Ho Chi Minh perfected the political and organizational lines for the birth of the Viet Minh Front.

1- Ho Chi Minh represents the quintessence of the Vietnamese people, a country with a cultural and ideological tradition formed over thousands of years of history, the core of which is the will for independence and the desire for freedom. That is the noble goal, the sacred national right that brings together the entire people to stand up and fight to defeat the invading northern foreign armies, to gain and maintain the country's sovereignty throughout the historical eras.

“Freedom and independence are the natural rights of every nation… Once a nation has stood up and resolutely fought for their Fatherland, no one and no force can defeat them.”⁽¹⁾.

Independence and freedom are the core ideas of Ho Chi Minh's doctrine of national liberation and development, and the foundation of the strategic line of great national unity through revolutionary periods under the leadership of the Party.

The formation of the National United Front in the Vietnamese revolution organized and led by the Party took place through a process of movement from 1930 and was completed in terms of political line and organization with the birth of Viet Minh in 1941.

Viet Minh was born at a time when the Vietnamese people were living in a state of "boiling water and hot fire", when "the interests of national liberation were above all else". Saving the country was the common task of the people of the whole country, all Vietnamese people had to stand shoulder to shoulder:

"Determined to make this country,

Independence flag, equality foundation:

Make descendants of Dragons and Fairies,

Our people keep our rights"⁽²⁾

Ho Chi Minh soon identified the revolution of the people of the colonies against the domination of imperialism as “national revolution”. The revolution to “liberate the shackles of slavery for the people” was a great cause, “a common task of the entire people”, “in which workers and peasants were the root of the revolution”, were “revolutionary masters”, “students, small merchants, small landowners… were revolutionary friends”; the classes of intellectuals, farmers, workers, and merchants must all unite under the leadership of the revolutionary party to fight against the imperialists and their lackeys.

He did not fall into dogmatic stereotypes, did not simplify the national issue according to the view that the national issue is essentially a peasant issue and the basic content of peasant rights is land.

The basic content of the colonial revolution is the right to freedom and independence. The colonial people had a great motivation when they understood the value of national unity, determined to rise up and fight against the domination of colonialism to regain national independence and freedom for all people.

The revolution of the people of the colonies can win before the revolution of the people of the capitalist countries and they can help their brothers in the West in the task of complete liberation.

These are Ho Chi Minh's basic revolutionary views as the foundation for building a revolutionary strategic line, implementing the great national unity bloc in the national liberation revolution in our country.

2- In early 1930, grasping the nature of the national problem, Ho Chi Minh establishedCommunist Party of Vietnam. The first Party Platform drafted by him and unanimously approved by the Party's founding conference correctly combined the national issue with the class issue, in which the national issue stood out first. The Platform clearly stated the Party's strategic policy in the national liberation revolution was to overthrow the French colonialists and feudalists, "make Vietnam completely independent", implementing democratic freedoms, including the issue of confiscating land from the imperialists and counter-revolutionaries and distributing it to the peasants, preparing to implement the land revolution. The Party must win over the majority of workers and peasants, and at the same time unite with the petty bourgeoisie, intellectuals, and middle peasants, and strive for or neutralize the rich peasants, middle and small landlords, and the Vietnamese bourgeoisie... The policy is to establishAnti-imperialist Alliancealso raised for the Central Executive Committee to organize immediately.

The highlight of the Party's first Platform is the strategic policy of fighting against imperialism and its henchmen to gain independence, freedom, and realize great national unity.The revolutionary movement that broke out in 1930 had a broad mass character, especially in localities where the movement reached its peak such as Nghe An and Ha Tinh, strongly attracting the strength of national unity, not only workers and peasants but also intellectuals, some scholars, rich farmers, middle and small landowners and some small officials in the countryside. That was a historical fact, initially proving the reality of the strength of nationalism and the solidarity of the Vietnamese people in the national liberation revolution, of the accuracy of Ho Chi Minh's viewpoint of raising high the flag of national independence, uniting the entire people against imperialism and its henchmen.

On November 18, 1930, the Central Party Standing Committee issued a Directive on the establishment ofAnti-imperialist Alliance, reiterated the correct revolutionary ideology of the first Political Platform, considering the unity of the entire people as one of the factors for the victory of the revolution. The Directive criticized the erroneous perceptions in the Party such as separating the national issue from the class issue, and underestimating the role of the Anti-Imperialist Alliance in the revolution in the colonies. The ideology of national unity in the first Platform of the Party, the content of the Directive of the Party Central Committee Standing Committee was not thoroughly understood by the Party Central Committee, on the contrary, it continued to suffer from the disease of "leftist" dogmatism. That "leftist" tendency, classism, continued to be clearly expressed in the letter of the Central Committee sent to the Party committees at all levels on December 9, 1930 and other Party documents in the years 1931-1935 and later.

During the years 1936-1939, the Indochinese Communist Party decided to mobilize the establishment of a broad anti-imperialist People's Front, later called the Democratic United Front, to gather all classes and political parties, no matter how small or unstable, into the struggle against colonial reactionaries and their lackeys, demanding democratic freedoms, food, clothing and peace. Ho Chi Minh also conveyed to the Party Central Committee the policy of organizing a broad front, and of fighting uncompromisingly against factionalism and isolationism. This was a new step of maturity in the Party's policy of building a United Front. The broad democratic struggle of the masses taking place throughout the country led to forms of coordination and alliance of action between classes, political parties, and different mass organizations in each period and movement of the struggle for democratic rights and people's livelihood.The democratic front "has begun to be implemented in parts" but has not yet been formed organizationally.system from the grassroots to the central level, but the party has accumulated more experiences of important practical significance in the movement to build the front in the following years. Those experiences were initially summarized by Nguyen Van Cu, General Secretary of the Party in the workSelf-criticism,published July 1939.

3- From September 1939 onwards, the peoples of Indochina faced the danger of survival, “The interests of all classes were being robbed, the fate of the nation was in greater danger than ever”. Therefore, the 6th Conference of the Party Central Committee chaired by Nguyen Van Cu decided to raise the national flag to the forefront. The Conference decided to establish the Indochinese National United Front against imperialism with the aim of fighting the French imperialists, the native kings and the imperialists’ lackeys who betrayed the nation; to regain complete independence for the entire nation on the Indochina peninsula (exercising the right of national self-determination).

The union of the peoples of Indochina does not necessarily require the peoples to establish a single nation because the peoples of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos are inherently independent nations. Each people has the right to decide its own destiny, but self-determination does not necessarily mean complete separation from each other. Therefore, the Conference decided to establish the Federal Government of the Democratic Republic of Indochina, a common government for all classes of people in the country and in the national liberation movement.

In the spring of 1941, Ho Chi Minh returned to the Fatherland to directly direct the Party Central Committee to lead and organize the people to fight the French and expel the Japanese to regain independence and freedom. The Party Central Committee affirmed and continued to develop Ho Chi Minh's national revolutionary ideology, saying: Talking about the national issue means talking about the freedom and independence of each nation. That nation has the right to choose its own path of liberation. After expelling the French and Japanese, the Party must properly implement the policy of national self-determination for the nations in Indochina. The nations living on the Indochina peninsula will, as they wish, organize into a federation of democratic republics or stand alone to establish a nation according to their wishes.

The conference decided to raise the flag of national liberation to the forefront, unifying revolutionary forces throughout Indochina, without distinction between workers, peasants, rich farmers, petty bourgeoisie, native bourgeoisie, middle and small landlords, anyone with patriotism, into a broad national united front, fighting the French, expelling the Japanese, gaining independence and freedom for the peoples of Indochina according to the viewpoint of implementing the right of national self-determination.For the Vietnamese people, after defeating the French and Japanese, a new Vietnam will be established under the democratic republic regime... This is aThe change in the Party's strategy of bourgeois democratic revolution, redefined the nature of the current Indochinese revolution as not a bourgeois democratic revolution, a revolution that must solve two problems: anti-imperialism and land, but a revolution that only solves one urgent problem "national liberation" because if the French and Japanese cannot be driven out, the fate of the nation will be eternally enslaved and the land problem cannot be solved. Therefore, the nature of the Indochinese revolution is a national liberation revolution.

For the sake of the nation's survival, the Party must raise high the national flag. The Party must arouse the revolutionary spirit and patriotism of all classes of people, and concentrate all national forces to carry out the central task of national liberation and national salvation. Therefore, the organization of the great national solidarity front must have a new name that is more national in nature, has the power to appeal to the people of the whole country, and especially can be carried out in the current situation of the Vietnam Independence Alliance, abbreviated as Viet Minh. The Party also issued a resolution on the Viet Minh program as a basis for organizing and leading the front.

The movement to build the Viet Minh Front organization has been deployed in the revolutionary life of our people.

On October 25, 1941, the Viet Minh Front officially issued a Declaration, respectfully announcing to the people that:

“Since the founding of the nation, looking at our country's history, our people have never been as humiliated and miserable as they are now…

The danger of extinction is before our eyes. At present, we have only one way to survive: to unite, drive out the Japanese and French, and eliminate the Vietnamese traitors.

Opening that path for the people, the “Vietnam Independence League” (Viet Minh) was born…

Our liberation must be done by ourselves.

Whoever is Vietnamese, please strive to be self-reliant, confident, self-respecting, and united!”⁽³⁾.

The Viet Minh's national salvation program clearly stated that after defeating Japan and France, a government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam would be established, elected by the National Congress. The government would implement the Viet Minh's policies on politics, economics, culture and society, including 44 specific points, in order to meet the two things that all of our compatriots were wishing for: "How to make Vietnam completely independent; make Vietnamese people happy and free".

The Viet Minh organization was piloted by Ho Chi Minh from early 1941 in Cao Bang, then developed rapidly when Viet Minh was officially established. Viet Bac was where the Viet Minh movement developed strongly.The greatest and most remarkable characteristic of the Vietnam Independence Alliance in Viet Bac is its broad nature, broad to a level never seen before in the history of our country's revolution; broad in scope: each commune, each canton, each district, each district has completely participated in the revolutionary ranks; broad in terms of people: men, women, old people, children all enthusiastically participated in the national salvation work, except for a very small number of neutral and reactionary people.⁽⁴⁾. In November 1942, Viet Minh Cao Bang held a congress to elect the official Executive Committee of the province. The Viet Minh Executive Committees of the inter-provincial Cao Bang, Bac Can, and Lang Son were also established. National Salvation Associations were developed throughout the country. The National Salvation Cultural Association was established at the end of 1943. The Vietnam Democratic Party was established in June 1944 and became a member of the Viet Minh.

The Viet Minh Headquarters is the Viet Minh Headquarters in the whole country.

The Viet Minh truly became the center of gathering and uniting classes, political parties and patriotic individuals nationwide to rise up to fight the French and expel the Japanese.

The Party, through the Viet Minh at all levels, mobilized, organized and led the people to carry out the central task of preparing for an armed uprising to seize power.

Thenational uprisingIn August 1945, the Vietnamese people won victory with the "strength of national unity".

The Viet Minh's goal of saving the country has become a reality.

The perfect development of the Party's policy and strategy of "national unity" led to the birth of the Viet Minh Front in 1941.

The establishment and operation of Viet Minh became a fundamental factor, deciding the victory of the August Revolution in 1945.

Viet Minh was born right in Pac Bo forest. “The two words Viet Minh for a long time excited the hearts of the people of the whole country. The two words Viet Minh will forever remain in history, shining with golden lines.”⁽⁵⁾.

Viet Minh is a typical, complete, and shining front organization like a milestone.marked the birth of the National United Front in the Vietnamese revolution.

- The birth of Viet Minh was the result of a revolutionary movement in Vietnam, the victorious result of the ideology of independence, freedom and the strategy of great national unity of Ho Chi Minh and our Party; the result of a scientific and creative ideology, resolutely overcoming childish, "leftist" and dogmatic ideology.

- The birth and activities of Viet Minh are closely linked to the ideology, political line, organizational line and practical activities of Ho Chi Minh. He is the embodiment of national solidarity for independence and freedom; of the strategy:

“Unity, unity, great unity.

Success, success, great success”.

- Raising high the national flag, strongly arousing the spirit of patriotism and national unity, firmly relying on the alliance of workers, peasants and intellectuals, sincerely uniting with all patriotic and progressive forces of the nation in a broad united front - The Viet Minh Front is a creative success of Ho Chi Minh and the Party in front work in the August Revolution, in the strategy of great national unity in the Vietnamese revolution.

Ho Chi Minh’s historical role as founder and leader of the Viet Minh Front – the Vietnamese National United Front was not only praised by revolutionaries but also admired and respected by those on the opposing side. Denis Warner, a staunch anti-communist in Australia, praised Ho Chi Minh as “always there when people needed him”, the one who led and attracted the nation into a great united front. Warner wrote: “Having just gathered the communists together in 1930, when the Pacific War broke out, Uncle Ho was ready to start gathering nationalists and communists into a new, broader united front… in the spring of 1941.”⁽⁶⁾.

Nguyen Tuong Bach, a member of the Viet Cach Party in the opposition against the Viet Minh, wrote words of admiration for the Viet Minh's uprising to seize power in 1945 as follows: "Everywhere is Viet Minh... Why? That is the question I ask myself. They are really talented. We cannot help but secretly admire... Viet Minh won everywhere. On September 2, Ho Chi Minh's government held an independence oath ceremony at Ba Dinh Square. I knew... Ho Chi Minh today is Nguyen Ai Quoc, whom we still admire as a miraculous figure."⁽⁷⁾.

Associate Professor, People's Teacher LE MAU HAN

NOTE

1- Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, National Political Publishing House. H 1995, volume 5, p.7.

2- Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, ibid, volume 3, p.205.

3- Communist Party of Vietnam: Complete Party Documents, op. cit., volume 7, pp. 459-463.

4- Communist Party of Vietnam: Party Documents 1930-1945, published by the Central Party History Research Board, Hanoi, 1977, volume 3, p. 461.

5- Hoang Quoc Viet: New light from Pac Bo, Headwaters, memoirs, Culture Publishing House, Hanoi, 1975, p.17.

6- President Ho Chi Minh - National liberation hero, great cultural figure, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi 1995, p.170.

7- Nguyen Tuong Bach: Vietnam in historical days. Published by History - Geography Research Group, Montréan 1981, pp.69,70.