Happy Vietnamese National Day! Chúc Mừng Ngày Quốc Khánh!
ON THIS DAY IN 1945…
President Hồ Chí Minh read the Declaration of Independence of Vietnam before thousands of people in Ba Đình Square, Hà Nội:
“A people who have courageously opposed French domination for more than eight years, a people who have fought side by side with the Allies against the Fascists during these last years, such a people must be free and independent.” – Hồ Chí Minh
Historical Background
The French began their invasion and conquest of Vietnam in 1858, making it an official colony in 1885. From the beginning of colonial rule, insurgencies across the country unfolded, aiming to expel the French and reinstate Vietnamese independence.
The largest movement was the Cần Vương movement (1885-1896), where thousands of peasants and the Vietnamese monarchy, led by Emporer Hàm Nghi, joined forces to try to expel the French. There were various other minor rebellions as well, but they were all quickly extinguished.
August Revolution
We must remember the revolutionary struggle and the resilience of the Vietnamese people in resistance to French domination.
The August Revolution would be led by the Việt Minh, the national indepedence coalition. This organization was formed by Hồ Chí Minh after his return to Vietnam in 1941.
1941 – PÁC BÓ, VIỆT NAM
The Việt Minh coalition is formed following a meeting with the Communist Party of Indochina and other organizations seeking Vietnamese independence.
1941-1944 – NORTHERNMOST MOUNTAINS OF VIETNAM
The Việt Minh station themselves all throughout the country, primarily in the North, working underground. By 1944, there would be around half a million members.
1945 –COLONIAL FRENCH INDOCHINA
The Japanese ochestrate a coup d’etat that removes French administration from what is known as Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The Viet Minh takes this opportunity to organize and launch the August Revolution.
SEP 2 1945 -Hà Nội, VIỆT NAM
President Hồ Chí Minh declares Vietnam an indepedence country in Ba Đình Square. From August 15th-25th, the Việt Minh had liberated most of the country’s provinces. The revolution succeeeded from the 14th-28th.
Historical Significance
The freedom from the shackles of French and Japanese rule and the century long resilience and strength of the Vietnamese people
The end of millenium-long feudal rule in Vietnam and the establishment of a socialist government
A victory for all colonized people that has served as inspiration for other movements for independence and decolonization
Significance to Vietnamese people
For many Vietnamese people, September 2nd signifies our pride in continuous growth in nation-building and the affirmation of our self-determination. We are proud of the victory of our people that has helped bring peace and prosperity to our land.
We are grateful to our forefathers who bravely fought for our freedom and liberation from foreign nations who sought to subjugate us, having worked tirelessly and sacrificed much in order to carve a better and brighter future for our nation and people.
Celebrations on this day include speeches, parades, fireworks, and other festivities. In Ba Đình Square, Hà Nội, soldiers march through the square and a flag raising ceremony is held. Many families also raise the Vietnamese flag in front of their houses in remembrance of this historic moment in 1945.
76 years ago, Vietnamese revolutionary and leader, President Ho Chi Minh officially declared independence from French colonial rule.
Today, we commemorate not only our independence from France but also our ancestors’ perseverance in the fight against colonialism, and our people’s right to self-determination from Western imperialism.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on September 2, 2021.
Sources
Ôn lại ý nghĩa lịch sử 75 năm ngày Quốc khánh mùng 2/9 Thanh tra tỉnh Thái Nguyên
Sách Giáo Khoa Lịch Sử 9 Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo
The World Transformed 1945 To the Present by Michael H. Hunt
