The August Revolution and its great lessons that still hold value

Promoting the Party's correct leadership role

The Party led the Vietnamese revolution to many glorious victories. Infographic source: VNA

The rich and vivid reality of the Vietnamese revolution over the 94 years since the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam has affirmed that the correct and wise leadership of the Party has always been the leading factor, deciding all victories of the Vietnamese revolution. In the August Revolution of 1945, that leading and decisive factor was even more clearly demonstrated, becoming an extremely valuable lesson.

The Party has set out the correct guidelines, suitable for the period of struggle for power. When World War II broke out, the Party Central Committee wisely predicted the situation to promptly change the direction of the Vietnamese revolutionary strategy. In particular, the Party highlighted the task of national liberation, correctly identified the enemy, established a political regime for the country after the revolution succeeded; especially, determined the form of uprising to seize power with the use of revolutionary violence, combining armed violence with political violence.

Implementing that policy, the Party actively led the preparation of the strength for the struggle to seize power. Focusing on building the revolutionary armed forces with the establishment of the Bac Son Guerrilla Team, the National Salvation Army, especially the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army (December 22, 1944) - the main force of the Vietnamese revolution under the absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of the Party. Paying attention to building revolutionary forces in all classes, in both rural and urban areas. In particular, the Party led the building of the great national unity bloc, taking the worker-peasant alliance as the core to create an extremely great strength, following the Party's call, ready to stand up to fight to overthrow the domination of Japanese fascists and their feudal lackeys, to seize power.

The Party wisely grasped the situation, accurately analyzed the revolutionary situation, and clearly recognized the opportunity to launch a general uprising to win victory on a national scale. At the right time when Japanese fascists were defeated in the world war and before the Allied forces entered to disarm the Japanese army in Indochina, the Party "pressed the button" at the right time, launching a general uprising for power. In particular, the victories in Hanoi, Hue and Saigon - Gia Dinh played a particularly important role, influencing the victory of the whole country.

Because of seizing the right opportunity, having strong strength, with the wise and talented leadership of the Party and leader Ho Chi Minh, within just 15 days (from August 13 to 28, 1945), all classes of our people rose up to seize power, the general uprising was completely victorious.

The victories in Hanoi, Hue and Saigon - Gia Dinh played a particularly important role, influencing the victory of the whole country. Documentary photo. Photo source: Vietnam Military History Museum.

From the victory of the August Revolution in 1945, it was affirmed that ensuring and promoting the Party's correct leadership role is a prerequisite and constant condition for all victories. To undertake its responsibilities, the Party must always innovate and create; when the situation changes, it must have new and timely policies.

The historical reality of more than 94 years of our Party's operation shows that, facing many turning points of the times, the Party has wisely proposed policies and guidelines in line with reality. Typically, at the 6th Congress (December 1986), on the basis of a profound analysis of the country's situation and through the process of research and practical testing, with the spirit of "looking straight at the truth, correctly assessing the truth, clearly stating the truth", "renewing thinking", the Party proposed the Policy of comprehensive national renovation, marking an important turning point on the path of transition to socialism in Vietnam.

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From the victory of the August Revolution in 1945, it was affirmed that: Ensuring and promoting the correct leadership role of the Party is a prerequisite and consistent condition for all victories.

The renewal policy was born to meet the demands of historical reality, demonstrating the steadfastness and creative thinking of the Communist Party of Vietnam and opening a new period for the country's development. After the 6th Congress, the Party has gradually perfected and concretized the renewal policy, the basic and core content of which is expressed in the Platform for national construction in the transitional period to socialism (the 1991 Platform and the 2011 supplemented and developed Platform) and important documents of the Party through the congresses, so that our country "has the foundation, potential, prestige and international position as today" ⁽¹⁾ .

Building and promoting the strength of national solidarity, combining national strength with the strength of the times

The solid foundation for building the great national unity bloc was set forth by our Party in the Party's first Political Platform at the Party's founding conference on February 3, 1930. During the August Revolution of 1945, the Party built a great national unity force, the core of which was the worker-peasant alliance, under the name of the Vietnam Independence League (abbreviated as the Viet Minh Front). This was our Party's innovation compared to the guidance of the Communist International and the Soviet Union's model.

In a colonial and feudal country like Vietnam, not only workers and peasants, but almost all other classes had conflicts with colonial and feudal oppression. The fundamental conflict of Vietnamese society at that time was between the entire Vietnamese nation and the invasion and oppression of the colonial, imperialist, fascist regimes and their traitorous lackeys.

The Viet Minh Front is the most suitable and effective organization to gather revolutionary forces to stand up and gain independence for the country. Photo source: Vietnam Military History Museum

Therefore, in addition to workers and peasants, the Party also advocates gathering many other patriotic social classes, such as landlords, feudalists, national bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie... All of them, although they have more or less different interests, have a "common denominator": national liberation. Therefore, fighting against imperialism and feudalism are two strategic tasks of the Vietnamese revolution; however, based on the specific situation, the Party is always quick to make appropriate adjustments.

During the revolutionary movement (from 1939 to 1945), our Party proposed the policy of raising high the flag of national liberation, temporarily putting aside the task of fighting feudalism, and at this time, the Viet Minh Front was the most suitable and effective organization to gather revolutionary forces to stand up and gain independence for the country.

The policies of the Viet Minh demonstrated the Party's goal of overthrowing Japanese fascists and their feudal lackeys, building a new, progressive society, bringing basic benefits to all people, especially land to farmers - the force that makes up the vast majority of the Vietnamese population, with the practical slogan: "Land to the tillers". In reality, in many localities, when the general uprising to seize power broke out, the Viet Minh was the force that organized the struggles with tight programs and plans, attracting all forces, regardless of whether they were workers, farmers or landlords, bourgeoisie, petty bourgeoisie, even the mandarins of the feudal regime were ready to stand on the side of the revolutionary forces.

In the cause of innovation, construction and protection of the Fatherland, the lesson of building and promoting the tradition and strength of great national unity has been successfully applied by our Party. Through the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Party has promoted the strength of solidarity of all social classes to build and protect the Fatherland.

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Building and promoting the strength of national unity, combining national strength with the strength of the times. That is a principled lesson drawn from the August Revolution of 1945, which needs to be applied and promoted creatively in the new revolutionary period.

Along with that, it is necessary to effectively implement social solidarity, create consensus to arouse and promote the strength of all classes, genders, and economic sectors, taking the goal of "building a prosperous and happy Vietnam; becoming a developed country with high income by 2045 as a common point to motivate and encourage people to unite and join hands to achieve the future of the nation and the happiness of the people" ⁽³⁾ .

At the same time, harmoniously resolve the relationship of interests between: individuals - collectives, State - enterprises - people... Strengthen the fight against individualism, "group interests", put the interests of the Fatherland and the nation above all, in the spirit of: "Ensuring the highest national interests" ⁽⁴⁾ . That is a principled lesson that has been drawn from the August Revolution of 1945, which needs to be applied and creatively promoted in the new revolutionary stage.

Raising awareness, fighting against historical distortion

Every year, as scheduled, on the occasion of the entire Party, people and army organizing meaningful activities to celebrate the success of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2, hostile and reactionary forces take advantage of the media, social networks, etc. to repeatedly "chew over and over" the argument: The August Revolution was "luck", the Viet Minh was not talented at all, they just took advantage of the "power vacuum" (when the Japanese fascists had surrendered to the Allies and when the Vietnamese feudal government was crumbling), like "reaching out to pick up the ripe fruit that fell", therefore, the uprising did not have to be bloody. They also claimed that Vietnam had already achieved independence, the evidence being: on March 11, 1945, Japan had granted independence and Emperor Bao Dai had declared his acceptance, so they called the victory of the August Revolution in 1945 led by the Party a "coup" that overthrew the independence that Japan had previously granted, usurping the leadership of the government led by Tran Trong Kim as Prime Minister. From that, they inferred that every year March 11 should be taken as the anniversary of Vietnam's National Day!

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At the same time in 1945, the opportunity for national independence was not only in Vietnam but also in all Southeast Asian countries, but only Vietnam, Indonesia and Laos gained independence. That opportunity was also opened to all political forces in Vietnam, but only the Viet Minh led by the Communist Party was victorious.

The truth is one and only one. There is no such thing as “luck” here. Because, at the same time in 1945, the opportunity to gain national independence was not only in Vietnam but also in all Southeast Asian countries, but only Vietnam, Indonesia and Laos gained independence. That opportunity was also opened to all political forces in Vietnam, but only the Viet Minh led by the Communist Party won. That was absolutely not a coincidence, but an inevitable victory from the process of the Party leading, preparing, building a strong enough revolutionary force, and the experience of fighting through “rehearsals” such as: the Soviet-Nghe Tinh climax (1930-1931); the democratic climax (1936-1939) and the national liberation revolutionary climax (1939-1945).

The so-called “power vacuum” is actually the ignorance of those with narrow minds and dark perceptions. In reality, there was no vacuum when the Japanese fascists were still a real entity with an army of nearly 100,000 occupying Indochina and they still had a plot to prevent the revolutionary army from rising up and seizing power. And the existence of the “puppet” Bao Dai government at that time was just a trick of the colonialists and imperialists to save face. That government was essentially just a continuation of the intention of foreign powers, aiming to occupy our country and enslave our people; and there was no such thing as a “coup” taking place here. Therefore, the victory of the August Revolution in 1945 was due to the Vietnamese people themselves, under the skillful and correct leadership of the Party, and the solidarity of the entire nation.

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The victory of the August Revolution in 1945 was achieved by the Vietnamese people themselves, under the talented and correct leadership of the Party, and by the solid unity of the entire nation.

The heroic declaration of President Ho Chi Minh on the Independence Stage on the afternoon of September 2, 1945 will forever be a golden milestone marking the miraculous development crystallized from the patriotism of the entire nation. September 2 became the sacred National Day, reminding us not to forget the great contributions of the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army of Vietnam who heroically stood up to fight for independence from the historic Autumn of 1945. That was also the result of implementing the correct viewpoint and path of national salvation of our Party and leader Ho Chi Minh: "using our own strength to liberate ourselves".

Nearly 80 years have passed, but the victorious spirit of the August Revolution lives forever, an extremely precious spiritual asset that needs to be multiplied and spread in the process of innovation, building our country to be increasingly prosperous and happy./.

Crowds of people gathered at Ba Dinh Flower Garden to listen to President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945. Photo courtesy. Photo source: VNA

1 - Communist Party of Vietnam - Documents of the 13th National Congress of Delegates, Volume I, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi 2021, p. 104.

2 - Ho Chi Minh - Complete Works, Volume 15, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi 2011, p. 611.

3 - CPV - Documents of the 8th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi 2021, p. 138.

4 - Communist Party of Vietnam - Documents of the 13th National Congress of Delegates, Volume I, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi 2021, pp. 161 - 162.

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