From the Nghe Tinh Soviet to the General Uprising to seize power in Nghe An and Ha Tinh in August 1945
The Nghe Tinh Soviet Movement was a major historical event of the Vietnamese revolution right after our Party was founded. It was the inevitable result of the revolutionary struggle of workers and peasants across the country in the years 1930-1931.
From the initial struggle of workers and peasants in Vinh Ben Thuy, the movement spread to many localities in the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh and developed to its peak with the birth of the Nghe Tinh Soviet government. Although it only existed in its rudimentary form, the Nghe Tinh Soviet left a good impression of a worker-peasant state, responding to the burning desire for independence and freedom of our people, while also leaving many valuable lessons for the Vietnamese revolution.
The Nghe Tinh Soviet affirmed in practice the leadership and leadership capacity of the working class and its vanguard party. At the same time, this was the first general rehearsal of the national democratic revolution in Vietnam.
It was called a general rehearsal because through this movement, a series of basic issues regarding strategic guidelines and revolutionary methods were tested and brought useful experiences for the following revolutionary process, especially in the August Revolution of 1945.
The greatest victory of our Party in the 1930-1931 revolutionary movement, the peak of which was the Nghe Tinh Soviet, was the building of a solid worker-peasant alliance. The Nghe Tinh Soviet strongly encouraged our people, mainly workers and peasants, to see that they had the ability to overthrow the domination of imperialism and feudalism and build a new society. The Nghe Tinh Soviet was a unique phenomenon in the world national liberation movement, resounding throughout the country and shaking international public opinion, demonstrating the indomitable will and indomitable spirit of a colonial nation, making the nations with the same fate see their historical role and believe more in the ability of revolutionaries to create history. For the first time in our country, the peasant issue became an important content in the process of national liberation struggle and it was also the first time the issue of anti-feudalism was mentioned.
The 1930-1931 revolutionary movement trained for our country's revolution a very large contingent of cadres, steadfast through fierce challenges in the life-and-death battle with the enemies of the class and the nation.
The Nghe Tinh Soviet has left us many valuable lessons, which have increasingly had a profound impact on the development process of Vietnam's revolutionary history. These are lessons about inheriting and promoting the nation's tradition of patriotism, indomitability, and indomitability, and about refusing to be slaves; about ensuring the Party's revolutionary leadership role, constantly fighting against "leftism" and "rightism" to ensure the Party's working class nature, making the Party strong in politics, ideology, and organization. Great lessons about the power to attract and gather a large number of people through the Party's correct guidelines, policies, and slogans, meeting the people's burning aspirations. Lessons on the art of using revolutionary forms and methods appropriate to each specific historical situation to win and maintain power... From a revolutionary force that has been forged through hardships, challenges and those valuable lessons, are the basis for our Party to apply, supplement and develop the revolutionary line for national liberation proposed by the Party in 1930 and contribute to the victory of the General Uprising in the August Revolution of 1945.
In the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, seize the opportunity when“The Japanese government has surrendered unconditionally”(1)The Nghe - Tinh Uprising Committee issued an uprising order and distributed leaflets throughout the region calling for:“All compatriots, unite under the red flag with yellow star of Viet Minh, lead the overthrow of the traitorous Vietnamese government, establish a revolutionary people's government, and prepare forces to deal with all reactionary forces…”(2).The uprising order and leaflets of the Viet Minh Nghe Tinh breathed new life into the mass movement. The uprising atmosphere was boiling and surging. In all localities, the Uprising Committee and the Provisional Revolutionary People's Committee were quickly established. Leaflets and banners,Slogans appeared everywhere. The red flag with yellow star fluttered brightly on the roofs of village communal houses and tall trees. Many rallies, speeches, demonstrations, marches, demonstrations, etc. broke out consecutively, creating the offensive atmosphere of the revolution. The uprising in Vinh city ended quickly and successfully on August 21, 1945, without any bloodshed. Meanwhile, the districts in the plains, midlands, and highlands also took turns seizing power from August 18 to 26, 1945. The general uprising to seize power in August 1945 in the entire vast Nghe An province was victorious in just 9 days.
In Ha Tinh, after receiving the uprising order from the inter-provincial Viet Minh, preparations were carried out very urgently. District uprising committees were established and met to discuss plans to seize power in the district. Volunteer propaganda teams worked actively. Rallies and demonstration marches attracted tens of thousands of participants. Villages and alleys were bustling with the sounds of trumpets, gongs and drums. On the morning of August 18, 1945, the uprising to seize power in Ha Tinh provincial capital was quickly victorious, and the provisional revolutionary government of Ha Tinh province was established amid the great joy of the people. On August 21, 1945, the uprising to seize power in Huong Khe district was victorious, completely ending the uprising to seize power in the entire Ha Tinh province. Thus, the general uprising to seize power in August 1945 in the whole Ha Tinh province took place urgently, winning in just 5 days (from August 16 to 21, 1945), the entire government was in the hands of the people.
The above victories were the result of a long, arduous, sacrificial and complicated struggle of all classes of people, since the French colonialists set foot on Nghe Tinh land. It was also the inevitable result of the bloody exercises of the Party and people in the two provinces from the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement of 1930-1931. It was also the result of the great national unity bloc for the supreme interests of the nation. When the once-in-a-millennium opportunity came, the Nghe - Tinh inter-provincial Viet Minh, with the core of veteran communist party members, correctly applied the policy of the Viet Minh Front to the local situation in a flexible and very creative way. The inter-provincial Viet Minh organized and gathered all classes of people, divided the enemy ranks, prevented possible opposition from the Japanese army and its henchmen, and used appropriate forms and methods, depending on the circumstances of each locality.
The victory of the uprising to seize power in Nghe An and Ha Tinh contributed significantly to the overall victory of the whole country, breaking the chains of slavery of the fascist, colonial and feudal regimes in our country; opening a new era for the history of the Vietnamese nation. And to achieve that brilliant victory, we can see even more the great significance of the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement as President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: “Although the French imperialists suppressed that movement in a sea of blood, the Nghe-Tinh Soviet demonstrated the heroic spirit and revolutionary capacity of the Vietnamese working people. Although the movement failed, it trained the forces for the later victorious August Revolution.(3).
Note:
(1) Fascist Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies on August 13, 1945, but it was not until August 15, 1945 that Allied Radio officially announced the news.
(2) Documents archived at the Office of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee
(3) Ho Chi Minh Complete Works, National Political Publishing House, 2011, volume 12, pp. 407-408
