The South deserves the title 'The citadel of the Fatherland'

(Baonghean.vn) - On this day 72 years ago, the people of the South, who had just enjoyed independence and freedom, had to rush into the resistance war. It was the resistance war that Uncle Ho said "It is better to die free than live as slaves" of the Southern land of Thanh Dong going first and coming later.

On September 23, 1945, the French colonialists opened fire on the headquarters of our young revolutionary government in Saigon, starting the second war of aggression against our country. The army and people of Saigon - Gia Dinh under the direction of the Southern Regional Party Committee fought back fiercely, holding back the enemy so that localities had time to prepare forces for a long-term resistance war.

Southern people in the early days of the resistance war. Photo: Archive

Thus, just 21 days after President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the people of the South had not yet had time to enjoy the joy of peace, but had to continue to take up arms and fight to maintain the independence of the Fatherland that had just been won, fulfilling the oath "Rather sacrifice everything, but never lose the country, never become slaves".

Implementing the Decision of the Southern Regional Party Committee and the Southern Resistance Committee, on the afternoon of September 23, 1945, the whole of Saigon went on strike, refusing to cooperate with the French. Offices, factories, and trading companies were all closed, markets were closed, vehicles stopped running, and on the night of September 23, 1945, Saigon - Cho Lon workers cut off all electricity and water.

All along the streets, barricades were built. All objects such as tables, chairs, beds, cabinets, vehicles and bulky items were mobilized and carried onto the streets to create obstacles to block the enemy's advance. All activities in the city were suspended. The trade union assault teams, along with the self-defense and youth shock troops, quickly deployed to fight. Hundreds of factories and offices, dozens of warehouses, yards, etc. were destroyed, preventing them from falling into the hands of the French.

Responding to the call of the Southern Resistance Committee, the people of Saigon - Gia Dinh unanimously rose up to fight, 1946. Photo: Archive

Many machines and tools were moved out by workers and people of the city, establishing two military factories to produce weapons to fight the enemy. Fighting positions sprang up everywhere. Right in the first days of the resistance, the army and people of Saigon had exhausted many enemy forces and destroyed part of their material facilities.

Tightly surrounded in the city, the French army fell into a miserable situation: no electricity, no water, lack of weapons, lack of food, provisions... and were constantly attacked, worn down, and destroyed by our army and people. They were forced to find a way to delay the troops, asking the British delegation to negotiate with the Southern Resistance Committee.

Responding to President Ho Chi Minh's call, worthy of the trust and encouragement of the people of the whole country, the people of the South rose up and bravely fought back the enemy with modern equipment, foiling the enemy's plot, creating conditions for us to consolidate the revolutionary government and build a new regime.

The sound of resistance gunfire in Saigon-Cho Lon shocked the whole country. Immediately, many provinces in the South quickly sent union members, youth, and militia to join the people of Saigon-Cho Lon in fighting against the French colonialists.

In the Southern Publishing House's hall, the propaganda department printed tens of thousands of copies of the Southern Resistance Committee's call for "National Resistance". Photo courtesy of the Southern Resistance Committee.

It can be seen that the resistance war against the re-invasion of the French colonialists by our army and people in the early days in the South had a very great significance, defeating the French colonialists' plot of a quick fight and quick victory. At the same time, it clearly demonstrated the ardent patriotism, indomitable will and heroic fighting spirit to protect the Fatherland, protect the sovereignty of our nation; implementing the Party's policy of focusing on strongly attacking the French army in the South, determined to win on the Southern battlefield to create conditions for the fight against the Chiang army in the North.

And the Southern Resistance Day, September 23, 1945, will forever be a glorious historical milestone of the nation, encouraging the fight to protect national independence and sovereignty and to build the country of our people in the future.

Faced with the indomitable fighting spirit of the army and people of the South, on September 27, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter to the people of the South, affirming their determination to fight for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland with the spirit of "rather die free than live as slaves".

People of Ca Mau town happily welcomed the day of peace after the signing of the 1954 Geneva Agreement. Photo: Archive

In February 1946, Uncle Ho awarded the army and people of the South the title "Citadel of the Fatherland", and that spirit has always been the guiding principle, illuminating the path for today's generation in the work of building and defending the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam.

72 years have passed, the indomitable spirit, the bright milestone of the Southern Resistance Day on September 23, 1945 still holds its value and its historical significance is increasingly clear. That will be a great motivation to encourage the entire nation to be united, proactive, creative, seize opportunities, overcome challenges, comprehensively promote the cause of innovation, develop the country, determined to successfully carry out the two strategic tasks of "Building and firmly defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam", for a rich people, a strong country, democracy, fairness, civilization, and steady steps towards socialism./.

Peace

(Synthetic)