The general who led the general uprising to seize power in Hanoi was only 23 years old.

At the age of 23, he was the Secretary of the Hanoi City Party Committee, leading the people of Hanoi to rise up and carry out the General Uprising to seize power, making a significant contribution to the success of the August Revolution.

He was General Nguyen Quyet (1922-2024).

General Nguyen Quyet (real name Nguyen Tien Van) was born in Hung Yen province. In 1937, at the age of 15, he left his hometown for Hanoi , working as a secretary and distributor for the newspaper Duoc Tue - the newspaper of the Northern Buddhist Center - and quickly joined the democratic movement launched by the Indochinese Communist Party.

Through his active involvement in mass mobilization work and after undergoing trials, he was admitted to the Indochinese Communist Party at the age of 18.

General Nguyen Quyet (third from the left in the top row) during a meeting with cadres who participated in the August Revolution of 1945. (Photo: Archival material)

In November 1944, he was appointed Secretary of the Hanoi City Party Committee by the Party and President Ho Chi Minh. As the head of the Hanoi City Party Committee leadership, he and his colleagues in the Committee both directed and directly organized, built, trained, and sourced weapons and military equipment for the worker-peasant armed self-defense units.

In particular, just a few months after taking office, on the night of August 17, 1945, under the chairmanship of Secretary Nguyen Quyet, the Hanoi City Party Committee held an emergency meeting and made a historic decision: Hanoi would launch an uprising on August 19, 1945, to overthrow the puppet government and establish a revolutionary government; the uprising would be carried out using local forces.

On the morning of August 19, 1945, Hanoi was ablaze with revolutionary flags. According to plan, tens of thousands of farmers and poor people were assembled in Lang and Moc, marching to Nga Tu So, and then advancing to seize the Hoan Long agency before entering the inner city. Afterward, the massive rally of nearly 200,000 people transformed into a mass demonstration, spearheaded by self-defense and propaganda units, divided into two large groups occupying positions according to the planned strategy.

One group of people seized the Governor-General's palace and achieved a swift victory. Another group seized the security camp, and the self-defense forces quickly took key positions within the camp. Under pressure from the masses, by 5 pm on August 19th, the Japanese army was forced to withdraw from Hanoi.

Evaluating the August 1945 General Uprising in Hanoi, General Secretary Truong Chinh once remarked: "The Hanoi City Party Committee firmly grasped the Party's and President Ho's guidelines and policies, and knew how to creatively apply them to the specific situation at that time to seize power."

Regarding General Nguyen Quyet, Comrade Truong Chinh emphasized: “In that unprecedented historical opportunity, there emerged intelligent individuals forged in the revolutionary environment, hearts and minds not only based on fervent patriotism but also possessing exceptional qualities, sharp judgment about the potential for revolutionary victory, and a special sensitivity to the times. The leadership of Hanoi at that time consisted entirely of young people under 30, with the head being the City Party Secretary Nguyen Quyet, who was only 23 years old and had undergone six years of training in revolutionary struggle. It was truly remarkable.”

After the August Revolution, General Nguyen Quyet was entrusted with many important positions: Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, Vice Chairman of the State Council, Head of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army... He was regarded as a talented, strategic, and skilled military general, steadfast, sharp, and politically astute. At the same time, he was a virtuous officer, always wholeheartedly devoted to the people and the country, deeply caring for his comrades and always setting a shining example of a military general.

For his outstanding achievements and contributions, he was awarded many prestigious honors by the Party and the State: the Gold Star Order; the Ho Chi Minh Order; the First and Third Class Military Merit Orders; the First Class Combat Order; the First Class Victory Order; two First Class Resistance Orders against the French and American War; and the Military Banner of Victory Order.

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Source: https://vtcnews.vn/vi-tuong-lanh-dao-tong-khoi-nghia-gianh-chinh-quyen-o-ha-noi-khi-moi-23-tuoi-ar960311.html