The August Revolution (1945) has defeated the colonialist and feudalist regime, established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam – a new revolutionary state in Vietnam. This is the historic victory in the cause of building and defending the country of our people. The victory is the result of promoting national’s strength in combination with the time’s strength, in which the former is the decisive one. Yet, some people said that: The August Revolution succeeded thanks to a good luck. So what is the fact?

These people argue that: After the Japanese’s coup (9 March 1945), Indochina in general and Vietnam in particular was no longer a colony of France but Japan. Meanwhile, the Japanese had been heavily defeated by the Allies, suffered from heavy losses and declared unconditional surrender. So, there appeared a power gap in Indochina and as soon as a revolution broke out, it would gain victory (?). From this viewpoint, they said “August Revolution’s success is a good luck”. In fact, their aim is to deny the leading role of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the power of the mass and then our revolution cause. It should be noted that, for the Revolution broke out and gained victory, besides objective factors being important ones, the Party’s lead is the decisive one; the Party has brought into full play the general strength of the national solidarity and gave out exact anticipation of time, seized the opportunity  to launch the general uprising. If we hadn’t seized the opportunity when the time came, hesitantly waiting for the enemy’s surrender and independence transfer, there would have never come the victory. Despite the historical facts, there appear many contrary, unkind, and biased opinions which need clarification.

Crowd gathered in front of Hanoi Theatre under the call of Viet Minh Front to launch the General Uprising in August 1945

First, it is necessary to note that: the USSR and the Allies defeating the Japanese just created favourable conditions for Vietnamese revolution. This is because: Although being defeated, the Japanese forces in Vietnam were still very powerful because of their reinforcements in the early months of 1945. Moreover, the Japanese still considered Vietnam as their last bridge to South East Asian region. If they lost the bridge, they would lose all their interests in the region as well as the Japan’s fame. So the Japanese would determinedly hold it at all cost.  In fact, at that time, in Vietnam the Japan still kept a force of around 100,000 troops with sufficient weapons and equipment stationing firmly in their defensive positions. Although losing fighting spirit, the two Japanese corps were still ready to obey their commander’s orders and remained a strong troop to any force daring to attack violently. In that sensitive moment, Japanese troops could still open fire on the uprising forces for different reasons: for self-defence, for maintaining social order... Therefore, the victory of the USSR and the Allies over the Japan just weakened fighting spirit of Japanese troops in Indochina but not their military strength. This is a great opportunity that our Party has seized, led and mobilized troops, brought into play the power of the mass to take over authority.

It must be reaffirmed that, subjective factor played the decisive role in the victory of August Revolution. Since 1939, grasping international and domestic situation, the weakness and strength of the enemy and the necessity of a national revolution in this stage, our Party has made careful preparations in guidelines, revolutionary bases and forces. On the guideline: being persistent with revolutionary goals set out since the its birth, in the Sixth Plenum of the Central Committee (November 1939), our Party put the mission of liberating the nation on top and discussed the armed insurrection. The mission was later further progressed in the Seventh Plenum (1940) and perfected in the Eighth Plenum (May1941). Accordingly, our Party clearly pointed out that: armed insurrection is the only road for Vietnam’s revolution and the revolution should begin in localities and then move on to a general insurrection in its way of movement. Our Party stressed: “…we must always prepare a readiness force aiming at a favourable time to hold offensive attack against the enemy. This means that, later on when the war in Pacific region and the resistant war of Chinese people convene in a favourable way for the success of the Indochina’s revolution, with the readiness force in hand we can lead partial insurrection in localities to success and then move on to a general one”. So, with a brilliant strategic thinking, our Party soon set out sound revolutionary road which was suitable with conditions and reality of Vietnam’s history. As shown in reality, what happened in that historic August were not beyond the Party’s anticipation and its clever lead.

With the guideline of a general uprising and inheriting the nation’s art of war throughout history, our Party decided that it is a must to build a firm revolutionary base which serves as a stationing area of revolutionary forces, a battlefield and the rear which provides human resource and property for the revolution. This base is also aimed to ensure the fast and easy communication of Vietnam’s revolution with international one, especially that of Russian and China. Implementing the guideline, we soon built bases in Bac Son, Cao Bang with different names. Especially, we finished building Viet Bac as a complete base, “a miniature of Vietnam”, in which Tuyen Quang is considered as “revolutionary capital”. The building of firm revolutionary bases has created important “position” for the general uprising to gain victory.

Grasping the inevitable rule that every revolution wishing to succeed must have strong force, our Party has attached importance to building a strong force, beginning from a political one to semi-armed force of the mass and to a revolutionary armed force. In light of Ho Chi Minh’s initiative, we had built a mass force, participating in Nation Salvation Associations of Viet Minh Front (May 1941) with continuous development in increasingly widened area before the Japanese engagement in Vietnam. This organization attracted the most masses, more crowded than any other group operating in the country at that time and soon declared its support for Viet Minh in the war against the fascism. When writing about the victory of the August Revolution, Philippe Devillers, a French historian, stated in his book “Vietnamese history from 1940 to 1952” that: “ It (the Revolution) is also the logical result of Viet Minh in all aspects of life of the country”. In building armed force, we have built 2 parts: an armed force of the mass and a centralized one. In fact, we have built 3 platoons of Nation Salvation Troops. This force played important role in armed fighting, along with the masses carrying out General Uprising throughout the country. It was also the foundation for the birth of the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of the Liberation Army, marking the continuous development of revolutionary armed force through the practice of fighting for independence.

In the August Revolution, besides the art of creating opportunity, our Party also reached the peak of seizing the opportunity. From the time of Japanese surrender to the time the Allies returned to our country, opportunity lasted for a very short time to wage a revolution.  If the Party had not given out the exact anticipation and seized the opportunity quickly, that chance would have passed away causing difficulties for the Revolution. When the USSR Red Army defeated the Japanese on 18 August 1945, the King of Japan declared unconditional surrender to the Allies. At that time, in Vietnam, their henchmen were of extreme panic. Seeing the opportunity, although suffering from serious illness, Ho Chi Minh stated “This is a rare and precious chance which would never come back” and gave out his appeal: “Even if the Truong Son mountains must be burned out, independence must be gained”.  The motto, along with preparations of the whole Party, people and troops, have created favourable condition for the timely outbreak and victory of the Revolution.

In the success of the Revolution, Ho Chi Minh, as the top and most brilliant leader, must be mentioned and highlighted. A foreign scholar has commented: “…those assessments (with the aim to deny the meaning of the Revolution) can’t deny the fact that August Revolution is a great achievement… While other nationalist leaders agreed to stay in South China waiting for the defeat of the Japanese, President Ho and his colleagues proved their adaptability to challenges and took the world by surprise”. At the International Conference “Ho Chi Minh’s Heritage in Contemporary Age” which was held in Hanoi (12-13 May 2010), Mrs. Lady Borton, an American researcher and journalist, in her presentation titled “Photos know to speak” had said: Ho Chi Minh was the first Vietnamese revolutionary to hear the defeat of the Japanese and led the Uprising quickly and in a timely manner.

Under the leadership of the Party and Uncle Ho, the revolution movement broke out excitingly across the country. In Hanoi, leaders of the insurrection have had contact with High Command of the Japanese and had a successful negotiation to clear blockage and avoid a possible armed conflict. This is considered as an important victory of the insurrection in Hanoi. Until 19 August 1945, the pro-Japanese government headed by Tran Trong Kim was still existed. Many other parties and political organizations, seeing the opportunity, also rushed for their political positions. However, Ho Chi Minh and Viet Minh won in the end. Therefore, it can be said that the August Revolution broke out and won victory quickly thanks to the brilliant leadership and direction of the Party and Uncle Ho. With a strong force that was concentrated and trained in the Viet Minh Front, and with an outstanding leader, Vietnamese people took arms and liberated themselves but not just sat and waited for a “power gap”. Our Party and Uncle Ho have had sound anticipation of the situation, seized and took advantage the “one in a million” opportunity resolutely. All of the above scientific proves, along with the reality of historical days in August 1945 have stated: the August Revolution is not a “good luck” as someone said.

The August Revolution in 1945 of Vietnam is a nation liberation one which followed the Russian October Revolution and the orbit of Proletarian Revolution. It was led by the Communist Party and hence, success of the Revolution is resolute, as Ho Chi Minh assessed. Its historic values and time meaning can’t be denied. Therefore, all attempts to sabotage and subjective interpretations on the Revolution are of no value.

Assoc. Prof. NGUYEN TRONG PHUC Ph.D