The enduring value of the August Revolution

PV:Sir, why is the August Revolution considered a pivotal turning point for the Vietnamese nation?

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hong:The August Revolution is affirmed as a epoch-making turning point for the Vietnamese nation, or in other words, the success of the August Revolution in 1945 opened a new turning point for the Vietnamese nation.

First,August RevolutionThis marked the end of the feudal regime and over 80 years of colonial rule: For the first time in modern history, our people escaped the "double yoke" – being oppressed by both French colonialism and Japanese fascism. The collapse of the feudal-colonial ruling apparatus marked the complete disintegration of the old regime.

Furthermore, the success of the August Revolution and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam affirmed the right to independence and freedom, ushering in a new era: the Vietnamese people rose from a state of slavery to become masters of their own country. This was a historical turning point because, for the first time, the people were the subjects of political power.

The victory of the August Revolution also proved that, with the correct leadership of the Party and the strength of national unity, a small country, long under foreign domination, can still achieve victory against powerful forces. This is vivid proof of the truth: "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom."

At the same time, this victory also served as a strong encouragement for the national liberation movements in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, contributing to the weakening of the colonial system of imperialism after World War II.

PV:Many researchers argue that the August Revolution was not only an event of national liberation but also laid the foundation for many modern values ​​of Vietnam. How do you assess this statement?

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hong:This is a major issue that has been studied and analyzed by many scientists. Personally, I would like to add the following three points:

The first,The August Revolution forged a great national unity, a key factor determining the revolution's victory. The immense strength of this national unity demonstrated the high level of consensus and agreement among all strata of the people, ethnic groups, classes, and intellectuals, under the leadership of the Indochinese Communist Party and the Viet Minh Front, in their struggle and determination to seize power.

This is the solid foundation for all of our nation's revolutions, and the practice of the past 80 years has affirmed the value of this foundation.

Monday,The leadership role of the Party and the Viet Minh Front must be mentioned. The wise and skillful leadership of the Indochinese Communist Party was the decisive factor in the victory of the revolution. This is an important foundation of immutable value in the history of our country since its inception.Communist Party of VietnamIt was created.

The victory of the August Revolution affirmed the Party's role in determining the correct path to national liberation, uniting the entire nation's forces, and employing appropriate methods of struggle to create the combined strength needed to achieve victory.

Tuesday,The success of the August Revolution brought immense confidence to our people. This confidence was in the leadership of the Party, in the ability of the Vietnamese nation to liberate itself and determine its own destiny, and in the strength of national unity in the present era.

Currently, our country is implementing a revolution to streamline the administrative apparatus and many other policies, and the foundation of belief in the victory from the August Revolution will encourage our country to succeed.

PV:According to him, what major lessons from the August Revolution remain relevant to the current task of building and defending the nation?

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hong:Eighty years after the victory of the August Revolution in 1945, we have had many comprehensive studies and in-depth analyses, drawing lessons from the August Revolution, and all those lessons remain valuable to this day.

In the context of this conversation, I would like to emphasize the following two lessons:

The first,Lessons on building, consolidating, and promoting the strength of national unity: The victory of the August Revolution's General Uprising has eloquently demonstrated in practice the immense role and power of the masses in a revolution.

In the current cause of building and defending the Fatherland, we continue to strengthen the power of national unity. We ensure the practice of broad democracy while strengthening discipline, unity, and consensus among the people.

Currently, our country is carrying out a revolution to streamline the administrative apparatus from the central to local levels. In a short period of time, under the leadership of the Party and the decisive involvement of central and local ministries and agencies, a very high level of consensus has been created, from the cadre to the people. To date, although certain difficulties remain, we have completed the revolution to streamline the administrative apparatus.

Monday,Building a truly clean and strong Party in terms of politics, ideology, organization, and ethics is essential for leading the country. As we all know, when we launched the August Revolution, our Party had only nearly 5,000 members, but each member was truly a shining example for the people.

Therefore, nearly 5,000 party members rallied millions of members of the Viet Minh Front and the entire nation to form a unified force, creating immense strength.

Currently, our Party has approximately 5.6 million members. To affirm the Party's leadership role and prestige before the people, drawing lessons from the August Revolution, the Party must continuously build itself politically and ideologically; organizationally, in its structure and personnel; and cultivate exemplary, honest Party members with close ties to the people. We must vigorously promote the study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality, and style in a substantive manner.

PV:As the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh and a land rich in revolutionary traditions, what role and impact, in your opinion, did Nghe An play in the process leading to the success of the August Revolution of 1945, and how does it continue to uphold the timeless significance of this event today?

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hong:Nghe An is the birthplace of many patriotic and revolutionary movements. Immediately after the establishment of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam in March 1930, it launched the 1930-1931 revolutionary movement, culminating in the Nghe Tinh Soviet.

Thus, Nghe An was one of the first places where the national liberation revolution took place, a revolution that became a general rehearsal for the August Revolution.

Building on its patriotic and revolutionary traditions, for the past 80 years, the Party Committee and people of Nghe An have made significant contributions to the country and to their former Soviet homeland. These contributions include their role in the two wars of resistance against French colonialism and American imperialism.

Following the victorious conclusion of the two resistance wars, Nghe An province had over 45,000 martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the battlefields, and tens of thousands of people who suffered lifelong injuries… After the war, Nghe An had 158 collectives and 73 individuals awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State, and thousands of collectives and individuals were awarded high-ranking medals and decorations.

During the period of reform, Nghe An, from a purely agricultural province with a low starting point, has now built a solid socio-economic foundation. In recent years, the province's growth rate has consistently been higher than the national average, reaching 9.01% in 2024, ranking second in the North Central region and thirteenth nationwide.

The economy is expanding, reaching over 144,523 billion VND in 2020 and over 216,943 billion VND in 2024. Social welfare is ensured, and administrative reform and digital transformation have initially yielded remarkable results. National defense, security, and social order are guaranteed, and people's living standards are constantly improving…

PV:Thank you for the conversation!