Leader Nguyen Ai Quoc and the birth of the first revolutionary newspaper

On June 19, 1924, the Sa Dien bomb of Pham Hong Thai and the Tam Tam Xa organization plotting to kill Governor General Mer Lanh in Guangzhou, China caused a great stir in the international arena. At that time, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc was operating in the Soviet Union. To facilitate the direction of the revolutionary movements of Southeast Asian countries and the Vietnamese revolutionary movement that was on the rise, Nguyen Ai Quoc proposed to the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECI) to return to China to operate.

Comrade Manninxki, member of the Presidium, on behalf of the Communist International Executive Committee, announced the decision of the Communist International to send comrade Nguyen Ai Quoc to Guangzhou to work and build a Communist organization in Indochina and Southeast Asian countries.

On November 11, 1924, Uncle Ho arrived in Guangzhou and stayed at the office of Comrade Borodin of the Rosta News Agency. The first thing he did was to meet Mr. Phan Boi Chau and Mr. Ho Hoc Lam to learn about the activities of the overseas youth. Mr. Phan provided Uncle Ho with a list of 14 of the most outstanding young people of Vietnam who were working in China, Siam and Japan. They were comrades: Ho Tung Mau, Le Hong Son, Le Hong Phong, Truong Van Linh, Le Duy Diem, Luu Quoc Long, Vuong Thuc Oanh, Truong Hoc Ba... That class of youthIt was fortunate to meet Leader Nguyen Ai Quoc and have him directly open a training class, following the path of the proletarian revolution.

Although Uncle Ho did not approve of the assassination of Tam Tam Xa, in his talks about the revolutionary path with the Vietnamese youth, he always mentioned the example of patriotism and bravery, daring to sacrifice himself for the cause of national liberation of comrade Pham Hong Thai. He said: "Although that was a small thing, it started an era of revolutionary struggle, like a small swallow signaling spring" (1).

In February 1925, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc chose house number 13, Van Minh Street, Guangzhou, a suitable and convenient location, as a place to live and work, to organize secret meetings of the Vietnamese youth working abroad. Introduced by Mr. Phan Boi Chau, Uncle Ho selected 9 out of 14 people to form the Communist group. That event was written by Uncle Ho in a report sent to the Presidium of the Communist International on February 19, 1925 as follows: "We established a secret group of 9 members, of which 2 were sent back to the country; 3 were on the front line (in Sun Yat-sen's army); one was on a military mission (for the Kuomintang). Among those members, 5 were probationary members of the Communist Party".

In June 1925, at house 13, Van Minh Street - Guangzhou (2), leader Nguyen Ai Quoc opened a special political training class for Vietnamese revolutionary youth. After the training, he founded the Comrades Revolutionary Youth Association. The Association was established with operating regulations and established an organizational system from the Central to the grassroots: General Department - Regional Department - Provincial Department - District Department, down to the Party Cell.

Understanding the importance of the press in propagating the Marxist-Leninist revolution, aiming to have a profound influence on the masses, to facilitate the propaganda work of the Revolutionary Youth Association, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc founded and launched Thanh Nien Newspaper. The first issue was published in Guangzhou on June 21, 1925. Through Thanh Nien Newspaper, Uncle Ho spread Marxism-Leninism and the Russian October Revolution to Vietnam. Thanh Nien Newspaper both had the effect of guiding and showing the way for the revolution, and also carried out the task of: "Tell the people to understand, remember, follow, and do". On the first page of Thanh Nien Newspaper, on June 21, 1925, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc wrote an article calling for national unity, signed as ZAC. Nguyen Ai Quoc also wrote an introduction to the Oriental University, to let the Vietnamese working people understand the good regime of a Communist school...

Thanh Nien Newspaper was born in the context of the Vietnamese revolution operating secretly abroad, the budget for publishing the newspaper was very limited, mostly sponsored by Mr. Ho Hoc Lam's family, so the number of copies printed per issue was only 100. After the newspaper was published, the large number was packaged very carefully, through the Party's secret line, from Guangzhou to the country and to Siam and Japan to propagate the revolutionary line.

Thanh Nien Newspaper, from issue 1 published on June 21, 1925 to issue 108 published on July 28, 1929, was printed in both Vietnamese and Chinese. The upper left corner of the newspaper was decorated with a five-pointed gold star. The top headline was framed and ran the length of the page with the words: "The mouthpiece of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association".

To match the historical period, Thanh Nien Newspaper from issue 108 published on July 28, 1929 to issue 208 published in May 1930 was renamed: "Organization of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth Party". The position of the yellow star was replaced by a drawing of the Hammer and Sickle, symbolizing the Workers' and Peasants' alliance, carrying out the Proletarian Revolution in Vietnam.

Uncle Ho founded the first revolutionary newspaper, with the active collaboration of comrades: Ho Tung Mau, Le Hong Son, Le Hong Phong, Truong Van Linh...

Over 8 decades have passed, but Ho Chi Minh's Thought on the press front from the early days of the revolution still retains its value, illuminating the path for Vietnamese journalism in the integration period.

(1) Documents are kept and displayed at the Nghe-Tinh Soviet Museum.

(2) Currently, the House Relic at 13, Van Minh Street, Guangzhou (China) has been ranked as a National Historical and Cultural Relic of China, introducing the residence and revolutionary activities of President Ho Chi Minh.

Truong Que Phuong (Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum)