Southern Uprising - the spirit of national uprising

(Baonghean.vn) - The Southern Uprising on November 23, 1940 is the most tragic epic in the history of the revolutionary struggle of the people of Southern Vietnam. Along with the Bac Son Uprising, the people of the entire Southern Vietnam simultaneously carried out an uprising to attack the ruling system of the French colonialists and their henchmen, disintegrating their ruling apparatus in a number of rural areas and towns.

Monument to the resistance spirit of the people of Southern Vietnam at the historical site of Nga Ba Giong (Hoc Mon)

In September 1939, World War II broke out. The trampling and deprivation of our people by the French colonialists reached its climax, and the plot to surrender and compromise with the Japanese fascists posed the question of survival for the peoples of Indochina. The conflict between our people and the French colonialists became increasingly fierce.

Promoting the tradition of ardent patriotism, not accepting a life of slavery, under the leadership of the Party, the people of the South rose up to fight. By mid-November 1940, in the face of the seething revolutionary movement, the anti-war spirit among Vietnamese soldiers was on the rise, the Southern Regional Party Committee decided to launch an uprising across the South to overthrow the colonial government and take power into the hands of the people.

The early days of resistance in Ben Tre.

Some places gained control, causing damage to the enemy, seriously destroying their control. For the first time in history, the red flag with yellow star flew on the roofs of the colonial government headquarters occupied by our army, becoming a symbol of confidence in victory and national pride.

Although it only lasted for a short time, the Nam Ky uprising was the largest and most fierce armed uprising since the French colonialists invaded our country. The French colonialists brutally suppressed the uprising.

Many compatriots, party members, cadres and soldiers were captured, tortured, imprisoned and brutally killed by the enemy, causing many losses. Leaders, outstanding sons of the nation and the Party such as Nguyen Van Cu, Ha Huy Tap, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Vo Van Tan, Nguyen Huu Tien, Phan Dang Luu... heroically sacrificed themselves before the enemy's guns.

Compared to the Nghe Tinh Soviet climax (1930-1931) as well as the two uprisings that took place in 1940 (Ba To uprising: March 11 and Bac Son uprising: September 27), the Nam Ky uprising was widespread. It was the largest and most powerful rehearsal of the Southern people and of the whole country, since the French colonial invasion (1858) until then.

Long Hung communal house roof, where My Tho provincial office was located during the days of the Southern Uprising.

Although the Southern Uprising failed, it had a great resonance, not only in the country but also excited the revolutionary soldiers in France. After the Southern Uprising, the French Communist Party sent a letter to the Indochinese Communist Party, in which there was a passage: “We bow our heads before the souls of the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives in November under the machine guns of Decoux, Beaudouin, Pétain… We respectfully bow before those heroes, especially we bow before our heroic blood brothers and sisters who are members of the Indochinese Communist Party”.

Soldiers who participated in the Southern Uprising.

On April 14, 1948, President Ho signed Decree No. 163/SL awarding the First Class Military Exploit Medal to the Southern Uprising Army, to honor the great significance of the uprising in the history of the Vietnamese revolution. The spirit of sacrifice for the nation of the Southern Uprising soldiers contributed to fostering the courage and steadfastness of our Party and our entire nation to gain victory in the August Revolution of 1945, in the resistance war against French colonialism and American imperialism.

The memorial stele of the Southern Uprising was erected by the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet in the grounds of Binh Phung communal house (Vinh Long).

Along with the Bac Son uprising, the Nam Ky uprising was a heroic trumpet of liberation signaling the great victory of the August Revolution in 1945.

The Southern Uprising set a shining example of the indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese people. Through this trial by fire, the masses became more attached to the Party, more tempered their revolutionary spirit, and strengthened their awareness: The only way for the nation to survive was to use revolutionary violence to crush the counter-revolutionary violence of the imperialists and feudalists, and regain independence and freedom./.

Peace

(Synthetic)