Comrade Le Thanh Nghi led the first commune to seize power in the country(*)

This is the first place in the country to gain commune-level government. On the occasion of the 114th anniversary of the birth of comrade Le Thanh Nghi (March 6, 1911 - March 6, 2025), Hai Duong Newspaper publishes his memoirs about this important event.

Quickly lead the masses to revolt

On the morning of March 13, the conference (the expanded conference of the Central Standing Committee) closed. I was appointed by the Central Committee as a special envoy with the task of building War Zone II, including Bac Giang, Phuc Yen, Phu Tho, Vinh Yen and part of Thai Nguyen.

The next morning, I went to Bac Giang with Mr. Tinh (Comrade Nguyen Trong Tinh, Head of the Central Safe Zone II Working Group). On the way, everywhere we went, we saw people pouring out into the streets to listen to the news, people were talking excitedly about the Japanese and French fighting each other, about the Viet Minh uprising that was about to happen. Everyone's face showed joy and hope.

We went through Cho Cho market, crossed Cau river at Ngot ferry to Dai market to Xuan Bieu village in Xuan Cam commune, in the lower part of Hiep Hoa district. We arrived at the place around noon. We went to Kiem's ​​house, commonly called Kiem E, which was the base of Safe Zone II. Tinh immediately summoned Ms. Thuan, the officer in charge of this area, and the key members of the locality.

A short while later, everyone had arrived. Seeing Mr. Tinh return with me, everyone was happy, because they were eagerly awaiting instructions from their superiors in the new situation. They were even happier when they learned that I was a special envoy of the Central Committee. After hearing the report on the local situation - the masses were excited, the local leaders were confused - I briefly reported the Central Committee's instructions and then immediately discussed the work at hand.

Four tasks were set: (1) Based on the Central Committee's policy of partial uprisings, there were sufficient conditions to overthrow the enemy government in the communes, establish the National Liberation Committee, and move towards seizing the district and provincial governments. Along with this, it was necessary to strongly develop mass organizations for national salvation, organize self-defense teams with primitive weapons to protect the revolutionary government. (2) Confiscate the land of French plantation owners, landlords, and Vietnamese traitors in the area, and distribute it to the poor. (3) Destroy the Japanese rice warehouses in the Vat plantation to solve the famine. (4) Maintain security and order, and eliminate the rampant robbery.

After the meeting, that very evening we held a rally at Xuan Bieu communal house. As soon as the drum beat sounded, thousands of people from all directions rushed to the communal house, torches lit up a corner of the sky. Looking at the heroic processions marching in the firelight, I suddenly thought of the days of the gathering of the cloth-clad hero Hoang Hoa Tham in the past on this historic land of Bac Giang, and my heart was filled with emotion. If only Mr. Hoang could see his grandchildren today walking on the path of their ancestors...

When the villagers had gathered in the communal house yard, including the village chief carrying the certificate and seal brought by the militia, Mr. Tinh and I announced the Central Committee's directive, then announced the abolition of the puppet government of the imperialists, the establishment of a revolutionary government, named the National Liberation Committee.

Mr. Tinh ordered the militia to confiscate the village chief's diploma and seal, and assigned him the responsibility of maintaining normal relations with the district to know the enemy's situation and policies, but forbade the implementation of the Japanese tax collection order as well as the jute and castor oil planting order.

Because we have not yet won the district government, we will temporarily let the two governments coexist, but from now on all matters in the commune will be resolved by the National Liberation Committee. The village chief, at first thinking that he was being brought to trial, was trembling with fear. Hearing what Tinh said, he was as happy as a dying man coming back to life, clasped his hands and bowed repeatedly, promising to follow all orders from the Viet Minh, whatever the Viet Minh told him to do, he would do. Next, the commune Viet Minh Front introduced a list of 5 people to the National Liberation Committee for the people to vote by a show of hands. All 5 people were elected at the same time. The Chairman of the Committee was Kiem E.

The power of the people

Thus, for the first time, a revolutionary government was established in the midlands. Like a strong wind, this news spread very quickly, exciting people. Everywhere was looking for cadres to return to establish the National Liberation Committee, some places even actively sought cadres.

The next morning, we went to Trung Dinh commune next door. This commune was the main base in the lower part of Hiep Hoa district, and already had a Party cell, so the establishment of the National Liberation Committee was carried out quickly.

It should also be added that after establishing the government in Xuan Cam commune, I discussed with Mr. Tinh, Ms. Thuan and the commune leaders that we would wait until the government in Trung Dinh and a few other communes was established to mobilize the masses to destroy the Japanese rice warehouse at Vat post to ensure safety. Because this post had a bunker with a platoon of guards and various types of guns.

It was planned to be done on March 15, but on the 14th, while we were in the process of establishing the National Liberation Committee in Trung Dinh, we received news that the plantation owner De Monpezart had fled to Hanoi, so we immediately changed our plans. Ms. Thuan was assigned the responsibility of leading the government of the two communes of Trung Dinh and Xuan Bieu, mobilizing the militia and people of the two communes, along with the people of the surrounding communes, to do it that same day. Within just a few hours, thousands of people from the villages poured out onto the main road, carrying shoulder poles, baskets, and following the cadres and militia toward the Vat post.

Upon arrival, the militia rushed forward to break the fence, the crowd cheered and marched into the fort. Faced with the overwhelming strength of the crowd, the soldiers in the bunkers in the fort did not dare to fire, letting the crowd break the warehouse door, take all the rice in the warehouse, estimated at hundreds of tons, and many buffaloes, horses, cows, and sheep. The militia also captured eight guns of various types and handed them over to the revolution...

That night, in the kitchens of every house, which had been cold for a long time, the fires were red. The lamps were lit very late like shooting stars. The sound of the mill, the sound of the pestle pounding rice, the sound of people calling to each other resounded throughout the village. It was truly a festival of the masses. An old lady who lived next to where I lived said: "For the past half month, my family has had to eat only banana roots and amaranth, today we finally smell rice again. Without the Viet Minh, what would we do?"

Listening to the old lady, and seeing with my own eyes the Party's policies reaching the masses, I thought to myself: Anything that appeals to the people's hearts will quickly turn into a mass movement and become an invincible force.

(*): Title given by Hai Duong Newspaper