Within about 15 days of the August Revolution, the Vietnamese uprose and seized power nationwide with low loss. With a thorough analysis, the importance of the event as well as the leadership art of our Party and President Ho Chi Minh revealed.

1. The art of leadership in force preparation. The 8^th Plenum of the Party Central Committee, which proposed a shift in strategic leadership, method of revolution, and preparation for an uprising, held that “Partial uprisings in localities could gain victory that would pave the way to a great general uprising”. That was the direction for the task of building force extensively in preparation for the General Uprising. It stressed the urgency of cadres training to build up and develop revolutionary movements in rural and urban areas. Notably, with a view to gathering force for revolution, the Plenum decided to found League for the Independence of Vietnam (known as Viet Minh). At the same time The Communist Party of Indochina, a part of Viet Minh Front, led the Front through revolutionary guideline and policy. On October 25^th 1941, General Committee of the Viet Minh released The 10 Point Plan of Viet Minh, which was later popularized to the masses. By doing this, the Viet Minh was warmly welcome by the people, and organizations for national salvation were developed extensively in the North, the Central and the South. A part from Workers and Peasants for national salvation, there were also Soldiers, Traders, Elders, Youth, Women, and Children for this cause, all of them made up a powerful political force. It was an outstanding feature in our Party’s art of force preparation. The rapid development of political organizations facilitated the development and operation of armed groups. Noticeably, after the Viet Minh issued the Statutes of the Vietnam guerrilla sections and teams for national salvation, there appeared various forms of organization, such as secret cadres organization, militarization secret team, armed assault team, local armed sections and platoons, and so on. Basically those who joined the armed organizations equipped themselves with weapons and equipment which were relevant with their responsibilities and tasks. Together with that, three platoons of the National Salvation Army (number 1, 2, and 3) were founded to protect revolution bases and expand operation areas. On September 22^nd 1944, under the directive of leader Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of the Liberation Army was established, then merged with the National Salvation Army to form the Vietnam Liberation Army. In brief, in its preparing of force for the General Uprising, our Party began with building political force, on that basis, building armed and half-armed forces. Those organizations were totally new, non-existed before the birth of our Party. Their structure and method of operation aimed at gathering the masses for a shared burning desire: liberating the nation.

2. The art of leadership in building resilient bases. Inheriting traditional experience of the nation, with a strategic vision, our Party and President Ho Chi Minh picked Cao Bang as the revolutionary base. In August 1943, it was connected with Bac Son and Vo Nhai revolutionary bases, creating an interconnective posture, which was the basis for the establishment of Liberated Zone of Viet Bac, on June 4^th 1945. The Liberated Zone including two major bases located in six provinces, namely Cao Bang, Bac Can, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, and several areas of Bac Giang, Vinh Yen, Phu Tho, Yen Bai provinces, with a population of nearly one million. In the Zone, ten  major polices of the Viet Minh were implemented and People’s Committees were elected by the people, which was really “a bright image for the future of Vietnam”. The Zone along with bases nationwide would be rear and pedal for the General Uprising to seize power when opportunity was ripened to “liberate ourselves by our own”.

3. The art of grasping and taking advantage of the time to launch uprising. Grasping the situation and seizing opportunity are an important factor to ensure victory with minor loss. This matter was drawn by ancient military leaders as follows: “He who sees through life and death will meet with most success”. Grasping it, in September 1944, when hearing that the Interprovincial Party Committee of Cao – Bac – Lang advocated “Launching a guerrilla war and quickly preparing for an uprising”, Uncle Ho, from Vietnamese – Sino border, instructed to stop it, thus avoiding loss and hiding our force to develop and wait for relevant oppotunity. Right after the Japan’s coup in French Indochina (March 3^rd 1945), the Party’s Central Standing Committee timely released the Directive “The Japanese French Clash and Our Action” (March 12^th 1945) that identified the relevant and irrelevant opportunities (conditions for an uprising), worked out the guideline, and developed movements of the masses. As a result, a series of military zones nationwide were founded. After Japan’s capitulation to the Allied countries, on the night of 13 August 1945, the All-Nation Insurrection Committee issued Military Order No.1 urging all people to seize power. That timely issued Order demonstrated our Party’s art of seizing and taking advantage of the time. Had it been released earlier, the uprising would have been suppressed as Japanese facists were still strong at that time; had it been later, it would have been increasingly complicated as Chang Kei-shek’s troops were garrisoned close to Vietnamese – Sino border.

4. The art of organizing partial uprisings, advancing towards General Uprising to seize power nationwide. With the military ideology “the best way of conducting a war is to use plan and strategy to gain victory, the good way of that is to use diplomacy, the quite good way is to use military force, and the worst way is to attack citadel”, partial uprisings were carried out in diverse forms with no major loss but still gained victory.

Developing from political struggle to local guerrilla war, partial uprisings in a number of localities, and the establishment of the Liberated Zone as a base for the resistance war, the General Uprising of the August Revolution gained complete victory.

Nguyen Cong Tam