The heroic spirit of the Bac Son uprising will forever shine brightly.

(Baonghean.vn) - Bac Son - Dinh Ca - Thai Nguyen, these place names have gone down in history in our nation's resistance war against French colonialism. In this revolutionary base area, 76 years ago, on September 27, 1940, our army and people launched the attack on Mo Nhai outpost, marking the beginning of the first armed uprising of the Vietnamese revolution led by the Party.

After France surrendered to Germany on June 22, 1940, the Japanese fascists immediately sought to seize the French colony of Indochina. The Japanese fascists forced the Indochina colonial government to cede many rights to them. To pressure this demand, on September 22, 1940, the Japanese fascists sent troops across the Sino-Vietnamese border to attack Lang Son, and simultaneously landed 6,000 troops by sea at Do Son (Hai Phong).

Images from the Bac Son uprising on September 27, 1940.

At 8 PM on September 27, 1940, under the leadership of the Party, more than 600 insurgents, comprising members of the Tay, Dao, Nung, and Kinh ethnic groups, attacked the Mo Nhai outpost (Bac Son district capital). After capturing the district capital, the insurgent command declared the abolition of the puppet government established by the imperialists and ordered the burning of enemy records.

On September 28th and 29th, 1940, the insurgents continued their attacks on the remaining French troops at Canh Tiem Pass and Sap Di. Faced with this situation, the French and Japanese agreed to concentrate their efforts on suppressing the uprising. The French colonialists sent troops to retake the forts and brutally suppressed the people. Immediately after receiving news of the uprising, the Northern Regional Party Committee sent Comrade Tran Dang Ninh to directly lead the movement and direct the uprising towards building up forces for a long-term struggle.

In mid-October 1940, the Bac Son base command was established, and on October 13, 1940, a meeting in the Tan Huong forest decided to form the first Bac Son guerrilla unit. On October 28, 1940, revolutionary masses were holding a rally in Vu Lang, preparing to recapture the Mo Nhai outpost, when they were attacked by French troops.

The Vietnam Propaganda and Liberation Army - the predecessor of the Vietnam People's Army - was founded on December 22, 1944.

The Bac Son Uprising lasted less than a month, but it provided invaluable experience for the Party's leadership of the Vietnamese Revolution. The 7th Central Committee Conference of the Party decided to maintain the Bac Son armed forces as military capital for future uprisings, as well as to build the Bac Son - Vu Nhai base area as a support base for armed struggle.

In December 1940, the Central Committee of the Party sent Comrade Luong Van Chi, a member of the Northern Regional Party Committee, to reinforce the base. The leadership of the guerrilla unit and the guerrilla base area was established. Comrade Phung Chi Kien served as Commander, in charge of the base area; Comrade Chu Van Tan served as Deputy Commander; and Comrade Luong Van Chi served as Political Commissar, under the overall direction of Comrade Hoang Van Thu.

The Mỏ Nhài Fort historical site.

To strengthen and develop the Bac Son Guerrilla Team, in January 1941, a short-term political and military training course was organized to improve political and military skills, as well as organizational discipline. The purpose was to train cadres for the base area and provide cadres for other bases. On January 14, 1941, the Bac Son Guerrilla Team was officially established in the Khui Noi forest, in Vu Le commune, Bac Son district (Lang Son province).

Comrade Hoang Van Thu, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Party, recognized and assigned the task, presenting the red flag with a yellow star embroidered by the Hanoi Anti-Imperialist Women's Association. The team consisted of 32 people, divided into 3 squads, commanded by Comrades Luong Van Chi and Chu Van Tan. Their weapons included 5 rifles, flintlock guns, and daggers. The team's patriotic spirit and discipline were demonstrated in their oaths of honor:

"Not anti-Party"
Absolutely loyal to the Party
We are determined to fight and avenge our fallen comrades.
No enemy surrender.
"Do not harm the people."

The Bac Son Uprising historical site.

During the 8th Central Committee Conference of the Party, the Bac Son guerrilla unit was assigned the task of protecting the Conference along with the Pac Bo guerrilla forces and successfully completed its mission. Here, President Ho Chi Minh took the opportunity to open a "Revolutionary Training" class for the members of the Bac Son guerrilla unit. Later, many of them became outstanding cadres of the Party.

The Bac Son Uprising is a manifestation of the creativity and strategic brilliance in directing armed uprisings and revolutionary warfare by the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, affirming its immense historical significance and contributing to the building of the people's government and the revolutionary armed forces of the Party.

Bac Son Uprising Museum

The Bac Son Uprising of September 27, 1940, was the signal of a new era in the Vietnamese revolution, an era of armed struggle to seize power for the people. The Bac Son Uprising is closely linked to the formation of the Bac Son guerrilla unit, laying the groundwork for the Party to establish the Bac Son National Salvation Army – one of the precursor armed units of the Vietnam People's Army; and to build and consolidate the Bac Son – Vo Nhai base as the core for building and developing the Viet Bac base.

Seventy-six years have passed, but the Bac Son Uprising remains a glorious historical milestone, a tremendous source of spiritual strength that encourages and motivates us to continuously strive and contribute even more of our intellect to the cause of national renewal and development, making our country increasingly prosperous, beautiful, and civilized.

Peace

(Synthetic)