Forever proud of the August Revolution of 1945

Throughout thousands of years of building and defending the country, there have been many important and sacred events that have become brilliant milestones in the history of our country. One of the events of great significance is the August Revolution in 1945. The great victory of the August Revolution will forever be a source of pride for our Party and our People in the struggle for independence and national liberation.

Uncle Ho read the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square on September 2, 1945. Photo: Document

1. In 1858, the French colonialists invaded our country. Since then, for more than 80 years, the Vietnamese people, as slaves, had to live in a state of national destruction, misery and suffering. In the fall of 1940, the Japanese fascists attacked Indochina. Our people had to endure two levels of oppression and exploitation by the French colonialists and the Japanese fascists, like "a neck under two yokes". On March 9, 1945, Japan staged a coup against the French and monopolized our country. The desire for peace , independence, freedom and happiness has always burned in the hearts of the Vietnamese people but has not yet been achieved.

In early 1945, World War II entered its final stage. The Soviet Red Army won successive victories across the European battlefields. Fascist Italy and Germany announced their surrender to the Allies. In Asia, the Soviet Red Army defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army, and at the same time, the US imperialists dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945), forcing fascist Japan to surrender unconditionally on August 15, 1945. World War II ended.

According to the agreement of the victorious countries, after the Japanese fascists surrendered, the British and Chiang Kai-shek armies would enter Indochina to disarm the Japanese army. Meanwhile, the French colonialists were eager to rely on the Allies to restore their dominant position. The American imperialists behind these forces were also ready to intervene in Indochina.

2. After Japan's coup against France, on the night of March 9, 1945, our Party launched a revolutionary movement as a premise for the General Uprising. The Party advocated changing the forms of propaganda, agitation, organization and struggle to suit the new situation. On March 12, 1945, the Party Central Committee issued the Directive "Japan - France fighting each other and our actions". On April 15, 1945, the Party Central Committee convened the Northern Military Revolutionary Conference to decide on many important issues, including the unification of the armed forces at that time into the Vietnam Liberation Army.

From April 1945 onwards, the anti-Japanese movement to save the country took place very strongly and widely throughout the country. In early May 1945, Uncle Ho returned from Cao Bang to Tuyen Quang, choosing Tan Trao as the base to direct the revolution throughout the country and prepare for the National Congress. In August 1945, the Party's National Conference met in Tan Trao (Tuyen Quang), Uncle Ho commented: "At this time, the favorable opportunity for us has come, even if we have to burn the entire Truong Son range, we must resolutely gain independence". Our Party decided to launch a general uprising for the entire people to seize power from the Japanese fascists and their lackeys before the Allies entered Indochina. The Party also proposed three principles to ensure the victory of the general uprising: Concentration, Unity, and Timeliness. On August 13, 1945, the Uprising Committee issued Military Order No. 1, calling on the entire people to launch a general uprising. On August 16, 1945, the Tan Trao National Congress passed the "10 major policies of the Viet Minh", passed the "General Uprising Order", decided that the National Flag would be a red flag with a five-pointed yellow star in the middle, the National Anthem would be the Marching Song, and established the Vietnam National Liberation Committee, the provisional government chaired by comrade Ho Chi Minh . On August 18, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter calling on the people of the whole country to launch a General Uprising, stating: "The decisive hour for the destiny of our nation has come. The whole country, let's rise up and use our own strength to liberate ourselves."

Under the leadership of the Party headed by the great President Ho Chi Minh, the people of the whole country rose up in an uprising to seize power. The beginning of the General Uprising was on August 16, 1945, when a unit of the Liberation Army led by comrade Vo Nguyen Giap advanced from Tan Trao and liberated Thai Nguyen. Then on August 19, the people of Hanoi rose up in an uprising and won a resounding victory. On August 23, the uprising in Hue continued to win. On August 25, the people of the Saigon - Gia Dinh area also rose up in an uprising and won victory. The whole country was seething with the spirit of a "heaven-shaking, earth-shattering" revolution. Our people from the North to the South, from the lowlands to the highlands, rose up to fight and seize power. On August 30, 1945, King Bao Dai abdicated, ending the existence of the thousand-year feudal autocratic regime in our country.

Thus, within just 15 days at the end of August 1945, the General Uprising was completely victorious, the August Revolution was a great success, and the government was in the hands of our people. On September 2, 1945, at Ba Dinh Square - Hanoi, President Ho Chi Minh, representing the provisional government, solemnly read the "Declaration of Independence" giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the first worker-peasant state in Southeast Asia.

3. There are many reasons contributing to the victory of the August Revolution in 1945. But first of all, it is thanks to the wise and talented leadership of the Party headed by President Ho Chi Minh. Since the Communist Party was born on February 3, 1930, the Party has shown the way and guided the entire nation towards the light of revolution, gradually escaping the dark night, towards a bright future. The Party has gathered and united the masses, proposed correct and practical decisions, ready to take on the responsibility for the Fatherland and the People, the Party steered the revolutionary boat through countless storms to reach the shore of victory...

Secondly, thanks to our people's ardent patriotism, deep hatred for the enemy, refusal to be slaves, knowing how to unite and fight steadfastly and indomitably, always burning with the desire for independence and freedom, steadfastly believing in the Party and the revolution. The victory of the August Revolution in 1945 was also thanks to the long-term, thorough, and thoughtful preparation process over 15 years, from the previous revolutionary peaks: 1930 - 1935, 1936 - 1939, 1939 - 1945. In addition, the favorable "once in a thousand years" opportunity when the Allies defeated the fascists also helped our people quickly gain victory.

4. The brilliant success of the August Revolution in 1945 was a great turning point for the nation. The revolutionary achievements broke the chains of slavery of French colonialism for more than 80 years, abolished the domination of Japanese fascism in 5 years, and overthrew the thousand-year feudal autocratic regime. From here, history turned a new page, opening an era of independence, freedom, prosperity, and happiness for the nation. The August Revolution also marked the growth of the Vietnamese revolution and demonstrated that our Party was capable of leading the people to victory in the future. In addition, the August Revolution both strongly encouraged the national liberation movement in colonial countries around the world and contributed to the victory over fascism to end World War II.

The August Revolution of 1945 still has valuable lessons to make us even more proud of the glorious Party and the heroic People. Proud of the Party for setting out correct and wise policies and guidelines; for accurately assessing the domestic and international situation; for being able to rally the masses and organize patriotic forces throughout the country; for knowing how to seize opportunities and creatively apply military art to isolate the enemy and defeat them...

We are proud of the heroic, resilient, indomitable Vietnamese people, ready to sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the nation. The ardent patriotism, faith in the Party, the will to rise up, the spirit of solidarity of the Vietnamese people, those “whose faces and names are unknown/ But they have created the Country” (Nguyen Khoa Diem) are the core factors that led to the victory. In the end, it is a lesson about the Party's will and the people's heart!

79 years have passed, but the spirit of the August Revolution of 1945 will forever be the pride of our people, a symbol of the aspiration for freedom and independence of the entire nation. Learning about the great August Revolution will help us firmly believe in the wise leadership of the Party and the great strength of the People; and inherit, promote and apply those valuable lessons in the current cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/chinh-tri/202408/mai-tu-hao-ve-cach-mang-thang-tam-nam-1945-b9127af/