Rising up in a new era

Part 1: From aspiration for independence

During these historic autumn days, marking the 79th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2, every Vietnamese citizen reflects on the root, the value of peace and heroic history of the nation. Some have preserved intact memories of the first Independence Day for the past 79 years...

"We liberate ourselves from our own strength..."

For Tran Xuan Minh, a revolutionary veteran from Thu Dau Mot city’s Phu Tho ward, even after 79 years, his memories of the August Revolution and National Day in 1945 remain vivid. He reflects: “The August Revolution of 1945 was the greatest achievement in Vietnam's history, founding the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, with the people becoming the masters of the country and their own destiny. The August Revolution of 1945 opened up a new era in Vietnam's history—a time named after Ho Chi Minh, an era of national independence and socialism in Vietnam. This was the most glorious period in our nation's thousand-year history of building and defending the country...".

On September 2, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence at the historic Ba Đinh Square, founding the Democratic Republic of Vietnam

After a 30-year journey to find a path to save the country and its people, in 1941, Nguyen Ai Quoc returned to Vietnam to directly lead the revolution. The 8th Central Party Committee Conference (from May 10 to May 19, 1941), chaired by him, decided to shift the strategic focus, prioritizing national liberation, raising the banner of great national unity, establishing the Viet Minh Front and concentrating all efforts on achieving the goal of national liberation, expelling the French colonialists and Japanese fascists, and seizing power for the people when the opportunity arose. He issued a call, sending heartfelt messages to all compatriots across the country: "We liberate ourselves from our own strength...". This was a sacred message of history as the revolutionary situation and opportunity were approaching...

In a short period from 1941 to 1945, the national liberation revolution, guided by Ho Chi Minh's ideology, progressed with tremendous urgency, filled with numerous events and situations, overcoming countless challenges to develop the movement and drive the revolutionary wave towards seizing power through a nationwide uprising. The 8th Central Party Committee Conference (May 1941) entered the Party's history as a brilliant milestone, creating a turning point in the national liberation revolution and affirming the value, significance and vitality of Ho Chi Minh's thought in practice.

Mai Thanh Chi, a revolutionary veteran from Thu Dau Mot city’s Phu Cuong ward also affirmed: When the revolution broke out and achieved a victory nationwide in just two weeks, our Party was only 15 years old (1930 - 1945) with nearly 5,000 members. At that time, the Viet Nam Liberation Army Team, the predecessor of the Vietnam People's Army founded by President Ho Chi Minh—was not even a year old (from December 22, 1944, to September 2, 1945), but it achieved legendary feats. Together with the people as the foundation, under the leadership of the Party, the armed uprising was successfully carried out to seize power. The August Revolution is a model of a national liberation revolution, showcasing the genius of Ho Chi Minh's thought and organizational skills, skillfully leveraging harmony among people, geographical advantages and good luck from heaven with human harmony as the root, effectively managing the relationship of "Time - Opportunity - Force" in the revolution to overthrow colonial, imperialist and feudal rules, liberating our people from nearly a century of slavery to the status of masters of their own destiny.

Unity - the strength of Vietnam in the Ho Chi Minh era

The victory of the August Revolution is a practical demonstration of the strength of great unity-"We liberate ourselves from our own strength", providing the foundation and conditions for development under the principle of national independence in association with to socialism, striving to the utmost for the values and goals: Independence - Freedom - Happiness.

Even after 79 years, for Mai Thanh Chi, a revolutionary veteran from Thu Dau Mat city’s Phu Cuong ward, the memories of the autumn of the August Revolution in 1945 remain intact...

The power of patriotism was once compared by President Ho Chi Minh to a mighty wave, strong enough to overcome all treacherous rapids, submerge all country traitors and bandits. Patriotism and the spirit of nationalism, self-reliance are the sources and driving forces that promote unity and great unity. From his intense determination: "Even if we have to burn down the entire Truong Son mountain range, we must achieve independence" to the immortal "Declaration of Independence" that founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, with a message sent from the entire Vietnamese nation to the world: "…We are determined to use all our spirit, strength, life and property to maintain our freedom and independence...".

From the great turning point that the August Revolution in the autumn of 1945 created, it has sparked and nurtured the strength of the entire Party, people and army to move forward on a new path, further writing glorious chapters in the cause of national liberation, unification, construction and defense as well as today's cause of renewal and international integration.

As Colonel Nguyen Dinh Chuan, Political Commissar of provincial Military Command shared: “Celebrating the 79th anniversary of the successful August Revolution and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is an opportunity for all people, officers and soldiers to remember the gratitude of generations of fathers and grandfathers; deeply understand the values of lessons learned in the struggle for national independence and the Party's policies and guidelines in economic-social development, improving the people's lives while affirming the position and role of the People's Army in the struggle to build and defend the Fatherland. Therefore, officials and soldiers of provincial armed forces are always determined to unite, strive, overcome all difficulties and challenges, not fear sacrifice and loss, and absolutely trust in the leadership of the Party, the path to socialism chosen by the Party, Uncle Ho and our people. Provincial armed forces' officials and soldiers are absolutely assured of their thoughts, receive and excellently complete the assigned tasks, maintain political security, social order, and safety, contributing to building up a 'comprehensive, exemplary' provincial armed force, firmly protecting the Fatherland in the new context...".

Reported by Thu Thao-Translated by Kim Tin