1. Proactively generate armed forces as vanguard force in the local uprisings and in the General Uprising.
The 8th Plenum of the Party Central Committee in May 1941 stated that: Revolution movement in Indochina must be ended by an armed struggle. It also decided to establish self-defence teams for national salvation, and guerilla cells for national salvation as the vanguard force for local revolutionary movements. This was a new development in the Party’s thinking of armed forces and armed struggle, setting ground for the whole people to carry out the General Uprising to seize power.
Implementing the Party’s guideline, localities with national salvation associations proactively selected volunteers to establish self-defence teams for national salvation to protect the mass and isolate reactionary forces. Each commune founded its own self-defence team. These are mobile and key force in guarding, protecting cadres and conferences, training, and keeping communications with leaders. Realizing the importance of armed forces in the revolution, right after the high movement from the year 1936 to 1939, our Party attached importance to building the regular force. Accordingly, the Armed Unit of Cao Bang, the National Salvation Platoons and the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of the Liberation Army were established. These were the core forces in protecting the revolutionary installations, and supporting movements of the mass. Along with generating force, our Party and President Ho Chi Minh also attached importance to the building of revolutionary bases, the building and strengthening of guerilla forces.
2. Opportunely redirecting the struggle; launching the anti-Japanese high movement for national salvation as foundation for the victory of the General Uprising.
By the end of 1941, when French troops launched its big sweep into Vo Nhai, local party leaders started an uprising and waged a guerilla warfare. On hearing the news, the Party Central Committee reviewed the situation and ordered the locality to stop the armed struggle and the guerilla warfare and facilitate the struggle of the mass to counter terrorism and consolidate revolutionary force while waiting for the fine opportunity. Similarly, in the winter of 1944, people in the province of Cao Bang were ready for an armed struggle. The inter-provincial party committee of Cao – Bac - Lang conducted its final plenum and was about to conduct a guerilla warfare. After a carefully assessment of the situation, President Ho Chi Minh ordered to postpone the warfare. He pointed out: “at the moment, the chance for a peaceful revolution has gone by but the chance for a whole people insurgency has not come, yet. Political acts will not help but an armed struggle at the moment will cause heavy damage”. That sound direction prevents the revolution movement in the provinces of Cao Bang, Bac Kan and Lang Son from a cruel suppression. Revolutionary force was preserved and developed for the General Uprising later.
The party’s distinction in the art of directing armed struggle was also manifested in a way that when the Japanese staged the coup against the French in 9 March 1945, our Party opportunely released its Directive titled “Japanese and French are shooting at each other, it is time for our actions now”. Accordingly, besides directing the people to attack into the Japanese rice stores, calling people to come down on the streets for demonstration, our Party also waged the guerilla warfare, accelerated the anti-Japanese movement and prepared and got ready for a general uprising when chance came.
3. Armed struggle directly assisted the mass to stand up and gained power.
It can be learnt from the context of the General Uprising in August 1945 that although being forced to surrender the Allies, Japanese troops in Indochina did not give up their weapons. In some places, they even brutally suppressed our revolutionary movement. For this reason, implementing the direction of the Viet Minh headquarters and the Uprising Committees, liberation troops and guerillas from our revolution bases in Viet Bac and other war zones headed for localities to fight against the enemy. They directly overthrew the Feudal-colonialist regime and established the revolutionary authority, paving the way for the mass to stand up and gained power.
Ha Thanh