The Viet Minh launches August Revolution amid the political confusion and power vacuum engulfing Vietnam.
The August Revolution (Vietnamese: Cch-mng thng Tm), also known as the August General Uprising (Tng khi-ngha ginh chnh-quyn thng Tm), was a revolution launched by H Ch Minh's Vit Minh (League for the Independence of Vietnam) against French and Japanese colonial rule in Vietnam, on 19 August 1945.
Within two weeks, forces under the Vit Minh had seized control of most rural villages and cities throughout Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam, including Hanoi, where President H Ch Minh announced the formation of the Provisional Democratic Republic, Hu, Saigon, except in townships Mng Ci, Vnh Yn, H Giang, Lo Cai, Lai Chu.However, according to Vietnamese documents, Vit Minh, in fact, seized control of Vietnam. On 2 September 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnamese Independence. The August Revolution sought to create a Vit Minh unified regime for the entire country.
19 August is considered as the unofficial Victory over Japan Day in Vietnam.
The Việt Minh (Vietnamese: [vîət mīŋ̟] (listen); abbreviated from Việt Nam độc lập đồng minh, Chữ Nôm and Hán tự: 越南獨立同盟; French: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, lit. 'League for the Independence of Vietnam') was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Front, it was created by the Indochinese Communist Party as a national united front in Vietnam.The Việt Nam Độc Lập Đồng Minh Hội was previously formed in Nanjing, China, at some point between August 1935 and early 1936, when Vietnamese nationalist parties formed an anti-imperialist united front. This organization soon lapsed into inactivity, only to be revived by the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP) and Hồ Chí Minh in 1941. The Việt Minh established itself as the only organized anti-French and anti-Japanese resistance group. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. The United States supported France. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China. After World War II, the Việt Minh opposed the re-occupation of Vietnam by France, resulting in the Indochina War, and later opposed South Vietnam and the United States in the Vietnam War.
The political leader and founder of Việt Minh was Hồ Chí Minh. The military leadership was under the command of Võ Nguyên Giáp. Other founders were Lê Duẩn and Phạm Văn Đồng.
The Việt Nam Độc Lập Đồng Minh Hội is not to be confused with the Việt Nam Cách Mạng Đồng Minh Hội (League for the Vietnamese Revolution, abbreviated as Việt Cách) which was founded by Nguyễn Hải Thần. Viet Cach later joined the Vietnamese National Coalition in 1946.