August 24, 1945: General uprising to seize power in Ha Nam, Quang Yen, Dak Lak, Go Cong

In Ha Nam, the puppet government surrendered at Phu Ly, handing over power to the revolution. In Quang Yen, the provincial Provisional Revolutionary Committee introduced itself to the people. The spirit of the struggle for power was intense, spreading throughout the localities. The victory at Quang Yen provincial capital encouraged the revolutionary forces and the people of the localities to continue to rise up.

In Phu Yen , the people's uprising struggle began from August 20, 1945 until August 24, 1945, the revolutionary government won complete victory in the provincial capital.

In Dak Lak , in the afternoon at the town stadium, a rally to seize power took place before the eyes of more than 3,000 people of all classes and ethnicities (Ede, Mnong, Kinh...) and about 500 plantation self-defense forces and security soldiers.

This was a rally to show the strength of all classes of people to welcome and salute the revolutionary government of the province. The representative of Viet Minh went up to the stage, in the name of the revolution, to declare the abolition of the Japanese and their lackeys' domination regime, and to declare the establishment of a revolutionary government.

Headquarters of the Dak Lak Provincial Uprising Committee in 1945. (Photo courtesy of Dak Lak Museum)

At the same time, call on people of all ethnic groups, workers, farmers, civil servants, students and all people in the province to be determined to protect the government, preserve independence, support the revolutionary government, and actively participate in building a new life.

The town stadium resounded with slogans: “Vietnam is completely independent”, “Hail to the Viet Minh”, “Hail to the revolutionary government”. The uprising to seize power by the people of all ethnic groups in Dak Lak province was a great success. The red flag with a yellow star fluttered in front of the stands, lighting up the entire stadium, along with hundreds of other flags fluttering in front of offices and streets.

The uprising to seize power by the people of all ethnic groups in Dak Lak province was a great success. The red flag with a yellow star fluttered in front of the stands, lighting up the stadium, along with hundreds of other flags fluttering in front of offices and streets.

In Saigon, at 6:00 p.m., the Uprising Committee of the Southern Regional Party Committee issued the order to revolt.

Following the order of the Uprising Committee, from 8 p.m., the Vanguard Youth Shock Teams, consisting of thousands of elite members, mostly members of the General Labor Union, with the core being communist party members, were armed and deployed to capture key facilities in the city such as: Treasury, Lamp Factory, Water Factory, Post Office, Governor's Palace of Cochinchina, Fire Department, Police Department, bridgeheads to Saigon, police stations, areas near the Japanese barracks, the French area, the French barracks area...

Prison 3 and Prison 4 - where political prisoners were detained at Buon Ma Thuot Prison. (Photo courtesy of Dak Lak Museum)

While the assault teams occupied the offices, armed youth and workers on trucks with flags drove around the city to encourage and prevent the hooligans and reactionaries. At 10 p.m., all the governing apparatus of the puppet government in the city was in the hands of the revolution, except for the Governor's Palace, the naval port, the Indochina Bank, and Tan Son Nhat airport because Japan refused to give in. Imperial Commissioner Nguyen Van Sam was arrested at the Imperial Commissioner's Palace at 10 p.m. the same day.

At night, a flagpole with the names of the members of the Provisional Administrative Committee of Southern Vietnam was erected at the intersection of Bonnard Avenue and Charner. Also from midnight, hundreds of thousands of people from the suburbs of Ba Diem, Hoc Mon, Binh Dong, Binh Xuyen, Cho Dem... from the provinces of Gia Dinh, Cho Lon, Tan An, Bien Hoa, Thu Dau Mot, My Tho, with banners, sticks, daggers, spears, guns... rushed into Saigon city. The whole city resounded with singing and shouting slogans: "Down with Imperial Commissioner Nguyen Van Sam", "The government belongs to the Viet Minh", "Long live the independent Viet Minh"...

In Go Cong, nearly 30,000 people from the communes gathered in Go Cong provincial capital to demonstrate their strength. Comrade Nguyen Van Con, on behalf of the Go Cong province's provisional National Liberation Committee, declared that the government belonged to the people and the revolution had succeeded.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/van-hoa-xa-hoi/ngay-2481945-tong-khoi-nghia-gianh-chinh-quyen-o-ha-nam-quang-yen-dak-lak-go-cong-Jw2zsTuNg.html