Nghe Tinh Soviet: The spirit of uprising on the path of fighting for independence

Nghe Tinh Soviet climax. Illustrative photo

Immediately after the Communist Party of Vietnam was founded (February 3, 1930), a revolutionary movement arose throughout the country. Nghe Tinh was where the movement developed most strongly. It started with a demonstration on International Labor Day, May 1, in the Vinh - Ben Thuy area. Workers of the Truong Thi Railway Factory, workers of the Vinh - Ben Thuy Match, Sawmill, and Electricity Factories, and farmers of Hung Nguyen and Nghi Loc districts stood side by side to fight.

After May 1, in rural areas such as Nghi Loc, Anh Son, Nam Dan, Quynh Luu, and Do Luong, farmers' protests occurred frequently.

By August, the masses not only submitted petitions and demands, but also vandalized public offices and liquor stores, and used pressure to force local officials to promise to fulfill the people's demands. This took place in Can Loc (August 4), Nam Dan (August 6), Thanh Chuong people marched to the district capital to destroy prisons, free political prisoners, and burn documents and records. At the end of August and the beginning of September, large demonstrations by the people were organized in Nghi Loc (August 19), Nam Dan (August 30), Vo Liet (Thanh Chuong) (September 1), Can Loc (September 7), Thach Ha, Cam Xuyen, Anh Son, and Ky Anh (September 8).

On September 12, 1930, in Hung Nguyen, about 8,000 farmers joined with Nam Dan farmers to organize a large demonstration with the aim of supporting the Ben Thuy workers' strike, responding to the struggles of farmers in neighboring provinces.

Red Guards in Hoa Quan - Dong So - Nghe An (1930-1931). Photo archive

French colonial aircraft were sent to bomb and open fire on the protesters, killing 174 people. The next day, when the villagers held a funeral for the victims, the French colonial aircraft sent in another bomb, killing 43 more people. Thus, on September 12 and 13, 1930, the French colonialists killed 217 people and injured 125.

September 12th went down in the history of Vietnam's revolutionary struggle and became a day to commemorate those who fell for the Fatherland.

After September 12, the struggle movement of the people of Nghe Tinh rose up, developing into an armed struggle, paralyzing and disintegrating the imperialist and feudal government systems in many places. Many prefects and district chiefs fled, some local officials returned their seals to the district chiefs or resigned.

Faced with the situation of the enemy government disintegrating, although the Party Central Committee had no policy of seizing power at this time, the Party cells and the Red Peasant Associations faced the reality of setting themselves the task of managing and operating based on the knowledge of the Soviet government in Russia that the Vietnamese communists had acquired through the Party's books, newspapers and training materials.

On December 9, 1961, during his second visit to his hometown, Uncle Ho took a photo with soldiers of the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement. Photo: Archive

A new form of government appeared: the Nghe Tinh Soviet. Although still in its infancy, the Soviet actually performed the function of a revolutionary government led by the working class.

Assessing the great historical significance of the 1930-1931 revolutionary movement, President 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.”

“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.”

Ho Chi Minh

The revolutionary movement of 1930 - 1931, which culminated 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 its correct guidelines, policies, and slogans, meeting the people's burning aspirations. From this, 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 livelihood rights...; thereby arousing and promoting revolutionary motivation among the masses.

Nowadays, in the cause of comprehensive national renovation, implementing the strategy of building and defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland, 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 comprehensive strength for the cause of renovation is an urgent and great task of our Party and State.