This event marked an important milestone in initially restoring the organizational system and reshaping the common struggle line after the period of decline due to the terror of the French colonialists. The Congress left a profound lesson about the importance of correctly understanding the actual situation to determine a suitable struggle line.
Recognizing the historical context and the current situation of the Party organization at the First Congress
The First Congress of the Party made efforts to analyze the international context based on the lens of the Communist International at that time as a basis for policy-making. For the international context, the Congress focused on analyzing the force balance between the socialist system and the capitalist system.
On the socialist system side, the Congress affirmed the great achievements of the Soviet Union in building a new regime that created a widespread influence on the international stage. This victory firmly consolidated the foundation of the world revolution, opening the path of liberation for the working class and the nation being oppressed globally. The Congress determined that socialism had become historically inevitable.
The core reason for this success stemmed from the fact that the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was steadfast in Marxism-Leninism, fighting ruthlessly against all manifestations far from revolutionary principles.
The Congress document clearly stated that that great victory was achieved thanks to the struggle against speculation, the anti-revolutionary Wall Street group, against both the left and right wing factions, and at the same time thanks to the correct political line of Marxism-Leninism of the Bolshevik Party.
In contrast to the development of the Soviet Union, the capitalist system was in a state of serious weakening after the great economic crisis of 1929 - 1933. The Congress pointed out the deep contradictions that exist and are increasingly increasing in the capitalist society, especially the contradictions between imperialist countries. This decline is the origin of the appearance of fascism and the risk of war.
In Indochina, the socio-economic situation was directly affected by the world crisis and the harsh rule of the French colonialists. The Congress thoroughly analyzed the insidious plots of the French colonialists when they combined brutal terrorist measures with populist tactics to soothe social contradictions and divide the three Indochinese countries. Despite facing fierce repression, the domestic revolutionary movement had a significant recovery.
The Congress assessed that the biggest victory in this challenging period was the successful restoration of the Party organization system throughout Indochina. Organizations destroyed by imperialism in 1931 were rebuilt. The Party trained a new team of cadres to replace prisoner-of-war or sacrificed soldiers.
However, the Congress also frankly acknowledged the limitations when the Party organization in technical zones, factories, mines and plantations is still weak. The proportion of workers in the Party's guiding agencies is still very small and the connection between Party committees at all levels is not really close.
Identifying 3 key political tasks of the revolution
Based on assessing the actual situation of the recovery of the organizational system and mass movement, and at the same time seriously reviewing the remaining limitations, the Congress set out 3 main tasks that the entire Party needs to focus on implementing.
The first key task is to consolidate and develop the Party. The Congress advocates strengthening the development of forces in key positions such as factories, plantations, mines and important roads. The admission of party members needs to be expanded to farmers and revolutionary intellectuals who have been tested, and at the same time prioritize bringing outstanding party members from workers to leadership agencies.
The Congress document emphasized the requirement to continue organizing genuine revolutionary farmers and intellectuals into the Party, but must find a method to bring workers in large numbers. However, the Congress also warned against using the excuse of opening the door to proletariat to recruit backward, lazy or opportunistic elements, causing danger to political guidelines.
To ensure unity in ideology and action, the Congress requested to strengthen criticism and self-criticism, fighting against both left-wing and right-wing tendencies. The Congress authorized the Central Executive Committee to plan the training of new reserve cadres to replace old cadres when arrested.
Party committees at all levels must find ways to expand propaganda of the Party's strategy among the working masses. The task of expanding propaganda and developing newspapers must go hand in hand with a strict inspection regime to unify ideology and action, immediately eliminate mistakes and early activity trends from the time they arise.
The Congress emphasized the requirement to ensure that Marxism-Leninism is clean, the Party ranks are unified in theory and practice. Party discipline is upheld with the principle of maintaining iron discipline, resolutely eliminating elements who go against the general political line of the Party and the Communist International who do not correct mistakes, or those who do not obey resolutions and undermine discipline.
The second key task is to popularly conquer the working masses. The Congress determined that this is a basic and urgent task in the immediate future. The Party needs to focus on consolidating and developing mass organizations such as trade unions, youth unions, women and farmers, and at the same time build a unified front to fight to defend practical rights for the people.
The third task was to fight against imperial warfare, supporting the Soviet Union and the Chinese revolution. The Congress considered this a responsibility of the entire Party and revolutionary organization. The decision to establish a committee of members against imperial warfare under the leadership of the Indochinese Communist Party was passed, with a composition of party delegates, organizations and individuals with anti-imperial war nature.
The political resolution of the Congress clearly stated the urgency of finding a method of struggle suitable to the new context. The struggles in Indochina have clearly shown the prerequisite of a developing and successful crisis revolution. Although objective conditions are very favorable, subjective conditions are still weak, so it is necessary to find enough methods to make subjective conditions keep up with objective conditions. The identification of new methods aims to promote the development of the revolutionary force, raise awareness and the spirit of participation of the masses, helping the movement to catch up with the rapid changes of the situation.
Through political resolutions and thematic resolutions on gender mobilization, the Congress gathered the dispersed movement into a unity under the leadership of the Party, demonstrating bravery and wisdom, consolidating faith in future victory. However, the Congress still had limitations when it was not fully aware of the dangers of fascism and the new potential of the revolutionary movement in the struggle.
Regarding mass affairs, although there is a policy towards enterprises, the Congress has only stopped at the view of organizing red trade unions and has not created the ability to organize mass organizations widely in many forms to gather large forces against capitalist attacks.
Applying lessons on situation awareness in the period 1936 - 1939
Overcoming limitations in assessing the situation at the First Party Congress, the Party showed sensitivity and proactively adjusted its guidelines in the period 1936 - 1939. In early 1936, the world situation became complicated when the bourgeois democracy transitioned to neo-Naziism and a dangerous coalition was formed. Faced with this risk, the people's struggle for peace rose. In France, the People's Front won the National Assembly elections in May 1936 and formed a government in June 1936.
Based on the directional policy of the Communist International and the actual situation, the Party Central Committee organized many conferences from 1936 to 1938 to discuss leadership policies. The Party identified the immediate goal of struggle as fighting against the colonial reactionary regime, fighting against fascism and imperial war, demanding people's livelihoods, democracy and protecting peace. The main enemy was clearly pointed out as the French colonial reactionaries and their henchmen, including the bourgeois branch and the tycoon.
Regarding operating methods, the Party advocates combining the form of secret organization with public, legal, semi-legal and illegal. This method helps to gather and guide the masses to fight from low to high, thereby educating and developing the revolutionary team. Unlike the previous period, the Party considered the establishment of the Front as a key task, advocating the establishment of the People's Anti-Imperial Front of Indochina (later renamed the Indochinese Democratic Front) including revolutionary forces and progressive party factions to unify the struggle for democratic rights. The Party also resolutely fought against wrong views, corrected distorted perceptions within the internal to unify the assessment of the strategic and tactical issues of the Democratic Front.
Political sensitivity in the period 1939 - 1945 and the victory of the August Revolution
The period 1939 - 1945 is the clearest proof of the Party's leadership capacity and political sensitivity in assessing the impact of World War II. When the war broke out in September 1939, the French Government implemented a reactionary and wartime economic policy in the colony. The situation became more serious when the Japanese fascist army entered Indochina in September 1940, creating a situation of "two-tiered" oppression of our people.
Before the major changes of the times, the Central Conference in November 1939 and the 8th Central Conference in May 1941 decided to shift the strategic direction, putting the task of resisting imperialism and liberating the nation first. The 8th Central Conference emphasized the view that the interests of the class at this time must be placed below the liberation interests of the entire nation. The Party advocated establishing the Viet Minh Front to encourage, organize and unite the entire people.
The policies of the Front are designed to harmoniously resolve the supreme interests of the nation with the practical interests of the social classes, strongly arousing national spirit. The Viet Minh Front focuses on propaganda, expanding the National Rescue Association, narrowing down the opposition and moderate forces to create a powerful political force. At the same time, the Party directs the development of armed forces, building bases and leading the people to prepare all conditions to carry out armed uprisings when the opportunity comes.
The Party's strategic vision is reflected in the accurate forecast of leader Ho Chi Minh at the end of 1944 that the invading faction was about to be destroyed and the opportunity for national liberation was only about a year or a half away. The leader had to act quickly. Right on the night of the Japanese coup in France (March 9, 1945), the Standing Committee of the Central Committee held an Expanded Conference, identifying Japanese fascism as the main and immediate enemy.
The Directive "Japan, France shoot each other and our actions" accurately identified the situation, pointing out good opportunities to help the uprising conditions quickly ripen. The consistent guiding ideology is to act immediately, resolutely, quickly, creatively, proactively and boldly.
Implementing this Directive, the Party organization and the Viet Minh Front launched a strong resistance uprising as a prerequisite for the General Uprising. With the spirit of bringing our strength to liberate ourselves, in just the last two weeks of August 1945, the people of the whole country simultaneously rose up under the leadership of the Party and the Viet Minh General Department, winning complete victory and establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. 1945 victory is the result of the process of continuously adjusting awareness, overcoming limitations of the previous period to adapt to the times.
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