Nghe-Tinh Soviet 90 years of existence with the history of the nation

"Where there is oppression, there is resistance"

The principle of Marxism-Leninism states that: “Where there is oppression, there is struggle”. This is clearly demonstrated inrevolutionary movement 1930-1931in Nghe Tinh with the uprising of the working masses against tyranny.

The struggle movement of the people of Nghe-Tinh was opened by the struggle of workers and peasants in Vinh-Ben Thuy on May 1, 1930. The people of Nghi Xuan, Huong Khe, Thanh Chuong, and Do Luong districts responded, organized flag-raising, rallies, parades, and struggles to celebrate International Labor Day on May 1, 1930.

The Red Guards in Hoa Quan - Dong So - Nghe An during the Nghe - Tinh Soviet movement 1930 - 1931. Documentary photo

From political struggle, the masses protested with primitive weapons. Opening the periodarmed strugglewas a protest of about 3,000 farmers in Nam Dan on August 30, 1930, forcing the district chief to sign the people's petition. On September 1, 1930, in Thanh Chuong, a large-scale protest broke out by over 20,000 farmers in 5 communes. On September 7-8, 1930, thousands of farmers from Can Loc, Thach Ha, and Cam Xuyen districts coordinated a protest, marched to Ha Tinh provincial capital... and rose up to fight strongly.

On the morning of September 12, 1930, about 8,000 farmers from three communes: Phu Long, Thong Lang (Hung Nguyen district) and Nam Kim (Nam Dan district), raised high the red flag with hammer and sickle to fight. Panicked, the French colonialists used planes to drop bombs on the protesters, killing 217 people, injuring 125, and arresting dozens.

Painting of the Nghe - Tinh Soviet climax by author Nguyen Duc Nung. Photo courtesy

From September onwards, the mass struggle movement changed beyond the expectations of the Party committees at all levels. Protests with primitive weapons supported by the Red Self-Defense Force, farmers in many districts in Nghe Tinh attacked the district office. Faced with the revolutionary storm of the masses, the ruling government was in chaos; French officials lived in a state of anxiety day and night, looking for shelter; feudal officials of the Southern Dynasty, some asked to resign, some asked to be transferred to other places, some were sent to replace them, but were also cautious while performing their duties.

Soviet State: Aspiration for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

From the moment of birth,Soviet governmenthas implemented benefits for working people.About politics: The Soviet Union does not recognize the colonial and feudal government apparatus and the laws they set up to oppress and exploit the people, to implement freedoms and democracy for the people such as freedom of assembly, freedom to go to school, gender equality..., to suppress reactionaries who are lackeys of the French colonialists, to assign the task of maintaining order and security and protecting the revolution to the Red Self-Defense Forces...Economically, not paying taxes to France and forcing the mandarins to return to the people the collected taxes, forcing landowners and the rich to reduce rent, postpone debts and abolish additional land rents for farmers, re-regulating wages for hired workers, redistributing public land... some places even used public land to organize collective production for the people in the form of agricultural cooperatives.About culture and society: Eliminate backward customs, prohibit opium smoking, drinking alcohol, gambling...

Vo Liet Communal House in Vo Liet Commune (Thanh Chuong) is also the place that marked many typical historical events in the Nghe-Tinh Soviet Movement (1930-1931). In 1940, Vo Liet Communal House witnessed the restoration of the Vo Liet Party Cell. In 1945, this was one of the gathering points for the masses to fight for power and the workplace of the revolutionary government. Photo courtesy of Huy Thu

The policies and measures implemented by the Soviets created a new atmosphere in the countryside. The people's trust in the Party and the revolution was clearly expressed. The words "communist" and "socialist" contained sacred meanings, and were both ideals and slogans for the people. They were ready to sacrifice their lives and property to fight against the French colonialists' terror and protect the Soviets.

The Soviet government was the pinnacle of the revolutionary movement, the “earth-shattering” class struggle of the working people under the leadership of the Party. Although it was born and existed for a short period of time, the Soviet government clearly demonstrated the superiority and progressive nature of a revolutionary government of the people, by the people and for the people.

The Party's Will, the People's Heart: The Party's First Rehearsal

As soon as it was born, the Party led our people to create a revolutionary high tide in 1930-1931, typically:Nghe-Tinh Soviet, shaking the domination regime of the French colonialists and their lackeys. Along with the leadership of the Party Central Committee was the direct direction of the Central Region Party Committee and the Party committees in Nghe Tinh. The working class clearly demonstrated its leadership role and pioneering nature. The coordination between workers' strikes and peasant demonstrations demonstrated the close connection between the working class and the peasantry and the people in the struggle against imperialism and feudalism.

Nghe-Tinh Soviet Monument. Photo archive

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam also regularly followed and promptly directed the development of the people's struggle movement in Nghe Tinh. In September 1930, upon receiving a report on the establishment of the Soviet government in Thanh Chuong and Nam Dan districts, the Central Committee of the Party immediately sent instructions to the Central Committee of the Central Region. The Central Committee of the Party criticized the Central Committee of the Central Region, saying that doing so was too early and not the right time, because there was not yet a direct revolutionary situation in the whole country. At the same time, the Central Committee of the Party also gave advice to the Committee on how to maintain the influence of the Party and the Soviet government among the masses; correct some mistakes in organizing demonstrations and dividing public land...

The Central Party's directive promptly helped the Central Committee and the Nghe An and Ha Tinh Party Committees to correct shortcomings in directing the movement. By October 1930, the Central Party Committee issued a communique to inform the entire Party of the situation. The communique reminded localities to take the incident in Nghe An as an experience to mobilize the masses, especially the people, in accordance with the Party's political tasks. The Central Committee instructed the entire Party to make every effort to mobilize the masses to fight against the white terror of the French imperialists to support Nghe An.-Red Static.

Ancient banyan tree in Nhan Hau village, Nam Son commune (Do Luong) - where the red hammer and sickle flag was hung during the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement (1930 - 1931). Photo: Huy Thu

Since September 1930, the struggles of workers and peasants in Nghe Tinh were brutally suppressed by the French colonialists. In that situation, the Party Central Committee issued a statement on protecting red Nghe An against the white terror of the imperialists. The Central Committee called on "All of us, the people in our country, need to launch a large-scale movement, a huge wave of demonstrations throughout the length of the country to maintain the victories won at Ben Thuy in red Nghe An province".

The development of the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement further demonstrated the Party's leadership role and the close relationship between the Party's will and the people's hearts. The close and timely leadership and direction further demonstrated the leadership capacity and role of the Communist Party of Vietnam in the revolutionary movement, affirming the Party's position and prestige in the hearts of the people.

The indomitable tradition of "standing up first" of the people of Nghe Tinh

Nghe-Tinh Soviet climaxcarved into history as a brilliant milestone for the indomitable tradition, resilience and "standing up first" qualities of the people of Nghe An.

When the French colonialists invaded Vietnam, the people of Nghe Tinh enthusiastically rose up to fight the enemy. The beginning was the uprising of Tran Tan and Dang Nhu Mai with the flag "Pacify the West, Kill the Left" to fight both the Dynasty and the West in 1874. When King Ham Nghi's Can Vuong edict was issued, the entire Hong Lam range was filled with the spirit of "Pacify the West, Restore the Nation" under the leadership of patriotic scholars and mandarins. Phan Dinh Phung with the Huong Khe uprising became the typical Can Vuong flag of the whole country.

The performance recreates the people's fighting atmosphere in the Nghe-Tinh Soviet Movement. Photo courtesy of Duc Anh

The patriotic movement of the people of Nghe Tinh took place continuously and strongly but lacked proper leadership so it was brutally suppressed by the French colonialists. The failures of the predecessors further urged the young man Nguyen Tat Thanh to go out to find a way to save the country, which was also an important research in his luggage to find the way to liberate the nation.

The patriotic and revolutionary tradition of Nghe An people has become fertile ground for the propaganda activities of Marxism-Leninism.leader Nguyen Ai Quocand his comrades. Through the active activities of leader Nguyen Ai Quoc and the Youth organization, Marxism-Leninism, the light of the Russian October Revolution was soon spread to Nghe Tinh. From 1925 onwards, on the land of Nghe Tinh, many patriotic movements took place following a new trend with the birth of patriotic organizations such as: Tan Viet and Thanh Nien...

Soviet Spirit: Enduring Values

The revolutionary high tide of 1930-1931, culminating in the Nghe-Tinh Soviet, was the first general rehearsal of our Party and people in the process of rising up to seize power in the August Revolution. The greatest achievement of the revolutionary high tide of 1930-1931, an achievement that the brutal white terror of imperialism and feudalism that followed could not erase, was that it affirmed in reality the leadership and leadership capacity of the proletariat, and at the same time gave the masses of workers and peasants confidence in their own strength.

That was the first victorious step that had a decisive significance for the entire subsequent development of the revolution. “To put it bluntly, without the earth-shaking class battles of 1930-1931, in which workers and peasants exerted their extraordinary willpower, there could not have been a climax in 1936-1939...”.

Provincial Party Secretary Thai Thanh Quy offers incense at the Nghe-Tinh Soviet Relic Site. Photo courtesy of Thanh Son

Evaluating the 1930-1931 revolutionary movement and the Nghe-Tinh Soviet, Ho Chi Minh once wrote: “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.” “More than the Paris Commune for the French Revolution, more than the Guangzhou Commune for the Chinese Revolution, the Nghe-Tinh Soviet had special importance for the Vietnamese revolution. It had a direct and comprehensive influence on the later stages of the Vietnamese revolution…”.

The Nghe-Tinh Soviet also shocked international public opinion. In the letter ofCommunist Internationalsent to the Communist Parties of France, China, and India on February 27, 1931, commented: "The vibrant revolutionary movement in the Indochinese countries has contributed to increasing communist influence in the colonies, especially in the Eastern countries." In the meeting on April 11, 1931, the 11th Plenary Conference, the Executive Committee of the Communist International recognized the Indochinese Communist Party as an independent branch under the Communist International.

Vinh Prison Memorial in the grounds of the Nghe-Tinh Soviet Museum. Two photos below: On the memorial is an inscription expressing the steadfast spirit of the communists; The relief illustrates the indomitable struggle of revolutionary soldiers and patriotic people in Vinh Prison. Photo courtesy of Phuoc Anh

Promoting the spirit of the Nghe-Tinh Soviets in the cause of comprehensive national renewal, perfecting guidelines, policies, and mechanisms in accordance with the development trend of the times and the aspirations and practical, legitimate interests of the people is necessary to form the driving force and comprehensive strength for the cause of national renewal.

Communist Party of Vietnampromote noble values, identify national solidarity as both the goal and the top task, the red thread running through the Party's revolutionary line: "National solidarity is a strategic line, a driving force and a great resource to build and defend the Fatherland. Strengthen the national solidarity bloc, on the basis of the alliance of the working class with the peasantry and the intelligentsia led by the Party".The Nghe-Tinh Soviet will forever be a source of pride and honor, giving strength to the people of Nghe An to firmly step on the revolutionary path, promote the cause of innovation and integration, and build Nghe An into "a well-off province" as Uncle Ho wished.