Democratic Republic of Vietnam Declares Independence

Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Viet Minh, declares independence from French colonial rule as he announces the formation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

What Was the Viet Minh?

In 1941, Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh founded the Viet Minh, or Vietnamese Independence League, in opposition to French and Japanese occupation.

By the 1940s Vietnam had struggled against foreign rule for centuries, long before France seized control in the late 1800s. For much of World War II, the Japanese occupiers allowed a puppet French government to retain nominal control over Vietnam. But in March 1945, Japan dispensed with that policy and took direct control of Vietnamese governance. The Viet Minh gained strength rapidly, becoming the voice of Vietnamese independence, stressing democratic reform, and taking advantage of the intensifying nationalistic feelings in Vietnam. By the time Japan surrendered to the Allies in August 1945, the Viet Minh controlled much of north and central Vietnam. 

This “August Revolution” in 1945 marked a milestone in the Vietnamese struggle for independence. As Chinese and American occupation forces overseeing the Japanese surrender took time to reach Hanoi in numbers, the Viet Minh stepped into the power vacuum. It took control of the government, and expelled Emperor Bao Dai, who had remained a powerless figurehead throughout the occupations. Three days later, on September 2, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed Vietnam’s independence.1