The birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) on February 3, 1930was an extremely important historical event and a significantturning-point in the history of the Vietnamese revolution, marking abrilliant milestone in the country’s development path.
Party establishment context
In the late 19th and early 20th century, capitalism shifted fromfree competition to imperialism, resulting in miserable conditions forthe working class. As contradictions between colonial nations andcolonialism became more and more severe, the national liberationmovement began to take root across colonial countries.
With the victory of the 1917 Russian October Revolution, theMarxism-Leninism theory became a reality and opened a new era – one ofanti-imperialism revolution and national liberation. It set an examplefor oppressed nations to liberate themselves.
The birth of theCommunist International (Third International) in March 1919 boosted thedevelopment of international communist and workers’ movements. ForVietnam, the Communist International played an important role inspreading Marxism-Leninism thought and establishing the CPV.
In 1858, French colonialists invaded Vietnam and graduallyestablished a ruling apparatus in the country, transforming it from afeudal state into a colonial-feudal one.
Politically, France imposed a colonial ruling policy, taking away theNguyen feudal administration’s internal and external powers and dividingVietnam into three regions – North, Central and South – andimplementing a ruling regime in each region.
Economically, French colonialists seized land to establish plantations,exploited natural resources, and built industrial facilities, roads, andports serving their colonial policies.
The French also applied adespicable cultural policy designed to instil a national inferioritycomplex and encourage superstitious practices. Patriotic activitiesamong Vietnamese were prohibited. They sought every way to conceal andprevent the world’s advanced culture from infiltrating and inspiringVietnam, and implemented obscurantism policies to facilitate easiergovernment of the country.
Under Frenchcolonialists’ ruling policies, the Vietnamese society witnessed aprofound division. Among landlords, many colluded with Frenchcolonialists to increase exploitation and oppression against farmers onone side, and those with patriotism and resentment towards colonialistsparticipated in anti-French struggles in different forms and atdifferent levels on the other.
The peasantry, the largest forcein the Vietnamese society, found itself significantly oppressed andexploited by colonialists and feudalists. The misery of Vietnamesefarmers increased their hatred of imperialists and feudal lackeys, aswell as reinforced their revolutionary will in the struggle forregaining their land and freedom.
The Vietnamese working classwas created during French colonialism’s first exploitation, with themajority coming from the peasantry, and was also oppressed and exploitedby imperialists and feudalists.
Meanwhile, the Vietnameseupper-middle class was blocked by French and Hoa (Chinese) bourgeoisie,limiting their economic strength and political position. They expressedtheir nationalism and patriotism at a certain level.
The lowermiddle class, including students, intellectuals and workers withuncertain job futures, had an unstable life and quickly became a part ofthe proletariat. They boasted patriotism and hatred of imperialists andcolonialists as well as the capacity to acquire advanced thoughts fromoutside.
The oppression and exploitation of French colonialforces was felt across socio-economic demographics, inspiring thecountry to unite against the invading forces.
The intent was todrive away French colonialists and regain national independence andfreedom for the people, as well as eliminate the feudal regime and bringdemocracy, rights, and land back to the people. Fighting thecolonialists and liberating the nation were the top priorities.
Many patriotic movements against French colonialists took place consistently, but were never successful.
The patriotic movements from the late 19th century to the early 20th century were the continuation of the unyielding tradition of theVietnamese people tempered during their multi-thousand-year history.However, due to the lack of sound and well-organised policies andnecessary forces, these movements failed and the Vietnamese revolutionsunk into a profound ideological crisis.
Nguyen Ai Quoc set up Communist Party of Vietnam
Amid the crisis on the national salvation ideas, a young man namedNguyen Tat Thanh (then Nguyen Ai Quoc, Ho Chi Minh) left the country toseek alternate ways to save the nation on June 5, 1911.
Hetravelled through many European, African and American countries anddiscovered that capitalism, colonialism and imperialism were the root ofall misery for the working class in both colonisers and the colonisedcountries.
In 1917, he returned to France, ultimately workinghis way to become a member of the Socialist Party of France two yearslater.
In June 1919, on behalf of Vietnam and under the newname of Nguyen Ai Quoc, he presented an eight-point claim to theVersailles Conference.
In July 1920, Nguyen Ai Quoc readLenin’s “Thesis on National and Colonial Questions”, within which hefound a way to save the Vietnamese nation.
At theCongress of the Socialist Party of France in December 1920, he voted forthe Third International, founded by Lenin, and joined the establishmentof the Communist Party of France, becoming Vietnam’s firstcommunist.
That important historical event markednot only Nguyen Ai Quoc turning patriotism into the Marxism-Leninismrevolutionary theory of the era, but also a significant change in thepath of liberating the Vietnamese nation; to save the country andliberate the nation, a proletarian revolution is the only way.
Between 1921 and 1930, Nguyen Ai Quoc worked diligently to spreadMarxism-Leninism among workers’ and patriotic movements in Vietnam, aswell as make theoretical preparations for the birth of a communistparty in Vietnam.
He wrote a number of articles including“the Trial of French Colonialism”, delivered speeches at internationalcongresses and conferences, and set up Thanh Nien (Young People), CongNong (Workers and Peasants), Linh Cach Menh (Revolutionary Soldiers) andTien Phong (Vanguard) newspapers in a bid to populariseMarxism-Leninism in Vietnam.
In 1927, the PopularisationDepartment of the Union of Oppressed Nations published “Duong Cach Menh”(Revolutionary Road), a collection of Nguyen Ai Quoc’s lectures atthe Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League’s political training courses.
Theseserved as political guideline preparations for the establishment of theCPV. Nguyen Ai Quoc affirmed that if the revolution wants to besuccessful, it must have a leading party. Once the party is strong, therevolution will succeed, just like a capable helmsman will ensure thesmooth sailing of a boat.
During this time, NguyenAi Quoc focused on making organisational and personnel preparations forthe establishment of the Party. He founded the Vietnamese RevolutionaryYouth League in 1925, organised many personnel training courses inGuangzhou, China, and sent officials to study at the University forOriental Studies in the Soviet Union and the Whampoa (Huangpu) MilitaryAcademy in China .
Thanks to the tireless efforts of Nguyen Ai Quoc and other revolutionists, conditions for the Party establishment matured.
Inlate 1929, Vietnamese revolutionists in communist organisations wereaware of the necessity and urgency of the formation of a unitedcommunist party to end divisions within the communist movement inVietnam. Nguyen Ai Quoc took the initiative in organising and chairinga Party merger conference in Hong Kong, China from January 6 toFebruary 7, 1930.
The conference decided to mergethe Indochinese Communist Party, the Communist Party of Annam and theIndochinese Communist League into the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Itdiscussed and approved the Abridged Political Platform, the AbridgedTactics, the Abridged Programme and the Abridged Statute of the CPV. Italso adopted an appeal of Nguyen Ai Quoc, on behalf of the CommunistInternational and the CPV, to all Vietnamese nationwide on the occasion.
Themerger conference served as a congress for the Party establishment. Thedocuments adopted at the event were the first political platform of theParty.
The third National Party Congress decided to take February 3 as the founding day of the Party.-VNA
Party establishment context
In the late 19th and early 20th century, capitalism shifted fromfree competition to imperialism, resulting in miserable conditions forthe working class. As contradictions between colonial nations andcolonialism became more and more severe, the national liberationmovement began to take root across colonial countries.
With the victory of the 1917 Russian October Revolution, theMarxism-Leninism theory became a reality and opened a new era – one ofanti-imperialism revolution and national liberation. It set an examplefor oppressed nations to liberate themselves.
The birth of theCommunist International (Third International) in March 1919 boosted thedevelopment of international communist and workers’ movements. ForVietnam, the Communist International played an important role inspreading Marxism-Leninism thought and establishing the CPV.
In 1858, French colonialists invaded Vietnam and graduallyestablished a ruling apparatus in the country, transforming it from afeudal state into a colonial-feudal one.
Politically, France imposed a colonial ruling policy, taking away theNguyen feudal administration’s internal and external powers and dividingVietnam into three regions – North, Central and South – andimplementing a ruling regime in each region.
Economically, French colonialists seized land to establish plantations,exploited natural resources, and built industrial facilities, roads, andports serving their colonial policies.
The French also applied adespicable cultural policy designed to instil a national inferioritycomplex and encourage superstitious practices. Patriotic activitiesamong Vietnamese were prohibited. They sought every way to conceal andprevent the world’s advanced culture from infiltrating and inspiringVietnam, and implemented obscurantism policies to facilitate easiergovernment of the country.
Under Frenchcolonialists’ ruling policies, the Vietnamese society witnessed aprofound division. Among landlords, many colluded with Frenchcolonialists to increase exploitation and oppression against farmers onone side, and those with patriotism and resentment towards colonialistsparticipated in anti-French struggles in different forms and atdifferent levels on the other.
The peasantry, the largest forcein the Vietnamese society, found itself significantly oppressed andexploited by colonialists and feudalists. The misery of Vietnamesefarmers increased their hatred of imperialists and feudal lackeys, aswell as reinforced their revolutionary will in the struggle forregaining their land and freedom.
The Vietnamese working classwas created during French colonialism’s first exploitation, with themajority coming from the peasantry, and was also oppressed and exploitedby imperialists and feudalists.
Meanwhile, the Vietnameseupper-middle class was blocked by French and Hoa (Chinese) bourgeoisie,limiting their economic strength and political position. They expressedtheir nationalism and patriotism at a certain level.
The lowermiddle class, including students, intellectuals and workers withuncertain job futures, had an unstable life and quickly became a part ofthe proletariat. They boasted patriotism and hatred of imperialists andcolonialists as well as the capacity to acquire advanced thoughts fromoutside.
The oppression and exploitation of French colonialforces was felt across socio-economic demographics, inspiring thecountry to unite against the invading forces.
The intent was todrive away French colonialists and regain national independence andfreedom for the people, as well as eliminate the feudal regime and bringdemocracy, rights, and land back to the people. Fighting thecolonialists and liberating the nation were the top priorities.
Many patriotic movements against French colonialists took place consistently, but were never successful.
The patriotic movements from the late 19th century to the early 20th century were the continuation of the unyielding tradition of theVietnamese people tempered during their multi-thousand-year history.However, due to the lack of sound and well-organised policies andnecessary forces, these movements failed and the Vietnamese revolutionsunk into a profound ideological crisis.
Nguyen Ai Quoc set up Communist Party of Vietnam
Amid the crisis on the national salvation ideas, a young man namedNguyen Tat Thanh (then Nguyen Ai Quoc, Ho Chi Minh) left the country toseek alternate ways to save the nation on June 5, 1911.
Hetravelled through many European, African and American countries anddiscovered that capitalism, colonialism and imperialism were the root ofall misery for the working class in both colonisers and the colonisedcountries.
In 1917, he returned to France, ultimately workinghis way to become a member of the Socialist Party of France two yearslater.
In June 1919, on behalf of Vietnam and under the newname of Nguyen Ai Quoc, he presented an eight-point claim to theVersailles Conference.
In July 1920, Nguyen Ai Quoc readLenin’s “Thesis on National and Colonial Questions”, within which hefound a way to save the Vietnamese nation.
At theCongress of the Socialist Party of France in December 1920, he voted forthe Third International, founded by Lenin, and joined the establishmentof the Communist Party of France, becoming Vietnam’s firstcommunist.
That important historical event markednot only Nguyen Ai Quoc turning patriotism into the Marxism-Leninismrevolutionary theory of the era, but also a significant change in thepath of liberating the Vietnamese nation; to save the country andliberate the nation, a proletarian revolution is the only way.
Between 1921 and 1930, Nguyen Ai Quoc worked diligently to spreadMarxism-Leninism among workers’ and patriotic movements in Vietnam, aswell as make theoretical preparations for the birth of a communistparty in Vietnam.
He wrote a number of articles including“the Trial of French Colonialism”, delivered speeches at internationalcongresses and conferences, and set up Thanh Nien (Young People), CongNong (Workers and Peasants), Linh Cach Menh (Revolutionary Soldiers) andTien Phong (Vanguard) newspapers in a bid to populariseMarxism-Leninism in Vietnam.
In 1927, the PopularisationDepartment of the Union of Oppressed Nations published “Duong Cach Menh”(Revolutionary Road), a collection of Nguyen Ai Quoc’s lectures atthe Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League’s political training courses.
Theseserved as political guideline preparations for the establishment of theCPV. Nguyen Ai Quoc affirmed that if the revolution wants to besuccessful, it must have a leading party. Once the party is strong, therevolution will succeed, just like a capable helmsman will ensure thesmooth sailing of a boat.
During this time, NguyenAi Quoc focused on making organisational and personnel preparations forthe establishment of the Party. He founded the Vietnamese RevolutionaryYouth League in 1925, organised many personnel training courses inGuangzhou, China, and sent officials to study at the University forOriental Studies in the Soviet Union and the Whampoa (Huangpu) MilitaryAcademy in China .
Thanks to the tireless efforts of Nguyen Ai Quoc and other revolutionists, conditions for the Party establishment matured.
Inlate 1929, Vietnamese revolutionists in communist organisations wereaware of the necessity and urgency of the formation of a unitedcommunist party to end divisions within the communist movement inVietnam. Nguyen Ai Quoc took the initiative in organising and chairinga Party merger conference in Hong Kong, China from January 6 toFebruary 7, 1930.
The conference decided to mergethe Indochinese Communist Party, the Communist Party of Annam and theIndochinese Communist League into the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Itdiscussed and approved the Abridged Political Platform, the AbridgedTactics, the Abridged Programme and the Abridged Statute of the CPV. Italso adopted an appeal of Nguyen Ai Quoc, on behalf of the CommunistInternational and the CPV, to all Vietnamese nationwide on the occasion.
Themerger conference served as a congress for the Party establishment. Thedocuments adopted at the event were the first political platform of theParty.
The third National Party Congress decided to take February 3 as the founding day of the Party.-VNA
