The indomitable strength of the nation made the victory of the August Revolution in 1945

80 years ago, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, our people carried out the August Revolution in 1945, smashing the yoke of oppression and exploitation of the colonial and feudal regimes, seizing power, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the first people's democratic state in Southeast Asia, opening a new era in the history of our nation - the era of independence, democracy, unity and socialism. The great victory of the August Revolution in 1945 was the result of the synthesis of many factors, in which political and spiritual strength played a particularly important role.

Discussing the role of political and spiritual strength in war, F. Engels pointed out that in combat, spiritual factors and courage have turned into material strength; in war, if two opponents have relatively equal capabilities in terms of technical equipment, the advantage always belongs to the side whose people have higher morale, are better trained and have more perfect tactics.

Lenin affirmed: “In every war, victory ultimately depends on the spirit of the masses who are shedding blood on the battlefield. Belief in a just war, the realization that it is necessary to sacrifice one's life for the happiness of one's brothers, is the factor that raises the spirit of soldiers and makes them endure unprecedented difficulties”. When talking about the role and political and spiritual strength of the nation, President Ho Chi Minh pointed out: “No army, no weapon can defeat the spirit of sacrifice of an entire nation”.

Art performance at the scientific seminar "The spiritual and political strength of the August Revolution in 1945 - Significance for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland in the new era" chaired by the Political Officer School in coordination with the Propaganda Department and the People's Army Newspaper on August 7, 2025. Photo: TUAN HUY

For the Vietnamese people, political and spiritual strength is the core, the source of the invincible strength of our people in the cause of building and defending the country. The political and spiritual strength of the August Revolution is the sum of factors related to politics, patriotism, solidarity, belief, and determination to fight of the Vietnamese people. Accordingly, the political and spiritual strength of the August Revolution is composed of many factors.

The Party's correct political line. The Party's correct political line during the August Revolution was the combination of the urgent requirements of the revolutionary period and the Party's ingenious and wise leadership. This was first expressed in the Party's brief Platform, which clearly defined the path and goal of the Vietnamese revolution as "carrying out the bourgeois democratic revolution and the land revolution to move towards a communist society". Consistent with that policy, the Party's October 1930 Political Platform continued to emphasize that the path of development of the Vietnamese revolution was "to move the bourgeois democratic revolution towards the path of the proletarian revolution". Thoroughly understanding the revolutionary path and firmly holding to that goal, the Party and President Ho Chi Minh proposed many policies to lead the people in the struggle against colonial and feudal oppression and exploitation, firmly grasping and seizing the opportunity to carry out the August Revolution quickly and gain victory.

The patriotic tradition of the Vietnamese people. The patriotic tradition of the Vietnamese people is the fundamental factor that creates the political and spiritual strength of the August Revolution. Thanks to the correct political line of the Party, traditional patriotism was raised to a new height, with the invigoration and orientation by the goals and ideals of the working class. Although the enemy carried out acts of white terrorism, many communist party members and patriotic compatriots were imprisoned and killed, the patriotic spirit of revolutionary soldiers, all classes of people, including the national bourgeoisie, small and medium-sized landlords, retired officials and patriotic dignitaries,... continued to rise, "it formed an extremely strong and enormous wave, it overcame all dangers and difficulties, it drowned all traitors and invaders". This was affirmed by President Ho Chi Minh: "Thanks to the heroic spirit and patriotism of the entire Vietnamese people, the August Revolution was victorious".

spirit of national solidarity. The spirit of national solidarity, the core of which is the alliance between workers and peasants, is an important factor, the foundation that creates the political and spiritual strength of the August Revolution. At that time, although our Party only had about 5,000 members, it was strengthened by millions of patriotic people. The combined strength of the spirit of national solidarity created an overwhelming advantage, dealt decisive blows to all the central organs of the puppet government, paralyzed all resistance of the enemy, and brought the August Revolution to rapid victory nationwide.

The belief and indomitable will of the Vietnamese people. Along with the spirit of patriotism and national unity, the belief and indomitable will of the people of all classes, refusing to live a life of slavery and misery of the people who lost their country, were important factors creating the political and spiritual strength of the August Revolution. Under the leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, the spirit of patriotism and indomitable will of the people were developed into revolutionary heroism. The people believed, wholeheartedly followed the Party and were led by the Party through general rehearsals, raising the will to rise up to gain independence for the nation. After 15 years of "tasting honey and lying on thorns", extremely arduous and indomitable struggles, there were countless compatriots and soldiers who did not spare their blood and bones, bravely fought and sacrificed for the goal of national independence, for the complete victory of the August Revolution.

The political and spiritual strength of the August Revolution is an extremely valuable spiritual asset for our army and people to inherit and promote in the resistance war against the French colonialists and the invading American imperialists. In these resistance wars, the political and spiritual strength of the August Revolution was highly promoted, helping our nation overcome difficulties and challenges to gain glorious victories against the most brutal and powerful enemies in the world.

80 years have passed, but the political and spiritual strength of the August Revolution is still valuable, a particularly important factor for our entire Party, people and army to continue to promote in the cause of building and defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland in the new period, bringing the country firmly into the new era of development - the era of the Vietnamese people's rise, for peace, independence, democracy, wealth, prosperity, civilization and happiness.

Colonel, Associate Professor, Dr. VO VAN HAI, Director of the Institute of Military Social Sciences and Humanities

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/chinh-tri/tiep-lua-truyen-thong/suc-manh-quat-cuong-cua-dan-toc-lam-nen-thang-loi-cach-mang-thang-tam-nam-1945-840820