The art of organizing uprising in the August Revolution

The August Revolution of 1945 was one of the greatest victories of the Vietnamese people in the 20th century. This was not only a revolution of all people, but also a typical armed uprising, converging many elements of the art of organization, leadership and revolutionary action. That victory was not accidental but was the result of careful preparation and skillful leadership in the armed uprising.

The art of directing the building of a solid base

Before carrying out the general uprising, our Party advocated building and consolidating revolutionary bases - places to set up command agencies, train cadres, mobilize the masses and prepare forces. In particular, the Viet Bac base is the most typical example, considered the cradle of armed revolution. As early as 1941, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc chose Pac Bo (Cao Bang) as the base of operations. From here, the movement spread to the midland provinces and the Northern Delta. The bases of Bac Son-Vo Nhai, Trang Xa, Dinh Hoa... played a central role in organizing and leading the revolution. The art of building bases was demonstrated in choosing rugged terrain but close to the people, organizing people to self-govern, building a rudimentary revolutionary government, and at the same time developing politics , military, and logistics on the spot. It was from these bases that the general uprising order was issued, opening the way for a nationwide uprising.

Carrying out the General Uprising order during the August Revolution of 1945 in Hanoi . Photo archive

The art of building and developing forces

Along with the bases, developing revolutionary forces is a vital task. The Party has demonstrated strategic vision and flexible organizational art in building political forces and the armed forces. Politically, national salvation organizations (youth, women, farmers, etc.) have been developed extensively, serving as a support for the movement. Armed forces, the Party built national salvation self-defense teams, then developed them into guerrilla teams, and moved towards establishing regular forces such as the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army. The art of developing forces is not only increasing the quantity but also improving the quality of ideology and organization. In particular, all forces are formed in the hearts of the people, relying on the people, and being attached to the people, creating great and solid strength.

The art of seizing the opportunity to revolt

One of the most outstanding features of the August Revolution in 1945 was the art of seizing revolutionary opportunities. After the Japanese fascists surrendered to the Allies (August 15, 1945), the political situation in Vietnam fell into a state of "power vacuum". The pro-Japanese government in Indochina collapsed, the Japanese army waited to disarm, and the Allies had not yet entered. Faced with that situation, the Party Central Committee and President Ho Chi Minh quickly assessed that the opportunity had come and decided to launch a nationwide general uprising. Seizing the "golden opportunity" demonstrated the Party's sharp, sensitive and decisive leadership. It was clearly aware that if there was a delay, reactionary forces or the Allies could intervene, affecting the revolutionary situation. This was a clear demonstration of the ability to be sensitive to the situation, to know how to choose the right time, to grasp the opportunity and make timely decisions.

The art of directing uprisings piecemeal, flexibly and creatively

The August Revolution of 1945 did not take place simultaneously but was carried out in parts, flexibly, in accordance with the specific conditions of each locality. This is a unique feature of the art of revolutionary leadership. Places with strong movements and ready mass forces rose up early and quickly seized power, such as Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon. Places with difficulties carried out propaganda, mobilization, reorganization of forces and waited for the right time. This approach ensured creativity in the uprising but did not lose the uniformity of the whole country. The Party had made long-term preparations in building bases such as Viet Bac, organizing the Viet Minh front, developing armed self-defense forces, and carrying out semi-armed struggles in many places. "Softening" the enemy's lackey apparatus before carrying out the general uprising was the art of directing preparations for the uprising.

The art of combining political struggle with armed struggle

One of the creative and unique features of the August Revolution in 1945 was the harmonious and effective combination of political struggle and armed struggle. The masses played a key role in paralyzing the old ruling apparatus through demonstrations, rallies, marches, and occupation of offices, forcing the puppet apparatus to give up power. The armed forces only appeared at key moments to support, protect, or seize key agencies, creating rapid changes without causing great losses. A typical example was the uprising in Hanoi on August 19, 1945, when tens of thousands of people took to the streets to occupy the headquarters, in which the armed forces only played a supporting role but were decisive in the final moments. This is the art of "taking the strength of the masses as the main force", combining political struggle with armed struggle to achieve maximum goals with minimal losses, which is a miracle in history.

The art of promoting people's strength

Our Party skillfully mobilized and organized the great national unity bloc - a prerequisite for the victory of the uprising. The Viet Minh Front was a broad political tool, attracting all social classes: farmers, workers, intellectuals, traders, youth, women, ethnic minorities... Each citizen became a revolutionary soldier, participating in the uprising in his or her own way: taking to the streets to protest, reporting, hiding cadres, ensuring logistics... From urban to rural areas, from mountainous areas to plains, the whole nation stood up to act for a common goal. The art of mobilizing, organizing, and uniting the entire people did not only exist in a few days before the uprising but was the result of a long-term revolutionary movement, from the national struggle, class struggle to the anti-Japanese, national salvation movement. Thanks to that, when the opportunity came, the people were ready, determined, and acted in unity under the leadership of the Party.

DAO VAN DE

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Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/80-nam-cach-mang-thang-tam-va-quoc-khanh-2-9/nghe-thuat-to-chuc-khoi-nghia-trong-cach-mang-thang-tam-838820