Nghe Tinh Soviets - The peak of the 30-31 revolutionary movement

(Baonghean.vn) - 86 years ago, with the spirit of rapid attack, our people created an extremely strong revolutionary movement - the revolutionary movement of 1930 - 1931 with the peak being the Nghe - Tinh Soviet.

On February 3, 1930, the Communist Party of Vietnam was born, promptly leading our people to rise up and fight against colonial invaders and feudal lackeys. The revolutionary movement took place in 25 provinces and cities across the country, especially strong from International Labor Day on May 1, 1930.

In Nghe Tinh, the struggle movement broke out on the morning of May 1, 1930 with the participation of workers in the Vinh - Ben Thuy industrial zone and farmers in neighboring districts demanding wage increases, reduced working hours, abolishment of poll taxes, reduction of taxes, anti-terrorism, support for the struggle of workers in the Nam Dinh textile factory, and support for the Soviet Union. From May to August 1930, in Nghe Tinh, there were 97 strikes and demonstrations by workers and farmers.

On August 1, 1930, workers in the Vinh - Ben Thuy industrial zone went on general strike, marking a new era, a period of fierce struggle. In harmony with the workers' movement, farmers in Nghe - Tinh organized many armed self-defense demonstrations in the districts of Can Loc (August 4), Nam Dan (August 6 and 30), Thanh Chuong (August 12), Nghi Loc (August 29) and spread to almost all districts in the two provinces.

However, it was not until September that the movement reached its peak. On September 1, 20,000 farmers in Thanh Chuong district demonstrated to demand tax abolition and the release of political prisoners. French soldiers opened fire, but the protesters still entered the district office, destroyed the prison, released prisoners, burned records, books, and the district administration building.

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

Faced with the massive attack of the people, the local tyrants had to flee. Most of the villages in Thanh Chuong district fell into a situation where there was no government to manage them. The people of Vo Liet commune spontaneously took charge of organizing and managing the work in the commune.

On September 5, farmers in Anh Son district demonstrated in support of the people of Thanh Chuong district with slogans such as “abolish poll tax”, “re-distribute land”, “release political prisoners”. Then, in 2 days (September 5 and 7), farmers in Dien Chau and Can Loc districts burned down prisons. From September 8 to 11, the fighting spirit became more intense when tens of thousands of farmers in Nam Dan, Thanh Chuong, Dien Chau, Can Loc districts, etc. rose up.

The movement reached its peak with the struggle of 8,000 farmers in Hung Nguyen district on September 12 with slogans such as "Down with imperialism! Down with feudalism". The protesters lined up in a long line and marched towards Vinh city. The French colonialists used bombers to fire machine guns at the protesters, killing 217 people, injuring 125 people, and burning 177 houses. The two villages of Loc Chau and Loc Hai were completely burned down. However, that did not stop the farmers' struggle, but instead made the struggle more intense, causing the colonial government to be extremely afraid.

On December 9, 1961, returning to his hometown for the second time, Uncle Ho took a photo with soldiers of the 30-31 movement.

Before the collapse of the colonial and feudal government in Nghe - Tinh, the Party cells and the Red Peasant Associations managed and operated all activities in the communes. The revolutionaries established the Soviet government - the first Soviet government in Vietnam (the early revolutionary government led by the working class).

The new government issued many new policies on politics, economy, and culture. In terms of politics, people had the right to freely assemble, discuss, and operate in mass organizations such as Farmers' Associations, Labor Associations, Communist Youth Unions, etc. In terms of economy, people were given land to divide, unreasonable and unjust taxes were abolished, rent was reduced, and debts were forgiven for the poor. In terms of culture, the revolutionary government organized a new way of life, opened classes to teach the national language, eliminated social evils and backward customs, and built a spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance.

The Nghe-Tinh Soviet Movement was a major historical event in the history of the Vietnamese revolution under the leadership of the Party. Although it only existed for 7 months and was still in its infancy, it left a good impression of the first worker-peasant state, unprecedented in history, responding to the burning desire for independence and freedom of the people who had lost their country and were enslaved.

Soviet Monument - Nghe Tinh (Nghen town - Can Loc - Ha Tinh).

The greatest achievement of the 1930-1931 revolutionary movement and the Nghe-Tinh Soviets was to affirm in practice the leadership and revolutionary leadership capacity of the working class through its vanguard political party, uniting with patriotic people who were capable of overthrowing the domination of imperialism and feudalism, liberating the nation, and bringing freedom and happiness to the people.

This was the first general rehearsal of the Vietnamese revolution under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, not only raising the issue of worker-peasant alliance, the issue of land and farmers, but also affirming the Party's leadership role, the issue of political struggle combined with armed struggle, gradually creating the position and strength for our nation to achieve the victory of the August Revolution in 1945.

From this movement, for the first time workers and peasants allied with each other in the struggle under the leadership of the Communist Party; revolutionary governments in some rural areas were born. Assessing the great historical significance of the revolutionary movement of 1930 - 1931, Ho Chi Minh 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 forged the forces for the later victorious August Revolution."

Tomb of Soviet martyrs of Nghe-Tinh (Hung Nguyen- Nghe An).

The 1930-1931 high tide, culminating in the Nghe-Tinh Soviet, left a great lesson about the Party's power to attract and gather a large number of people from all walks of life through correct guidelines, policies, and slogans, meeting the people's burning aspirations. From that, we can draw a valuable historical lesson: whenever the working people feel their own benefits in the policies, strategies, and concrete actions of the leading class, they will actively and voluntarily participate in response.

And it was our Party that from the very beginning helped the people perceive their fundamental and urgent interests through correct policies and slogans such as gaining independence from slavery, taking land and factories into the hands of workers and farmers, implementing the first basic democratic and civil rights...; thereby arousing and promoting revolutionary motivation among the masses.

View of the Nghe-Tinh Soviet historical relic site (Thai Lao, Hung Nguyen - Nghe An. Photo: Sy Minh.

Nowadays, in the cause of comprehensive national renovation, implementing the strategy of building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, perfecting guidelines, policies, and mechanisms in accordance with the development trend of the times and the aspirations and practical and legitimate interests of the people to form the driving force and combined strength for the cause of renovation is an urgent and great task of our Party and State.

86 years have passed, but the great spirit of the Nghe-Tinh Soviets in the 1930s is still burning in every patriotic Vietnamese citizen. The spirit of the Nghe-Tinh Soviets not only accompanied our people to overcome countless difficulties and challenges to gain glorious victories in the struggle for national independence, but also continued to gain victories in the current cause of building and defending the country. Today, the spirit of the Nghe-Tinh Soviets always accompanies our people to overcome difficulties and challenges to build Vietnam "more dignified and more beautiful" as President Ho Chi Minh instructed.

Peace

(Synthetic)