The miraculous achievement of Cuu Quoc newspaper

On January 25, 1942, the newspaper Cuu Quoc was founded as the official mouthpiece of the Viet Minh Front. From 1945 to 1950, Cuu Quoc was a revolutionary newspaper widely distributed throughout the country, playing an important role in the resistance war against the French.

The "nomadic" newspaper

From 1942 to 1945, the newspaper Cuu Quoc (National Salvation) served as the main propaganda organ of the Viet Minh, under the direct leadership of General Secretary Truong Chinh. Operating in secrecy, the newspaper played a crucial role in disseminating the Party's national salvation policies and the Viet Minh's action program, strongly arousing patriotic spirit and encouraging people to participate in the struggle movements, contributing to the advancement of the revolutionary movement.

The article "The Spirit of the Southern Uprising Rises" was published in the newspaper Cuu Quoc, issue 15, dated November 30, 1944.

Following the victory of the August Revolution, the newspaper Cuu Quoc ( National Salvation) was headquartered at 114 Hang Trong Street, Hanoi . When the nationwide resistance war broke out, Cuu Quoc withdrew from the capital and began publishing in various locations within the resistance zones.

When the French colonialists advanced to the outskirts of Hanoi, the newspaper's editorial office moved to Sai Son (Quoc Oai) - the newspaper's former base from its clandestine operation. During the early stages of the resistance against the French, Cuu Quoc newspaper was the only one that continued to be published daily and disseminated combat orders. Each copy was delivered to the rear, reaching the hands of displaced people in the Van Dinh area.

In March 1947, when the French attacked Hoai Duc and Chuong My, the Cuu Quoc newspaper retreated to Phu Tho . The organization had to be split into three: the editorial office and printing house in Ha Giap (Phu Ninh), and the administrative office located on the outskirts of the town. Not long after, the newspaper had to move again to Son Duong and then Chiem Hoa (Tuyen Quang). Despite the hand-operated typewriters, homemade printing powder, and paper shortages, news was still produced regularly.

By the end of June 1947, the Cuu Quoc newspaper had to relocate from Tuyen Quang to Bac Kan. The transportation of printing equipment, paper, tarpaulins, and sacks lasted for several weeks, involving hundreds of people. In his memoir, " Cuu Quoc Newspaper 1942-1954 " (Tri Thuc Publishing House, 2017), journalist Nguyen Van Hai recounted: "Once, in broad daylight, we heard gunfire very close by. Everyone working quickly gathered their belongings to run... After running a short distance, we quickly hid our things in the bushes at the foot of the mountain and climbed back up the slope. A moment later, they [the French] turned around. The Cuu Quoc newspaper office then descended the mountain and returned."

From 1948 to 1950, the newspaper constantly moved with each retreat of the enemy, sometimes having to dismantle its camp shortly after setting up a temporary shelter. Despite this, the Cứu Quốc newspaper never failed to deliver to its readers, and by 1950 it had settled in Roòng Khoa (Định Hóa, Thái Nguyên), near the Viet Minh headquarters – a strong base before the general counteroffensive.

A glorious journey

From the beginning of 1942 until the successful General Uprising, the newspaper Cuu Quoc published 30 issues, at uneven intervals. Nine issues were published in 1942-1943, nine in 1944, and twelve in 1945. On August 24, 1945, Cuu Quoc was published openly in Hanoi, becoming the only daily newspaper of the revolutionary press. This contributed to the dissemination of the revolution's victory and the stabilization of the political and social situation.

Cuu Quoc Newspaper, issue 36, September 5, 1945

Photo: National History Museum

Issue 36 of the newspaper Cuu Quoc (September 5, 1945) published the full text of the Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, affirming the birth of a free nation. Notably, in just over a year, from issue 36 to issue 434 (December 13, 1946), President Ho Chi Minh submitted 149 articles to Cuu Quoc , which served to guide the resistance and nation-building efforts in the complex circumstances of the time.

Throughout the nine years of the resistance war against the French, despite constantly moving through various localities such as Tuyen Quang, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang, etc., the Cuu Quoc newspaper remained the only daily newspaper published regularly and continuously. In the Xuan Thuy Anthology printed in Hanoi in 1999, General Secretary Truong Chinh noted: "We had the Central Cuu Quoc newspaper, and also Cuu Quoc newspapers in all the resistance zones. It was the only daily newspaper of our Party and people during this period. Just the fact that it was published regularly for nearly 3,000 days under extremely fierce, difficult, and scarce war conditions can be said to be a miracle of our people."

In September 1955, the Viet Lien Front changed its name to the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the newspaper Cuu Quoc officially became the mouthpiece of this organization. In early 1977, Cuu Quoc completed its historical mission after publishing issue 3855. The newspaper merged with Giai Phong (of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam) to create a new newspaper called Dai Doan Ket (Great Unity ).

The history of the newspaper Cứu Quốc not only marks a challenging journey of revolutionary journalism but also serves as proof of the power of the fighting pen in the cause of preserving national independence. (to be continued)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ky-tich-bao-cuu-quoc-185250608232124028.htm