The victory of the August Revolution of 1945 left behind numerous historical lessons of enduring value for the Vietnamese revolutionary cause. Among them, harnessing the strength of great national unity constitutes a lesson of profound theoretical and practical significance. It therefore merits continued study and effective application in building a strong and modern all-people national defence, thereby contributing to the firm protection of the Fatherland from an early stage and from afar.

Throughout the Vietnamese nation’s millennia-long history of national construction and defence, whenever the country’s destiny has faced existential challenges, patriotism, national pride, and a profound sense of national dignity have been powerfully awakened, coalescing into a solid bloc of great national unity and generating an invincible strength with which to overcome every difficulty, defeat every foreign aggressor, and safeguard national independence and the enduring existence of the nation. The victory of the August Revolution of 1945 stands as one of the most compelling and profound demonstrations of the strength of great national unity.

Following the success of the August Revolution, on 02 September 1945, President Ho Chi Minh solemnly read the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam (A file photo)

Confronted with the urgent demands of national liberation, our Party and President Ho Chi Minh clearly recognised that, for the revolution to succeed, it had to rely upon the People, harness the strength of the entire nation, and place national interests above all else. “At this moment, the interests of national liberation take precedence over everything else. We must unite to overthrow the imperialists and the Vietnamese traitors so as to rescue our people from dire peril.” On that basis, our Party progressively refined its policy of great national unity, identifying the Fatherland’s independence and freedom as the common objective around which all classes and social strata, ethnic groups, religions, sections of the population, and patriotic Vietnamese could be united within a common front. The establishment of the Viet Minh Front provided the political and organisational foundation for rallying and uniting the People and harnessing their collective strength in the struggle to seize power. In implementing this policy, our Party attached particular importance to building a broad-based mass political force, developing national salvation organisations, and establishing revolutionary bases, while closely combining political struggle with armed struggle, thereby creating a new balance of strength and favourable conditions for the revolution. Through sustained efforts in political communication, consciousness-raising, organisation, and practical training within revolutionary movements, the People’s patriotism and aspiration for independence were transformed into immense political and spiritual strength, ready to be brought fully into play when the opportunity arose. This prolonged and painstaking process of preparation laid the foundation for the great national unity bloc to exert its full strength during the August 1945 General Uprising. Responding to the call of our Party and President Ho Chi Minh, the entire nation - irrespective of class, ethnicity, religion, gender, or occupation rose as one to seize political power. The momentous victory of the August Revolution of 1945 thus stands as vivid testimony to the revolutionary leadership of our Party, particularly its ability to accurately assess and seize the strategic opportunity and to harness to the fullest extent the strength of great national unity, thereby securing political power swiftly, comprehensively, and with minimal bloodshed.

At present, in response to the increasingly demanding requirements of national construction and defence in the new situation, our Party has identified “strengthening national potential and aggregate strength; building and consolidating the all-people national defence,…” as an important task of the entire political system, requiring the combined strength of all organisations and forces and the participation of the entire population. Accordingly, in applying the lesson of harnessing the strength of great national unity from the August Revolution of 1945 to the building of a strong and modern all-people national defence today, particular attention should be paid to the following issues:

Firstly, to continue to thoroughly grasp and consistently apply the lesson of taking great national unity as the foundation for building a strong and modern all-people national defence. The strength of great national unity under the Party’s leadership was a decisive factor in generating the aggregate strength that brought about the victory of the August Revolution of 1945. In the present context, that strength must continue to be transformed into the political and spiritual potential of the all-people national defence and a firm “people’s heart and mind posture.” This is a requirement of strategic significance, since Vietnam’s all-people national defence is peaceful and defensive in nature and is founded upon the aggregate strength of the entire political system and the whole nation under the leadership of the Party and the centralised and unified management of the State. At its core, the all-people national defence is about harnessing the strength of the People in the cause of safeguarding the Fatherland. Promoting the strength of great national unity therefore essentially means consolidating unity of purpose, will, and action among the entire population in the cause of national construction and defence, thereby providing the foundation for establishing a firm people’s heart and mind posture - the core element of the all-people national defence. Accordingly, it is necessary to continue building a clean and strong Party and political system that genuinely serve as the centre of national unity; safeguard the legitimate interests of the People; promote socialist democracy; and strengthen solidarity among social classes, ethnic groups, religious communities, and overseas Vietnamese. At the same time, vigorous efforts should be made to arouse patriotism, the spirit of self-reliance and self-strengthening, and the aspiration for national development.

A continuously consolidated and strengthened bloc of great national unity, together with an increasingly firm people’s heart and mind posture, will provide a sustainable political and spiritual foundation for enhancing the aggregate strength of the all-people national defence and contribute to firmly safeguarding the Fatherland from an early stage and from afar.

People and self-defence force of Ha Noi attack the Northern Palace in the August Revolution (Photo: VNA)

Secondly, to always place national interests and the legitimate interests of the People at the foundation of consolidating great national unity in building the all-people national defence. During the August Revolution, our Party succeeded in rallying broad sections of society because it correctly identified national independence as the nation’s highest objective and made national interests the common cause around which all patriotic forces could unite. In the current context of developing a socialist-oriented market economy and pursuing extensive international integration, this lesson requires the harmonious reconciliation of national interests with the legitimate interests of different social classes and strata. Therefore, building the all-people national defence must be closely integrated with socio-economic development, improvements in the People’s living standards, and the promotion of social progress and justice. Policies for development should be implemented in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, with particular attention paid to the practical interests and well-being of the People and to narrowing development gaps among different regions and localities. Special consideration should be given to people living in remote and isolated areas, border and island regions, ethnic minority and religious communities, people who have rendered meritorious service to the nation, and military families. This is not only a requirement for sustainable development but also a fundamental measure for consolidating the “people’s heart and mind posture” and strengthening the People’s confidence in the Party and the State. In turn, this will enable the strength of great national unity to be effectively harnessed in building a strong and modern all-people national defence.

Thirdly, to mobilise the strength of all organisations, forces, and individual citizens in building a strong and modern all-people national defence. National defence potential is composed of various dimensions, including political and spiritual, economic, scientific and technological, military, and diplomatic potential, among others. Therefore, building a strong and modern all-people national defence requires the active and effective participation of all organisations and forces, all social classes and strata, all economic sectors, and every Vietnamese citizen. While the alliance of workers, peasants, and intellectuals continues to serve as the fundamental foundation, it is also necessary to effectively mobilise the resources and potential of the business community, highly skilled workers, ethnic and religious communities, and overseas Vietnamese. Harnessing the combined strength of all organisations, forces, and citizens represents a continued creative application of the lesson of great national unity drawn from the August Revolution, thereby meeting the requirements of safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation.

Fourthly, to effectively harness all national resources in building a strong and modern all-people national defence. During the August Revolution, our Party effectively mobilised and utilised the nation’s resources, creating favourable conditions, building up strength, and seizing the strategic opportunity to secure victory. Under present conditions, this lesson has evolved into the requirement to closely and harmoniously integrate economic, cultural, social, scientific and technological, and diplomatic development with the strengthening of national defence and security, thereby linking national development with the enhancement of the potential and posture of the all-people national defence. Accordingly, the principle of combining economic development with national defence, and national defence with economic development, must be thoroughly incorporated from the outset into strategic planning, development planning, and resource allocation. Priority should be given to developing dual-use infrastructure, building a modern and self-reliant defence industry, and accelerating scientific and technological development in conjunction with innovation and digital transformation. At the same time, proactive and robust defensive zones should be established, closely integrating socio-economic development with the consolidation of national defence and security in strategically important areas. Efforts should also be made to enhance the economy’s self-reliance and its capacity to mobilise resources when required, thereby helping to transform the country’s development strength into the strength necessary to safeguard the Fatherland.

Finally, to preserve and promote the strength of great national unity and strengthen the close, enduring bond between the Army and the People. Our Party was highly successful in rallying patriotic forces while dividing and isolating the enemy during the August Revolution. Today, that lesson should continue to be effectively applied to safeguarding and consolidating the great national unity bloc in the face of increasingly sophisticated subversive activities by hostile forces. Therefore, safeguarding great national unity must become a key component in building the all-people national defence. This requires the close integration of socio-economic development with the strengthening of national defence and security, as well as the building and protection of the Party’s ideological foundation. The role of the entire political system should be brought into full play in mass mobilisation and communication activities, raising public awareness of national defence, strengthening society’s “resilience” against harmful and malicious information, and maintaining political and social stability. At the same time, the close, enduring bond between the Military and the People must continue to be strengthened. Building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern Vietnam People’s Army should be closely associated with preserving and promoting the cultural values and qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new era. The Military should actively participate in economic, cultural, and social development and truly fulfil its role as the core force in building a strong and modern all-people national defence.

More than 80 years after the victory of the August Revolution of 1945, the lesson of harnessing the strength of great national unity retains its full significance. In the new context, inheriting and creatively applying this historic lesson constitutes an objective requirement for building a strong and modern all-people national defence capable of meeting the requirements of safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation.

Major General, Assoc. Prof., Dr. NGUYEN VAN SAU, Deputy Director, Vietnam Institute for Defence Strategy and History