fight for the future… August 19, the light of freedom is brought, flags are flying everywhere, thousands of golden stars”. Exactly 80 years ago, the atmosphere of uprising quickly spread from the mountains to the lowlands, from North to South; more than 20 million compatriots of Lac and Hong stood up together at the call of Viet Minh to overthrow the domination of the fascist and colonial regimes.

Red flags with yellow stars from Tan Trao to the lowlands

The Tan Trao National Congress opened on August 16, 1945 and quickly completed its agenda; after its conclusion, the delegates quickly returned to their localities to direct and directly participate in the general uprising. Implementing Military Order No. 1 of the Uprising Committee, the Liberation Army units in several provinces such as Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang, Ha Giang (old)..., quickly attacked and disintegrated the puppet government apparatus; the revolutionary government was gradually established. The Liberation Army in Tan Trao and several neighboring areas also advanced to Thai Nguyen and down to the southern localities.

In Thai Nguyen, the Japanese army was stationed in several important locations with quite strong forces such as the Security Camp and the Resident Palace. The Liberation Army opened fire at dawn. After the first minutes of being surprised, the Japanese army immediately fought back fiercely, making the battle extremely difficult; however, from August 20, the people's government was established in Thai Nguyen and implemented the Viet Minh's policy in the entire province. The battle between the Liberation Army unit and the Japanese army in Thai Nguyen was fierce for a week, after which the Japanese army accepted our conditions, withdrew their soldiers to Hanoi and handed over weapons to our Liberation Army unit...

Self-defense forces and the masses occupied the Imperial Commissioner's Palace (Hanoi, August 19, 1945). Photo: Vu Nang An.

While the Liberation Army's war with the Japanese army in Thai Nguyen had just begun, in Hanoi, the revolutionary masses were also seething with the atmosphere of uprising. Faced with the defeat of the Imperial Army in Manchuria and the motherland, the Japanese army in Hanoi wavered and was extremely confused, mainly staying in their barracks. At the office of the Northern Regional Party Committee (located in Van Phuc village, Ha Dong in the past; now in Ha Dong ward, Hanoi), comrades of the Standing Committee of the Regional Party Committee Nguyen Khang, Tran Tu Binh... although they had not yet received the General Uprising Directive from the Central Committee, but based on the Japanese-French Directive on fighting each other and our actions, together with comrades in the Party Executive Committee (City Party Committee) of Hanoi urgently grasped the situation and unanimously agreed to carry out the General Uprising.

Based on the balance of power and with creativity, daring to take responsibility before history, the Hanoi Military Revolutionary Committee was established on August 16, 1945 (changed to Hanoi Uprising Committee on August 18, 1945) to lead the people in the uprising to seize power. Key members of the Hanoi Uprising Committee included: Nguyen Khang, Standing Committee Member of the Northern Regional Party Committee; Nguyen Huy Khoi (aka Tran Quang Huy), cadre of the Northern Regional Party Committee's Public Works Department; Nguyen Quyet, Secretary of the Hanoi City Party Committee; Nguyen Duy Than, City Party Committee member, in charge of the Vietnam National Salvation Assembly and Le Trong Nghia, cadre of the Northern Regional Party Committee, Secretary of the Democratic Party. The Committee's advisor was Mr. Tran Dinh Long.

In the seething, heroic atmosphere and the red flag with yellow star fluttering all over the streets of Hanoi, in the early afternoon of August 19, 1945, the leaders of the Uprising Committee together with the self-defense forces and the masses marched towards the Imperial Commissioner's Palace. As one of the key players in the Hanoi Uprising Committee, Colonel Le Trong Nghia later recalled: "From the Hanoi Opera House, we led the masses to rush to the Imperial Commissioner's Palace... I, Mr. Tran Tu Binh (at that time holding the role of the Northern Regional Party Committee - PV), Mr. Nguyen Khang and many masses crossed the iron gate, rushed to the main hall and entered the Imperial Commissioner's Office. In the name of the Hanoi Uprising Committee, Mr. Tran Tu Binh went straight to the workplace of Nguyen Xuan Chu, the leader of the puppet "Political Committee", and ordered him to surrender. The two Thanh Hoang Dieu self-defense forces immediately tied Nguyen Xuan Chu up and took him away (later, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Chu was personally signed by President Ho Chi Minh to be released - PV). Seeing that there was an information system in the room, Mr. Tran Tu Binh called the provincial governors and mayors of Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Bac Ninh... to inform them that the Viet Minh had seized power in Hanoi; demanding that they quickly hand over power to the Viet Minh. Minh, otherwise they would be dealt with by the revolution. At the same time, a number of provincial governors, prefects, and district magistrates panicked and called the Imperial Commissioner's Office to ask for advice, and all received a decisive order from Tran Tu Binh: "Immediately hand over power to the Viet Minh!"

At the same time as occupying the Imperial Commissioner's Palace, the revolutionary forces surrounded and occupied the centers of power: Bao An Binh Camp, Lien Phong Office, Hang Trong Police Station, Court, Treasury, Post Office...

Stop Japanese intervention, protect revolutionary achievements

During those boiling revolutionary days, General Nguyen Quyet (later Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the State Council) held the role of the highest leader of the Hanoi Party Committee and was also one of the five key members of the Hanoi Uprising Committee. In his memoirs, he recalled: “That day, August 19, a great historical day, a beautiful Sunday in both the literal and figurative sense! From early morning, Hanoi was red with the Viet Minh flag. According to the plan, tens of thousands of farmers from the suburbs gathered at the city gates and locations on the outskirts of the city, carrying all kinds of sticks, machetes, knives, sickles, and a few guns. As they walked, the group chanted slogans "Support Viet Minh", "Down with the puppet government", "Establish a revolutionary people's government". Tens of thousands of workers, farmers, and poor people from Moc and Lang villages marched to Nga Tu So, led by comrade Le Duc Van, in charge of the National Salvation Youth Union, to occupy the Hoan Long agency from 6 a.m. to open the way to the uprising in the inner city. The district chief Dang Vu Niet, frightened by the momentum of the masses, fled. The security soldiers here surrendered their weapons…

At 11 o'clock the uprising rally began.

After listening to comrade Nguyen Huy Khoi - representative of the Uprising Committee clearly state Japan's surrender, our attitude towards the defeated Japanese army, towards the plot of French imperialism and calling on the masses to resolutely deal with all invasions, and first establish the Democratic Republic of Vietnam government to gain independence, freedom and happiness for the nation; the revolutionary masses immediately transformed into two demonstration groups led by armed forces, divided into two directions to occupy important places in the city according to the pre-determined plan.

Carrying out the assignment of the Uprising Committee, the Demonstration Group went to occupy the security camp, the military agency of the puppet government of North Vietnam, led by Mr. Nguyen Quyet, and the Youth Propaganda Volunteers, leading a very complicated situation. General Nguyen Quyet recalled: “The Uprising Committee sent a letter to Thu - the camp commander, persuading him to surrender to the Viet Minh, but when we arrived, the camp gate was still tightly closed. The situation at that time required urgency, so I ordered the gate to be broken down. Seeing that they could not hold out against the power of the revolution, they had to open the gate. The self-defense force entered the yard. Thu asked to meet our commander, he said that he had received our letter but still had to present it to his superiors. I immediately told him that the Viet Minh had occupied the Imperial Commissioner's Palace, his superiors had surrendered, the government had fallen into the hands of the revolution, and at the same time ordered him to gather his soldiers and surrender their weapons”…

The author (standing in the back row) during a visit to General Nguyen Quyet and his wife (photo taken in 2008).

However, capturing the security camp was not easy, because this was an important military position of the pro-Japanese puppet government, with about 1,000 soldiers fully equipped with weapons. With intelligence, courage and flexibility, the insurgent force captured the camp but suddenly the Japanese army sent tanks to surround the insurgent army. This situation was extremely dangerous because the insurgent army was mostly unarmed, some self-defense forces and young people were equipped with rudimentary weapons, unable to confront the Japanese army with quite modern equipment, including tanks.

Comrade Nguyen Quyet recalled: “The Japanese insisted on disarming us and retaking the security camp. We absolutely refused to accept. Hearing that news, some cadres and volunteer propaganda soldiers were upset and asked me to "correct" them. Determined to firmly grasp the City Party Committee's policy, on the one hand I explained to my comrades, on the other hand I ordered the masses to consolidate their ranks and continue to surround the enemy. I told the Japanese: "You are now the defeated ones, just waiting for the Allied forces to come in and disarm us and return home. Your parents, wives and children are waiting for you. If you cause trouble with us, we will definitely defeat you and you will die in vain. Our revolution has won victory everywhere. It is best that you return to your old positions. You should not interfere with the internal affairs of us Vietnamese people."

With timely direction and diplomatic support from the Northern Regional Party Committee, along with pressure from the masses, the Japanese army had to turn back their tanks and withdraw all their troops back to their barracks. The occupation of Ty Liem Phong and a number of other important targets was also completed. By the evening of August 19, 1945, most of the headquarters of the pro-Japanese puppet government in Hanoi had fallen into the hands of the revolutionaries. In the following days, the uprising spread everywhere and the revolutionary government was established throughout the country, opening a new era for the Vietnamese nation.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Phong-su-tu-lieu/bai-2-nhung-ngay-co-bay-noi-noi-muon-anh-sao-vang-i778641/