Historical value of August Revolution 1945 in the new era of national development

TCCS - The victory of the August Revolution in 1945 and the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam "was an extremely great change in the history of our country" (1). The glorious victory of the August Revolution in 1945 helped us to be more proud of our national history, the process of building and developing the country; at the same time, we have a deeper understanding of the values and lessons learned from the practical struggles of the nation, adding strength and determination in the work of building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; adding motivation to fulfill the historical mission in the new era - the era of national development.

Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence _Photo: Document (Source: Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts)

August Revolution 1945 - opening the era of independence and freedom of the Vietnamese people in modern times

At the end of the 19th century, the Nguyen Dynasty let the country fall into the hands of French colonialists. Under the rule of French colonialists, all classes and strata in Vietnamese society were not only exploited economically but also suffered the humiliation of a nation that had lost its country. The contradiction between the entire Vietnamese people and the French colonialists and their reactionary lackeys became increasingly deeper. Independence and freedom were the aspirations of the entire Vietnamese people. The task of saving the country was extremely urgent. The patriotic movements against French colonialism by the Vietnamese people took place vigorously, strongly and fiercely. At the end of the 19th century, the Can Vuong movement (1885 - 1896) - an armed struggle movement under the feudal flag took place for a decade. At the beginning of the 20th century, patriotic movements that absorbed the bourgeois democratic ideology appeared. The history of the nation witnessed the tireless efforts of patriotic scholars such as Phan Boi Chau, Phan Chau Trinh... The predecessors overcame the limitations of their origins (feudalism), accepted new ideas, and linked national salvation with people's salvation. However, until the 1920s, the movements to fight against French colonialism all failed. The main reason was the lack of an advanced leadership class, lack of organizational ability, and lack of a correct way of fighting. The patriotic movement in Vietnam fell into a state of crisis "as dark as if there was no way out" ⁽²⁾ .

In that context, the patriotic young man Nguyen Tat Thanh decided to leave to find a new way to save the country. During the 10 years of searching for a way to save the country (1911-1920), he came to Marxism-Leninism and determined the path of national liberation following the proletarian tendency. To realize the aspiration for independence, freedom and national liberation, he actively spread the theory of national liberation according to Marxism-Leninism to Vietnam, preparing the conditions for the establishment of a proletarian political party. The birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam (early 1930) was a major historical event of turning point in the history of the revolutionary struggle of our nation. The Vietnamese people, under the leadership of the Party, persistently fought for independence, through revolutionary movements such as the 1930-1931 revolutionary movement with the peak of the Nghe Tinh Soviet, the 1936-1939 democratic movement, and directly the 1939-1945 national liberation movement.

Based on careful preparation over 15 years, along with the acumen in identifying and seizing favorable objective opportunities, the Indochinese Communist Party and the Viet Minh Central Committee mobilized the people of the whole country to rise up simultaneously, carry out a general uprising, and seize power. Imbued with the spirit of "No matter what sacrifices we have to make, even if we have to burn down the Truong Son mountain range, we must resolutely gain independence" ⁽³⁾ , from August 14 to August 18, 1945, the general uprising broke out and won victory in the rural areas of the Northern Delta, most of the Central region, part of the South, and in the towns of Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Ha Tinh, Hoi An, Quang Nam... On August 19, 1945, the uprising to seize power was victorious in Hanoi. On August 23, 1945, the uprising was victorious in Hue and Bac Kan, Hoa Binh, Hai Phong, Ha Dong, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Binh Dinh, Gia Lai, Bac Lieu... On August 25, 1945, the uprising was victorious in Saigon - Gia Dinh, Kon Tum, Soc Trang, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh , Bien Hoa, Tay Ninh, Ben Tre... Within just 15 days at the end of August 1945, the general uprising achieved complete victory, the government throughout the country was in the hands of the people.

On September 2, 1945, at Ba Dinh Square (Hanoi), before a rally of nearly one million compatriots, President Ho Chi Minh, on behalf of the Provisional Government, solemnly read the Declaration of Independence, declaring to the nation and the world: The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). President Ho Chi Minh's Declaration of Independence affirmed the truth: "Vietnam has the right to enjoy freedom and independence, and in fact has become a free and independent country" ⁽⁴⁾ .

If counting from September 1, 1858, when the French colonialists officially fired the first shots to invade our country at Son Tra Peninsula (Da Nang) to September 2, 1945, when President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square, our country had gone through 87 years under the yoke of French colonialism and Japanese fascism. That was the longest period of time Vietnam was under foreign rule since 938, when Ngo Quyen defeated the Southern Han invaders and restored independence. During the colonial period, the country's sovereignty was lost, the country's name was no longer on the world map, mixed with the place name "French Indochina". The country was divided into three regions with three different political regimes to make it easier for the French colonialists to rule. The uprisings and struggles for independence and autonomy for the country were all drowned in blood. People lived a life of slavery, hunger, poverty, hardship, and obscurity due to high taxes, corvee labor, and forced labor... That historical context affirmed the great stature and immense value of the revival of national independence and freedom, of which the August Revolution was a brilliant milestone. President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: “Our nation’s history has had many glorious periods. But before the August Revolution, our nation had to go through nearly a century of extreme humiliation. On the world map, our country’s name was erased under the four words “French Indochina”. The French colonialists called our compatriots dirty Annamites. The world called us slaves of the lost country… In that situation of losing our country and our home, our Party overcame countless sacrifices and dangers to organize, unite and lead our people to rise up and fight. The August Revolution succeeded. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born. The resistance war against French colonialism was victorious. Our people took control of their own destiny. Our country’s name was once again famous throughout the five continents and four seas” ( ⁵⁾ .

From the August Revolution of 1945 to the Great Victory of Spring 1975

From 1945 to 1975, our entire Party, people and army focused on implementing two major contents of the first era of the Vietnamese revolution: Winning and maintaining independence and freedom for the Fatherland and preparing the initial premise for the second era.

The victory of the August Revolution in 1945 led to the birth of the Provisional Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam; opening an era of independence, freedom and the construction of socialism in the history of the nation. For the first time after nearly 100 years of being colonized by French colonialists and Japanese fascists, the Vietnamese people rose up to break the chains of slavery and establish a people's democratic government. The new era marked a leap forward for our country: from a country that had lost its independence to an independent, autonomous country; the Vietnamese people from being slaves became the masters of the country, masters of their own destiny. For the first time in history, a worker-peasant state was born in Vietnam, the first people's democratic state in Southeast Asia.

Since its inception, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam has become a fundamental factor firmly ensuring the independence and freedom that our people have longed for after so many years of being suppressed and oppressed. Immediately after its inception, the Government's activities clearly demonstrated the nature of a Government of the people, by the people and acting for the people. The Party organized and led the Government and the people to fight against internal and external enemies, overcoming the challenging situation of "a thousand pounds hanging by a thread".   through two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, saving the country lasting 30 years (1945 - 1975).

After 9 years of resistance against French colonialism (1945 - 1954), with the spirit of "rather sacrifice everything than lose the country, never become slaves" ⁽⁶⁾ and the policy of all-people, comprehensive, long-term, self-reliant resistance, seeking international support, both resisting and building the nation, our army and people successively defeated the military plans of French colonialism and the intervention plot of American imperialism. The victory of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 of the Vietnamese people became "a shining golden milestone in history. It clearly marked the place where colonialism rolled downhill and disintegrated, while the national liberation movement around the world was rising to complete victory" ⁽⁷⁾ . The Dien Bien Phu victory, “famous in five continents and shaking the world”, continued, protected and successfully developed the achievements of the August Revolution in 1945. It was a victory of patriotism and the steadfast, indomitable revolutionary heroism of our people under the talented leadership of the Party Central Committee and the Government, headed by President Ho Chi Minh.

After the Geneva Agreement on Indochina in 1954, peace was restored, and the North moved forward to build socialism. In the South, the US directly intervened with the ambition of a global strategy, permanently dividing Vietnam, turning the South into a new type of US colony. In that context, the sacred mission of the entire nation was to liberate the South and unify the country. The people of both the North and the South entered the resistance war against the US, saving the country with many difficulties and hardships, but with the spirit of "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom" and with the strong belief that "even though we have to go through more hardships and sacrifices, we will definitely achieve complete victory".

After 21 years of arduous fighting, with the Party's independent, autonomous, correct, creative political and military lines and the Party's scientific and flexible art of war command; with the support of the socialist North, the help of socialist countries and progressive humanity in the world..., our army and people defeated the war strategies of the US imperialists and the Saigon government. The great victory in the spring of 1975 completely liberated the South, unified the country, and wrote the miraculous heroic epic of the Vietnamese revolutionary war. Our people defeated the most powerful and brutal enemy in the 20th century; gloriously ending the 30-year fight for independence, freedom, and national unification; ending more than a century of domination by old and new colonialism in our country; marking a decisive turning point in the history of the nation.

From the August Revolution in 1945 to the Great Victory in the Spring of 1975, the strength of the great national unity bloc was highly promoted, combined with the strength of the times to complete the strategic task of maintaining independence and freedom; building the initial premises of socialism. Under the correct leadership of the Party, the Vietnamese people highly promoted patriotism and revolutionary heroism, successfully resolved the requirements of history and excellently completed the strategic goals, opening a new era for the nation: the era of national reunification, innovation and development.

The value of the August Revolution of 1945 for the country's development in the new era

First of all, lay the foundation for independence and freedom - the conditions for national development in the era of growth.

The right to independence and freedom of nations are natural, sacred and inviolable rights, an objective law of human society that all nations enjoy. For the Vietnamese people, peace, independence and freedom are sacred and noble things that generations of fathers and brothers had to sacrifice their blood and bones to regain and preserve for the country. President Ho Chi Minh once affirmed: "Freedom and independence are the natural rights of every nation... Once a nation has stood up to resolutely fight for their Fatherland, no one, no force can defeat them ⁽⁸⁾ . The struggle to regain independence and freedom for the nation is the goal, reason for living and aspiration of the entire Vietnamese nation and has been realized by the great victory of the August Revolution in 1945; protected and preserved by the contributions and sacrifices of our army and people during the 30 years of the Vietnamese revolutionary war (1945 - 1975).

Historical practice shows that only when the independence and sovereignty of the Fatherland are intact, the interests of the nation are protected, and the country's peace is maintained, can the people enjoy freedom and happiness, and have favorable conditions and environments to build and develop a rich, beautiful and civilized country. The victory of the August Revolution in 1945 laid an important foundation for the development of Vietnam by establishing independence and freedom, creating conditions for the construction of a people's democratic state and giving birth to national independence. That victory paved the way for economic, social, cultural and educational advances of our nation in the following eras.

Second, lay a solid foundation for the country's development; create momentum and strength for the nation to step into the era of self-improvement.

After 80 years of independence, nearly 40 years of innovation and international integration, the country is more and more steadfast and confident on the path of innovation for national independence and socialism in the new era of development. Vietnam is increasingly developing, becoming a country of peace, independence, democracy, wealth, prosperity, civilization and happiness. Promoting the spirit of patriotism, self-reliance, determination, courage and creativity to overcome all difficulties and challenges, seize advantages and opportunities so that "our country has never had the foundation, potential, position and international prestige as it does today" ⁽⁹⁾ .

“With an economic scale of 476.3 billion USD in 2024, Vietnam will enter the group of 40 largest economies in the world” ⁽¹⁰⁾ . The value of Vietnam's national brand in 2024 will reach 507 billion USD (ranked 32/193 countries evaluated, up 1 place compared to 2023). Vietnam is in the group of 15 developing countries attracting the largest FDI in the world (with 38.23 billion USD registered, realized capital reaching 25.35 billion USD, up 9.4%) ⁽¹¹⁾ .

Vietnam's position and prestige in the international arena have been increasingly affirmed and enhanced. Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with 194 countries and territories, including 3 special relations and 13 comprehensive strategic partnerships. Vietnam has established comprehensive strategic partnerships or strategic partnerships with all 5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Vietnam has been demonstrating its outstanding role as a friend and reliable partner in the international community; has many initiatives and proposals, proactively and actively participating effectively in the activities of ASEAN, the United Nations and many other international organizations.

The female militia and self-defense force of various ethnic groups participates in joint training to prepare for the parade at the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945 - August 19, 2025) and National Day September 2_Photo: VNA

Solutions to promote the historical value of the August Revolution of 1945 in the current period

In the context of globalization, increasingly deep international integration, complex international and regional contexts with many fluctuations, intertwined opportunities and risks, complex international security situation, rapid and unpredictable changes... pose many urgent issues for the protection of Vietnam's independence and national sovereignty. Valuable historical lessons of the August Revolution in 1945 need to continue to be promoted in the current cause of national construction and protection.

Firstly, step up propaganda work, raise awareness, foster and promote patriotism, national pride, and sense of civic responsibility for the nation's destiny. Raise awareness among cadres, party members and people about the value and task of protecting national independence and sovereignty. Protecting national independence and sovereignty is not only protecting the inviolability of sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also maintaining sovereignty in all areas, ensuring safety, preventing threats to the political regime, and hostile agents that hinder the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the management role of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Second, firmly and creatively apply the viewpoints of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought to achieve the goal of protecting national independence and sovereignty. Strengthen the work of assessing and forecasting accurately and scientifically the movement and development process of the domestic, regional and international context. Combine the task of protecting independence and sovereignty with building, comprehensive innovation, international integration and sustainable development of the country.

Third, promote the great national unity bloc, the strength of the people, considering this as the source of strength to maintain and protect national independence and sovereignty. In the current context, facing great challenges to independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, it is necessary to focus on building and promoting the combined strength, consolidating the great national unity bloc. In particular, it is necessary to ensure the promotion of socialist democracy, enhance the people's mastery in deciding major and important issues of the country; strengthen the relationship between the Party and the people, maintain the people's trust in the Party, the State, and the socialist regime, in order to realize the goal of protecting independence and sovereignty.

Fourth, effectively carry out the task of socio-economic development combined with cultural development, foreign affairs and ensuring national defense and security, thereby firmly protecting independence and sovereignty. Deeply aware of the role of cultural identity values in the cause of defending the Fatherland, protecting independence and sovereignty; building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity. Strengthening international cultural exchange, cooperation and integration activities to actively contribute to the implementation of the strategic goal of defending the Fatherland.

Fifth, firmly protecting national independence and sovereignty is defined as the responsibility of the entire political system, the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people; it is an important factor ensuring the country's sustainable development. The political system must be streamlined, synchronized and operate effectively and efficiently; building the Vietnam People's Army and the Vietnam People's Public Security to be revolutionary, disciplined, elite and gradually modernized; and widespread militia and self-defense forces; supplementing, developing and perfecting the motto and methods of protecting independence and sovereignty; ensuring flexibility, suppleness and perseverance in diplomatic strategy; resolving conflicts and disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of ensuring independence, sovereignty and national interests in accordance with international law and practice.

The historical value of the victory of the August Revolution in 1945 shows that protecting the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Fatherland is a particularly important task. During the August Revolution in 1945, Vietnam had only 20 million people with a domestic economic context facing numerous difficulties, but our people fought to gain and maintain national independence and sovereignty. Today, in the new era, the lesson of protecting the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the nation remains valuable. It is a vital task that must be implemented resolutely, regularly and effectively, creating the premise for building an increasingly prosperous and happy country./.

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(1) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works , National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2011, vol. 7, p. 26
(2) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit. , vol. 12, p. 401
(3) Vo Nguyen Giap: Complete memoirs , People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, pp. 129 - 130
(4) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 3
(5) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works , op. cit. , vol. 14, p. 621
(6) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 534
(7) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 14, p. 315
(8) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works , op. cit. , vol. 5, p. 9
(9) Nguyen Phu Trong: "Performance "The speech of General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong at the Ceremony to Celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam", Electronic Communist Magazine , February 3, 2020, https://www.tapchicongsan.org.vn/web/guest/chi-tiet-tim-kiem/-/2018/815925/dien-van-cua-tong-bi-thu%2C-chu-tich-nuoc-nguyen-phu-trong-tai-le-ky-niem-90-nam-ngay-thanh-lap-%C4%91ang-cong-san-viet-nam.aspx
(10) Bich Ngoc: “Vietnam's Economy: Miraculous Transformations from the Ashes of War”, Electronic Numbers & Events Magazine , April 30, 2025, https://consosukien.vn/kinh-te-viet-nam-nhung-buoc-chuyen-nhiem-mau-tu-tro-tan-chien-tranh.htm
(11) Hoang Yen: “Attracting foreign investment: Imprints in both quantity and quality,” Vietnam Financial Times , January 28, 2025, https://thoibaotaichinhvietnam.vn/thu-hut-dau-tu-nuoc-ngoai-dau-an-ca-ve-luong-va-chat-168682-168682.html

 

Source: https://tapchicongsan.org.vn/web/guest/nghien-cu/-/2018/1116202/gia-tri-lich-su-cua-cach-mang-thang-tam-nam-1945-trong-ky-nguyen-phat-trien-moi-cua-dan-toc.aspx