The 1930-1931 revolutionary movement broke out, Nghe Tinh became the center.
From around mid-1929 onwards, the fighting atmosphere of the Vietnamese people became increasingly heated and the struggles against the French colonial government took place across three regions, exploding into a revolutionary climax.
According to statistics from the General Inspectorate of Labor of Indochina, from April 1929 to April 1930, there were a total of 43 workers' strikes, of which 22 broke out in the North alone. At the same time, the Vietnam Nationalist Party was also actively preparing for an armed uprising. The colonial authorities' terror, arrests and trials of the Party's members after the assassination of Bazin also contributed to making the political atmosphere more tense and boiling in all three regions.
In 1930, a strike of about 300 workers at the Portland Cement Factory in Hai Phong broke out on January 8, opening a new, powerful wave of struggle. After the workers' demands for higher wages, shorter working hours, and against foremen beating workers were rejected by the employers, on January 29, 1930, the Red Union organized a general strike of workers at many companies and factories in Hai Phong.
Soon after, on February 3, 1930, the second strike of more than 5,000 workers at the Phu Rieng rubber plantation broke out, shaking the whole of Indochina. This was the first time a workers' strike led by the Indochinese Communist Party branch had developed into an uprising to occupy the plantation and then knew how to retreat in an organized manner and deal wisely with the troops sent to suppress it. This was a clear proof of the remarkable maturity of the political consciousness of the Vietnamese working class.
After the uprising of the Phu Rieng plantation workers, workers in a series of factories and plants in Saigon also went on strike. In the meantime, an armed uprising of the Vietnam Nationalist Party broke out in Yen Bai (February 10, 1930), and then in Kien An and Thai Binh (February 16, 1930). Next, on March 25, 1930, under the leadership of the Red Trade Union, more than 4,000 workers of the Nam Dinh Textile Factory went on strike to demand higher wages and reduced working hours. After 21 days of continuous struggle, the owners were finally forced to give in. The victory of this strike sparked a strong wave of struggle among workers across the country with strikes and demonstrations in Hai Phong (April 12, 1930), Ben Thuy (April 21, 1930), Mong Duong (Hai Ninh, April 22, 1930) and Saigon (April 27, 1930).
While the political atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense and seething with the struggles of workers and working people, the Communist Party of Vietnam was established on the basis of unifying three communist organizations operating in Vietnam. Thus, the revolutionary struggle movement against French colonialism and its henchmen overcame the state of division and schism; the combat staff of the Vietnamese revolution was established with correct and scientific strategic guidelines.
In order to continue to bring the people's struggle to a higher level, on the occasion of the International Labor Day on May 1, 1930, the Provisional Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam decided to launch a nationwide struggle. On the morning of May 1, 1930, the red hammer and sickle flag appeared in many cities and towns in the North and Central regions. On some streets of Hanoi, Nam Dinh, Hai Phong, Vinh, Saigon and many other places, Party leaflets appeared calling for the struggle against imperialism and colonialism.
The most powerful struggle led by the Party in the North was the demonstration of more than 1,000 farmers in Duyen Ha and Tien Hung districts (Thai Binh) that broke out on May 1, 1930, demanding the abolition of poll tax and reduction of land tax. This was the first major demonstration of farmers in the North under the French colonial period. Immediately, the French colonialists sent regular troops and police to brutally suppress the demonstration. One person was killed on the spot, and 117 others were arrested. Along with the demonstration of the farmers, the strike movement of the workers continued to develop strongly, especially in the coal mines of the Northeast.
On the same day, in Cochinchina, while workers in several factories in Saigon were on strike, demonstrations by thousands of farmers broke out in Duc Hoa (Cho Lon), Cao Lanh (Sa Dec) and Cho Moi (Long Xuyen), demanding tax deferrals and reductions. These were also the first major demonstrations by farmers in Cochinchina organized and led by the Party, attracting the participation of many poor farmers, including hundreds of Cao Dai followers.
The focal point of the struggle movement since May 1, 1930 was Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces. These are two provinces with a rich tradition of patriotic and revolutionary struggle in the North Central region. Since the end of the 19th century, Nghe An and Ha Tinh have been the largest and most resilient uprising centers of the Can Vuong movement. In the early 20th century, this was also one of the localities with a strong movement in response to the national salvation campaigns initiated by Phan Boi Chau and other progressive Confucian scholars. When the patriotic movement quickly shifted to new, modern trends, Nghe An and Ha Tinh were the lands that produced the most important figures of the revolutionary organizations Thanh Nien and Tan Viet.
During the French colonial period, Vinh - Ben Thuy became the most important industrial city and center in the Central region, where more than 6,000 workers gathered to work in Sawmills, Match Factories, Truong Thi Railway Factory... The rural area of Nghe Tinh, as presented, has long been a place of fierce struggle between farmers and powerful landlords, manifested in the form of a struggle between the protectorate and the powerful.
Due to the above conditions, Nghe Tinh received special attention from patriotic and revolutionary organizations such as Thanh Nien and Tan Viet from quite early on. Not only the labor camps and factories in Vinh and Ben Thuy but also the rural areas of Nghe Tinh soon became the address of the proletarianization movement of both Thanh Nien and Tan Viet. Immediately after its establishment, in June 1929, the Indochinese Communist Party sent two key leaders, Tran Van Cung and Nguyen Phong Sac, to Nghe An to build a base. In a relatively short period of time, many Party cells were formed among the workers in Ben Thuy and Vinh.
By early 1930, the Party's bases were also established in many rural districts such as Quynh Luu, Nam Dan, Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Thanh Chuong, Nghi Loc, Anh Son... The Red Peasant Association and Red Labor Association also developed quite strongly. A Red Student Association base was also formed among students of the National School in Vinh. At the same time, the Indochinese Communist Federation was also established and chose Nghe Tinh as the area to build and develop the organization. Both organizations worked together to gather and mobilize the masses. Many fierce struggles of workers in Vinh - Ben Thuy and farmers in neighboring districts broke out in late 1929 and early 1930. The most typical was the uprising of Yen Dung farmers in mid-1929 demanding compensation for 300 hectares of rice fields seized by the French colonialists.
In order to stop the wave of mass struggle under the leadership of revolutionary organizations, on July 29, 1929, the Southern Court (Hue court) opened a criminal trial in Vinh to try 45 "rebels", sentencing 7 people to death in absentia, including Nguyen Ai Quoc, Tran Phu, Ho Tung Mau, Tran Van Cung and Nguyen Tiem. In early March 1930, the colonial authorities executed a number of Red Peasant Association cadres in Vinh...
However, the terrorist measures of the French colonialists and their henchmen not only failed to stop the new development of the revolution, but on the contrary, made the fighting spirit of the people of Nghe Tinh more enthusiastic and determined, leading to the climax of the "earth-shaking" Nghe Tinh Soviet.
Also during the height of the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement, there were a number of large demonstrations taking place in the South, in close coordination with the struggle of the Nghe Tinh people. On June 4, 1930, under the leadership of Chau Van Liem and a number of grassroots Party cadres, more than 1,500 poor farmers in Duc Hoa district (Gia Dinh) demonstrated to demand tax postponement and reduction. On the same day, three other demonstrations by thousands of poor farmers broke out in Gia Dinh. Frightened by the strength of the masses' struggle, the colonial government ordered the use of maximum force to disperse the demonstrations. Chau Van Liem and a number of people were shot dead, many others were injured.
The mass struggle movement did not decrease because of that, on the contrary, it spread to other districts throughout the three provinces of Gia Dinh, Cho Lon and Tan An. Then, from the beginning of July 1930, a number of peasant protests continued to break out in Nha Trang and Ninh Thuan ([1])...
The fervent struggle movement of the workers and peasants in Nghe Tinh and some other localities shook the entire Indochina colony and shocked public opinion in France, strongly encouraging the fighting spirit of the people throughout the three regions. In that situation, on the occasion of the anniversary of the International Red Day (International Day against World War 1/8), the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam decided to launch a strong propaganda and struggle campaign nationwide with the slogans:"Overthrow French imperialism, landlords and village mandarins!"; "Indochina is completely independent!"; "Establish a workers' and peasants' government!"; "Confiscate all land of local and foreign landlords and distribute it to the peasants!"; "Confiscate all large properties of foreign capitalists and hand them over to the workers' and peasants' government!" ...[2]
Before August 1, 1930, leaflets calling for the Party's struggle had appeared in many provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, Vinh, Hue, Saigon, Cho Lon... By August 1, many large demonstrations broke out in many places in the South such as Hoc Mon, Ba Queo (Gia Dinh), Cho Lon, Thu Dau Mot, Vinh Long, Sa Dec, Long Xuyen... In the North, the red hammer and sickle flag also appeared in Hanoi and Nam Dinh, although no major struggles of the masses broke out.
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