Recalling the period of feverish preparation for the revolution to seize power for the people in Hanoi in August 1945, General Nguyen Quyet said: “At that time, the City Party Committee directed the establishment of 3 armed propaganda teams in the inner city, including 2 propaganda teams and 1 armed team to eliminate evil and traitors. After the Japanese coup against the French (March 9, 1945), the enemy was weakened. Especially the puppet army and puppet government were strongly shaken, the City Party Committee advocated “Viet Minh-ization of the inner city”, “Viet Minh-ization” of a part of the puppet army and puppet government that were losing direction. At that time, we not only had the political force of the masses, the self-defense force, and the armed forces, but also took the opportunity to build forces right within the enemy ranks...”.

Intimate meeting with cadres and self-defense members participating in the August Revolution in 1945 in Hanoi (comrade Nguyen Quyet, front row, third from left). Photo archive

In that situation, it can be said that the opportunity for a general uprising had clearly appeared. Especially on August 15, the Japanese fascists officially surrendered to the Allies. The enemy was strongly divided internally, and their morale was extremely wavering. On August 16, comrade Nguyen Khang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Northern Regional Party Committee, summoned the Hanoi Party Committee and two officials of the Regional Party Committee, comrade Nguyen Huy Khoi and comrade Le Trong Nghia, to listen to the announcement of the Regional Party Committee and to establish the Uprising Committee, chaired by comrade Nguyen Khang, to direct the general uprising in Hanoi.

On the evening of August 17, Secretary Nguyen Quyet chaired an expanded meeting of the Hanoi Party Committee with comrades in the Uprising Committee. Due to many concerns and disagreements about the timing and methods of carrying out the uprising, the discussion atmosphere was quite tense. The meeting lasted until the end of the night before reaching a decision: Hanoi would launch an uprising on August 19, 1945, overthrow the puppet government, establish a revolutionary government with local forces, and not passively wait for the Liberation Army to return from the war zone.

Regarding the above decision, General Nguyen Quyet later confided many times that it was a bold decision but had been carefully considered. He said: “At that time, I knew for sure that if we did not win, the leader would have to take full responsibility. But I believe that this was a wise decision by a group of people who had been attached to and lived and died with the city movement for many years, people who better than anyone understood the situation between us and the enemy that changed every day. The decision was unanimously based on an analysis of the specific situation, not hasty or subjective because of the desire for liberation.”

And reality has proven that Hanoi revolted as planned on August 19, 1945 and won a brilliant, complete, bloodless victory, which was a great encouragement for localities that had not yet revolted.

TUAN TU

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