What do we know about the August Revolution?

In the final months of 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allies and withdrew its forces from south-east Asia. They surrendered the control of Vietnam to the Viet Minh, a nationalist group led by Ho Chi Minh.

The departure of the Japanese in August 1945 created a power vacuum in Vietnam. Therefore, Ho called for a ‘national uprising’. The Viet Minh forces marched into major towns and cities, pushing for independence. The efforts of the Viet Minh were aided by the retreating Japanese. They wanted to hand over political authority to the locals rather than Westerners. The officials of Viet Minh were given access to government buildings and control over infrastructure and facilities.

By August, Viet Minh forces had occupied major cities like Hanoi, Saigon and Hue in central Vietnam. This was known as the August Revolution. On 2 September, 1945, Ho declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. However, the August Revolution was only briefly successful. It was thwarted when the Allied troops occupied Vietnam.

Picture Credit : Google

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