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87-574: In 1930s, the 1890 French-built Saigon Grand Prison ( Maison Centrale de Saigon ) became overcrowded because of the increasing number of prisoners at that time. This situation prompted the French Indochina government to build a new and larger prison to replace the Saigon Grand Prison. In 1939 (or 1943, depending on various sources), the government began the construction of Chi Hoa prison by hiring French contractors and using

174-399: A committee of fifteen to examine administrative reform, legislation, and finance; and a committee for educational reform. For the first time, leaders from southern regions were invited to join these committees. Other developments in southern Vietnam in early July were seen as preparatory Japanese steps towards granting territorial reunification to Vietnam. In early July, when southern Vietnam

261-694: A focal point of political agitation. By May and June, there was evidence that communist Cadres of the Viet Minh front, had infiltrated the university's youth and famine relief associations. In the face of the rising Viet Minh front, the Japanese attempted to contact its leaders, but their messengers were killed by the Viet Minh. The Kempeitai (Japanese MP and also secret police) retaliated, arresting hundreds of pro-communist Vietnamese youths in late June. The most notable achievement of Kim's Empire of Vietnam

348-500: A mass demonstration organised by the General Association of Civil Servants. The rally was originally aimed at celebrating independence and territorial reunification and supporting Kim's government. Two days later, Nguyễn Xuân Chữ was forced to hand over authority to the Viet Minh. Combined with the official cease-fire of the Japanese army on August 21, this threw Kim's government into disarray and it collapsed. On August 23,

435-618: A national center for the Advanced Front Youth ( Thanh niên tiền tuyến ) in Huế. It was inaugurated on June 2, with the intention of being the centrepiece for future officer training. In late July, regional social youth centers were established in Hanoi, Huế, and Saigon . In Hanoi, the General Association of Students and Youth ( Tổng hội Sinh viên và Thanh niên ) was animated by the fervor of independence. The City University in Hanoi became

522-573: A national government for a united Vietnam. Neither the United States government nor Ngô Đình Diệm's State of Vietnam signed anything at the 1954 Geneva Conference. With respect to the question of reunification, the non-communist Vietnamese delegation objected strenuously to any division of Vietnam, but lost out when the French accepted the proposal of Việt Minh delegate Phạm Văn Đồng , who proposed that Vietnam eventually be united by elections under

609-623: A new flag for Vietnam. Kim's government strongly emphasised educational reform, focusing on the development of technical training, particularly the use of Vietnamese alphabet ( chữ Quốc Ngữ ) as the primary language of instruction. After less than two months in power, Kim organized the first primary examinations in Vietnamese , the language he intended to use in the advanced tests. Education minister Hoàng Xuân Hãn strove to Vietnamese public secondary education. His reforms took more than four months to achieve their results, and have been regarded as

696-628: A new government. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Nam, cited the communist uprisings in Thanh Hóa and Quảng Ngãi in central Vietnam to discourage Kim from traveling to Saigon. The acceptance of the handover of the South (Cochinchina) was thus temporarily placed at the feet of the Council of the South. On August 14, Bảo Đại appointed Nguyễn Văn Sâm, former president of the Journalists' Syndicate, to

783-409: A restaurant and toilets for prisoners in this land. The outermost part of the prison is separated from the populous residential areas by a squared brick wall plus barbed-wire fence. There are four watchtowers in the four corners of the walls. The prison has been infamous for its harsh and squalid conditions for a very long time, regardless of its operators. In the time of the French colonial government,

870-498: A series of decrees transferring some of the duties of the government (including customs, information, youth, and sports) to the governments of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, effective July 1. Bảo Đại then issued imperial orders establishing four committees to work on a new regime: the National Consultative Committee ( Hội đồng Tư vấn Quốc gia ); a committee of fifteen to work on the creation of a constitution;

957-575: A socio-political coalition lead by the Communist Party of Vietnam forming the Vietnamese government – is recognized as the modern incarnation of the Việt Minh front in current Vietnamese politics . The League for Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh) was founded on 19 May 1941 in Pác Bó , Cao Bằng province (in northern Vietnam). Ho Chi Minh was the founder and his Communist Party of Indochina

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1044-423: A stepping stone for the successor Viet Minh government's launch of compulsory mass education. In July, when the Japanese decided to grant Vietnam full independence and territorial unification, Kim's government was about to begin a new round of reform, by naming a committee to create a new national education system. The Justice minister Trịnh Đình Thảo launched an attempt at judicial reform. In May 1945, he created

1131-451: Is closed by air-holed brick walls and the interior side is opened by a roofless green space from which the prisoners are separated by iron pales. Later, eight building lines are divided as areas which named alphabetically as A area, B area, C area, D area, E area, F area, G area, and H area. These areas are combined into 6 zones which are named as AB zone, BC zone, ED zone, FG zone, AH zone, and ID zone. The zones contain 238 cells: In

1218-509: Is considered to be a prison from which the prisoners can never break out of. However, there have been two successful prison breaks in the past: the first one occurred in 1945 when the Viet Minh took the advantage of the defeat of Japan in World War II to attack and free its members who were jailed in an incomplete and ill-guarded Chi Hoa prison. And the second one was the prison break of the infamous Vietnamese robber Phuoc Tam Ngon (Phuoc

1305-535: Is the common and abbreviated name of the League for Independence of Vietnam ( Vietnamese : Việt Nam Độc lập Đồng minh or Việt Nam Độc lập Đồng minh Hội , chữ Hán : 越南獨立同盟(會) ; French : Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam ), which was a communist -led national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Front ( Mặt trận Việt Minh ), it

1392-500: The 17th Parallel as a temporary measure until unifying elections could take place in 1956. Transfer of civil administration of North Vietnam to the Viet Minh was given on 11 October 1954. Ho Chi Minh was appointed Prime Minister of North Vietnam , which would be run as a socialist state . Ngo Dinh Diem , who was previously appointed Prime Minister of South Vietnam by Emperor Bao Dại , eventually assumed control of South Vietnam. The Geneva Accords promised elections in 1956 to determine

1479-592: The 1954 Geneva Conference . Khmer Issarak and United Issarak Front were under leadership of Son Ngoc Minh , Tou Samouth , Sieu Heng, etc. It was a derogatory term used by Norodom Sihanouk , dismissing the Cambodian leftists who had been organizing pro-independence agitations in alliance with the Vietnamese. Sihanouk's public criticism and mockery of the Khmer Issarak had the damaging effect of increasing

1566-577: The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki took place; on August 8, 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria , and Japan's resistance to the Allies was quickly ended. Japan decided to give Kim and Vietnamese nationalists the full independence and territorial unification that they had sought for decades. Kim was urged many times to come to Saigon to officially accept control of Nam Bộ. Multiple factors prevented Kim from leaving

1653-709: The ongoing famine . As of the end of 1944, the Việt Minh claimed a membership of 500,000, of which 200,000 were in Tonkin , 150,000 in Annam , and 150,000 in Cochinchina . After the Japanese coup d'état in French Indochina , the Viet Minh and ICP prolifically expanded their activities. They formed national salvation associations (cuu quoc hoi) that, in Quảng Ngãi province alone, enlisted 100,000 peasants by mid-1945. This

1740-776: The Chinese agreed to leave. Negotiations between the French and Việt Minh broke down quickly. What followed was nearly ten years of war against France. This was known as the First Indochina War or, to the Vietnamese; "the French War". The Việt Minh, who were short on modern military knowledge, created a military school in Quảng Ngãi province in June 1946. More than 400 Vietnamese were trained by Japanese defectors in this school. These soldiers were considered to be students of

1827-563: The Committee for the Reform and Unification of Laws in Huế, which he headed. His ministry reevaluated the sentences of political prisoners, releasing a number of anti-French activists and restoring the civil rights of others. This led to the release of a number of Communist cadres who returned to their former cells, and actively participated in the destruction of Kim's government. One of the most notable changes implemented by Kim's government

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1914-534: The Communist Party. At the national level, Viet Minh is governed by the General Department ( Tổng bộ ). Further down there were executive committees in provinces and cities; and executive commissions in communes. However, due to political turmoil and civil unrest at the time, plus conflicts with Japanese and French forces, the Viet Minh's General Department was not completely elected. Hence

2001-458: The Empire of Vietnam was proclaimed, the Japanese retained direct control of Cochinchina, in the same way as their French predecessors. Thuận Hóa , the pre-colonial name for Huế, was restored. Kim's officials worked to find a French substitute for the word "Annamite", which was used to denote Vietnamese people and their characteristics as described in French literature and official use. "Annamite"

2088-588: The French had lost practical control in French Indochina to the Japanese, but Japan stayed in the background while giving the Vichy French administrators nominal control. Following the Liberation of France , Japan openly took over on 9 March 1945. To gain the support of the Vietnamese people, Imperial Japan declared that it would return sovereignty to Vietnam. On 11 March 1945, Emperor Bảo Đại

2175-505: The French in the battles of Khai Phat and Na Ngan , the Việt Minh started a campaign against the Japanese. For instance, a raid at Tam Dao internment camp in Tonkin on 19 July 1945 saw 500 Viet Minh kill fifty Japanese soldiers and officials, freeing French civilian captives and escorting them to the Chinese border. The Viet Minh also fought the Japanese 21st Division in Thái Nguyên, and regularly raided rice storehouses to alleviate

2262-449: The ICP in 1941. They presented the organization as inclusive of political groups, with a founding charter more nationalist than communist. It exhorted "soldiers, workers, peasants, intellectuals, civil servants, merchants, young men and women" to overthrow "French jackals" and "Japanese fascists", while the group's first chairman was a non-communist. In all, the Việt Minh established itself as

2349-567: The Japanese discouraged many possible supporters of Kim. His ministers and public servant corps began to dwindle in number. The Imperial Commissioner of the North (Tonkin), Phan Kế Toại, accompanied by his son and other Viet Minh sympathisers and secret communists such as Nguyễn Mạnh Hà and Hoàng Minh Giám, submitted his resignation. Nguyễn Xuân Chữ, a leader of the Vietnamese Patriotic Party (Viet Nam Ái quốc Đảng) and one of

2436-423: The Japanese in Hanoi for the transfer of the three cities to Vietnamese rule, but the Japanese stalled because Hanoi and Haiphong were seen as strategic points in their war effort. It was only in June and July that the Japanese allowed the process of national unification to take place. On June 16, Bảo Đại issued a decree proclaiming the impending reunification of Vietnam. On June 29, General Yuitsu Tsuchihashi signed

2523-788: The Japanese, the Việt Minh received funding from the United States, the Soviet Union and the Republic of China . After the August Revolution 's takeover of nationalist organizations and Emperor Bảo Đại 's abdication to the Việt Minh, Hồ Chí Minh declared Vietnam's independence by proclaiming the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on 2 September 1945. Within days, the Chinese Kuomintang (Nationalist) Army arrived in Vietnam to supervise

2610-625: The Japanese. Later, some of them fought as generals against the United States in the Vietnam War or, to the Vietnamese; "the American War". Young insurgents of the Việt Minh also received training in the use of modern firearms by some foreign volunteers, such as Stefan Kubiak . French General Jean Étienne Valluy quickly pushed the Việt Minh out of Hanoi . His French infantry with armored units went through Hanoi, fighting small battles against isolated Việt Minh groups. The French encircled

2697-535: The North always mentioned Đại Việt (Great Việt), the name used before the 15th century by the Lê dynasty and its predecessors, while those in the South used Vietnam, and the central leaders used An Nam (Peaceful South) or Đại Nam (Great South, which was used by the Nguyễn Lords , precursor of Nguyễn dynasty ). Kim also renamed the three regions of the country—the northern (former Tonkin or Bắc Kỳ) became Bắc Bộ,

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2784-532: The Viet Minh rebels." Diem refused to hold the elections by citing that the South had not signed and were not bound to the Geneva Accords and that it was impossible to hold free elections in the communist North. Vietnam wide elections never happened and Việt Minh cadres in South Vietnam launched an insurgency against the government. North Vietnam also occupied portions of Laos to assist in supplying

2871-518: The Viet Minh seized power in Huế. Two days later on August 25, Bảo Đại officially abdicated , and Nguyễn Văn Sâm handed over power to the Viet Minh in Saigon. The Empire of Vietnam had fallen along with Japan's Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere . Kim and his ministers spent a substantial amount of time on constitutional matters at their first meeting in Huế on 4 May 1945. One of their first resolutions

2958-469: The Viet Minh, releasing Communist political prisoners, arming the Viet Minh front, and even volunteering their services. Others, including senior military officers, wanted to use their forces to support Kim's government and to crush the communists. Amid the political confusion and power vacuum engulfing the country, a race to power by diverse Vietnamese political groups took place. On the eve of Japan's surrender, Kim and his supporters tried to take control of

3045-469: The Việt Minh base, Việt Bắc , in 1947, but failed to defeat the Việt Minh forces, and had to retreat soon after. The campaign is now widely considered a Việt Minh victory over the well-equipped French force. The Việt Minh continued fighting against the French until 1949, when the border of China and Vietnam was linked together as a result of the campaign called Chiến dịch Biên giới ("Borderland Campaign"). The newly communist People's Republic of China gave

3132-600: The Việt Minh both sheltered bases and heavy weapons with which to fight the French. With the additional weapons, the Việt Minh were able to take control over many rural areas of the country. Soon after that, they began to advance towards the French-occupied areas. On 7 March 1951, Viet Minh and National United League of Vietnam ( Hội Liên Việt ) merged to form the Vietnamese United Front ( Mặt trận Liên Việt ). Nonetheless, people continued to call

3219-565: The apex was the National Youth Council, a consultative body, which advised the minister. Similar councils were to be organised down to the district level. Meanwhile, young people were asked to join the local squads or groups, from provincial to communal levels. They were given physical training and were charged with maintaining security in their communes. Each provincial town had a training centre, where month-long paramilitary courses were on offer. The government also established

3306-512: The capital. From August 8 onward, Phạm Khắc Hòe, Bảo Đại's office director, was instructed by Tôn Quang Phiệt (the future chairman of the Viet Minh's Revolutionary Committee in Huế) to persuade the Emperor to abdicate voluntarily. In order to carry out his mission, Hòe persistently disrupted Kim's activities, particularly by citing Kim's failure to call the most influential figures to Thuận Hóa to form

3393-470: The center of the prison there is a tall and large water tower that doubles as the main watchtower, allowing the prison guards a clear view of all the prison cells. Apart from prison cells, the main building also has the facilities for prisoners, prison managers and guards. Later, a Christian chapel and a Buddhist temple was built in the land surrounding the main building but they are all destroyed now. There also are small farmland lots and facilities such as

3480-562: The central government in Thuận Hóa, but they were apprehended en route by the Viet Minh. Even though Bảo Đại's messengers were cut off, non-communist leaders in northern and southern Vietnam attempted to challenge the Viet Minh. In Bắc Bộ, Nguyễn Xuân Chữ obtained Kim's approval to form the Committee for National Salvation, and he was appointed by Kim as chairman of the Political Directorate of Bắc Bộ. In Nam Bộ, on August 17, it

3567-501: The central region (former Annam or Trung Kỳ) became Trung Bộ, and the southern areas (former Cochinchina or Nam Kỳ) became Nam Bộ. Kim did this even though at the time the Japanese had only given him direct authority over the northern and central regions of Vietnam. When France had finished its conquest of Vietnam in 1885, only southern Vietnam was made a direct colony under the name of Cochinchina. The northern and central regions were designated as protectorates as Tonkin and Annam. When

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3654-541: The creation of the puppet Empire of Vietnam, the Japanese began raising an army to help police the local population. The Vietnamese Imperial Army was officially established by the IJA 38th Army to maintain order in the new country. The Vietnamese Imperial Army was under the control of Japanese lieutenant general Yuitsu Tsuchihashi , who served as adviser to the Empire of Vietnam. Viet Minh Việt Minh ( Vietnamese: [vîət mīŋ̟] , chữ Hán : 越盟 )

3741-466: The design of local Vietnamese architects. In 1945, the construction was interrupted by the Empire of Japan overthrowing of the French . After the return of the French in 1950, the construction was resumed and the building process was completely finished in 1953. After the completion of Chí Hòa prison, Emperor Bảo Đại decided to permanently shut down the Saigon Grand Prison and transferred all prisoners to

3828-404: The details about members of the General Department were very scarce and not fully understood. Viet Minh established strongholds in northern and central Vietnam. But in southern Vietnam, Viet Minh faced many challengers such as Cao Đài , Hòa Hảo (religious sects) and Bình Xuyên (armed group). The founding and core members of Viet Minh were the communists. Other non-communists also joined

3915-484: The eight-finger) in 1995 when he managed to break his fetters and evade the security forces in a prison break which Vietnamese police described as " an unbelievable prison break ". Because of its security, many politicians and military personnel were jailed in this prison. The following is a partial list of some recorded famous people who have been jailed in Chi Hoa Prison: After the end of Vietnam War,

4002-477: The end of generations of frustration among Vietnamese intelligentsia and revolutionaries. On 12 June 1945, Kim selected a new national flag—a yellow, rectangular banner with four horizontal red stripes modeled after the quẻ Ly (☲, one of bagua ) in the Book of Changes —and a new national anthem, the old hymn Đăng đàn cung ( The King Mounts His Throne ). This decision ended three months of speculation concerning

4089-473: The execution of Nguyễn Văn Trỗi . After the fall of Saigon, the prison was kept running by the new Socialist Republic of Vietnam government but there is only little information in regards to the way it was being operated. There is some brief information in The Black Book of Communism which describes the conditions of the prison as extremely bad. The prison is also infamous for its high security. It

4176-451: The five members of Cường Để 's National Reconstruction Committee, refused the offer of replacing Toại. Returning to Thuận Hóa, Kim arrived to find increasing conflict among his ministers. Chương wanted credit for arranging the integration of the three ceded cities and southern Vietnam to Kim's government and was regarded as having Prime Ministerial designs himself. The government meetings of August 5 and 6 were headlined by personal disputes and

4263-639: The front. Even though many opposite parties fought against Viet Minh for power, many of their members joined Viet Minh and worked with the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam . The majority of Buddhists supported Viet Minh, whereas the majority of Catholics supported French. Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo were split between pro-Viet Minh group and pro-French group. Viet Minh established many youth wing, woman wing and military wing. They aimed to draw supports from people of different backgrounds, classes, races, genders and religions. During World War II, Japan occupied French Indochina . As well as fighting

4350-862: The insurgents known as the National Liberation Front ( Viet Cong ) in South Vietnam. The war gradually escalated into the Second Indochina War , more commonly known as the "Vietnam War" in the West and the "American War" in Vietnam. The Khmer Việt Minh were the 3,000 to 5,000 Cambodian communist cadres, left-wing members of the Khmer Issarak movement regrouped in the United Issarak Front after 1950, most of whom lived in exile in North Vietnam after

4437-592: The interim office of Imperial Commissioner and appointed Kha Vạn Cân, the Vanguard Youth leader, commander of Saigon and Chợ Lớn . Nguyễn Văn Sâm's arrival in Saigon on August 22 provided the National Unified Front with the official declaration of national independence and territorial reunification. Nevertheless, the Viet Minh prevailed in the power struggle with their August Revolution . On August 17, Viet Minh cadres in Hanoi took control of

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4524-653: The new front as Viet Minh. Later the United Front changed into the current Vietnam Fatherland Front ( Mặt trận Tổ quốc Việt Nam ) on 10 September 1955. Following their defeat at the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ , the French began negotiations to leave Vietnam. As a result of peace accords worked out at the Geneva Conference in Geneva , Switzerland, Vietnam was divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam at

4611-446: The new government kept operating the prison. Many famous people have been jailed here. Here is an incomplete list of these people Empire of Vietnam#History The Empire of Vietnam ( Vietnamese : Đế quốc Việt Nam ; Literary Chinese and Contemporary Japanese : 越南帝國 ; Modern Japanese : ベトナム帝国 , Betonamu Teikoku ) was a short-lived puppet state of Imperial Japan between March 11 and August 25, 1945 . It

4698-406: The new mayor of Hanoi , Trần Văn Lai, ordered the demolition of French built statues in the city parks in his campaign to Wipe Out Humiliating Remnants . Similar campaigns were enacted in southern Vietnam in late August. Meanwhile, the freedom of the press was instituted, resulting in the publication of the pieces of anti-French movements and critical essays on French collaborators. Heavy criticism

4785-585: The new prison. From this point on, the government of the State of Vietnam (later Republic of Vietnam) used the prison extensively. After the fall of Saigon in 1975 , the new government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has continued to use this prison until the present day. In 2010, the Ho Chi Minh city government announced a plan to demolish the prison and build a new corporative housing over

4872-466: The one hand, the Allies began to put into effect their postwar plans for Vietnam, which included the disarmament of Japanese troops and the division of Vietnam into spheres of influence. The Japanese military and civilian personnel in Vietnam were hamstrung by the unconditional surrender of their government and the possibility of Allied retribution. With respect to the Vietnamese, the Japanese were split psychologically and ideologically. Some Japanese favoured

4959-483: 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 established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and opposed

5046-441: The post of Imperial Commissioner of the South. Sâm left Thuận Hóa for Saigon. However, he was delayed en route as the Viet Minh had taken advantage of the military power vacuum caused by the Japanese surrender to launch a general insurrection with the aim of seizing control of the country. In August, Vietnam went through a period regarded as one of its most eventful phases, amidst the backdrop of rapid change in global politics. On

5133-795: The power of the hardline, anti-Vietnamese, but also anti-monarchist, members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), led by Pol Pot . The Khmer Issarak and United Issarak Front were instrumental in the foundation of the Cambodian Salvation Front (FUNSK) in 1978. The FUNSK invaded Cambodia along with the Vietnamese Army and overthrew the Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot state. Many of the Khmer Việt Minh had married Vietnamese women during their long exile in Vietnam. Lao Issara ( Free Laos )

5220-428: The prison's land. The prison's main structure is a three-floor octagonal building , heavily influenced by the I Ching 's eight trigrams theory. The whole building is actually formed by seven tile-roofed building lines and one flat-roofed north-facing building line which are named in turn following these names of I Ching's eight trigrams . The exterior side and the interior side were built differently. The exterior side

5307-417: The prisoners were confined in the light-lacking cells and were usually fettered. In the time of South Vietnam, the prison usually held from 6,000 to 8,000 prisoners or even 10,000 prisoners. Chí Hòa was one of four official South Vietnamese national prisons. These prisoners were divided into two groups by their convicted crimes: the first group were prisoners who were convicted of politically related crimes and

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5394-644: 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 . It was also opposed by Vietnamese anti-communists and right-wing nationalists, such as the Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng , the reason for the establishment of the State of Vietnam in 1949. The political leader of Việt Minh was Hồ Chí Minh. The military leadership

5481-426: The referendum of 1955 using secret Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) funding, Diệm removed the Emperor and declared himself the president of the Republic of Vietnam . The United States believed Ho Chi Minh would win the nationwide election proposed at the Geneva Accords. In a secret memorandum, Director of CIA Allen Dulles acknowledged that "The evidence [shows] that a majority of the people of Vietnam supported

5568-599: The repatriation of the Imperial Japanese Army . The Democratic Republic of Vietnam therefore existed only in theory and effectively controlled no territory. A few months later, the Chinese, Vietnamese and French came to a three-way understanding. The French gave up certain rights in China, the Việt Minh agreed to the return of the French in exchange for promises of independence within the French Union , and

5655-429: The resignation of the ministers of interior, economy, and supplies. Hồ Tá Khanh, the economic minister, went further and demanded the resignation of the government. Khanh proposed that the communist Viet Minh be given a chance to govern because of its strength. The government resigned on August 7. Bảo Đại asked Kim to form a new government, but the end of the war made this impossible. On 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively,

5742-404: The second group were prisoners who were convicted of other crimes. The males and females were confined in different cells and the prisoners could only leave their cells briefly to satisfy their needs for food and hygiene. There was always one battalion of police guarding the prison. In spite of being only a prison, two executions were carried out in Chí Hòa prison: the execution of Ngô Đình Cẩn and

5829-440: The situation. On August 12, Kim's outgoing government was retained as "Provisional Government" to oversee the day-to-day running of the country. Kim asked Bảo Đại to issue an imperial order on August 14 repealing the treaties of Saigon of 1862 and 1874 , thus removing the last French claims to sovereign rights over Vietnam. Messengers were sent from the central capital to northern and southern Vietnam to reunify diverse groups under

5916-457: The supervision of "local commissions". The United States countered with what became known as the "American Plan", with the support of South Vietnam and the United Kingdom. It provided for unification elections under the supervision of the United Nations , but was rejected by the Soviet delegation. From his home in France, Vietnamese Emperor Bảo Đại appointed Ngô Đình Diệm as Prime Minister of South Vietnam . With United States support in rigging

6003-453: The territorial unification of Vietnam. However, after the formation of Kim's cabinet in April, Japan quickly agreed to transfer what was then Tonkin and Annam to Kim's authority, although it retained control of the cities of Hanoi, Hải Phòng , and Đà Nẵng . Meanwhile, southern Vietnam remained under direct Japanese control, just as Cochinchina had been under French rule. Beginning in May 1945, Foreign Minister Trần Văn Chương negotiated with

6090-454: Was a member of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere . It was led by the Nguyễn dynasty and created when Emperor Bảo Đại declared independence for Vietnam from French protection. The empire did not recognize French colonial sovereignty over Cochinchina and at the end of its rule, the empire also successfully reclaimed Cochinchina as part of Vietnam. During World War II , after the fall of France and establishment of Vichy France ,

6177-400: Was a political and military organization of Laotian communists, led by Phetsarath , Souphanouvong , Kaysone Phomvihane , Phoumi Vongvichit . Lao Issara received training and support from Việt Minh . Under French intervention, Lao Issara was split into non-communists and communists. Laotian non-communists under leadership of Pretsarath later established the Kingdom of Laos which was part of

6264-532: Was abuzz with the spirit of independence and mass political participation due to the creation of the Vanguard Youth organizations in Saigon and other regional centres, Governor Minoda announced the organization of the Hội nghị Nam (Council of "the South", i.e. Cochinchina) to facilitate his governance. This council was charged with advising the Japanese based on questions submitted to it by the Japanese and for overseeing provincial affairs. Minoda underlined that its primary aim

6351-687: Was announced that all non-Viet Minh factions, including Trotskyists and the southern religious sects of Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo , had joined forces to create the Mặt trận Quốc gia Thống nhất (National Unified Front). Trần Quang Vinh , the Cao Đài leader, and Huỳnh Phú Sổ , the founder of the Hòa Hảo, also issued a communique proclaiming an alliance. On August 19 in Saigon, the Vanguard Youth organised their second official oath-taking ceremony, vowing to defend Vietnamese independence at all costs. The next day, Hồ Vân Nga assumed

6438-449: Was appointed to be his deputy. On July 13, Kim arrived in Hanoi to negotiate directly with Governor-General Tsuchihashi. Tsuchihashi agreed to transfer control of Hanoi, Hải Phòng, and Đà Nẵng to Kim's government, taking effect on July 20. After protracted negotiation, Tsuchihashi agreed that the south (Cochinchina) would be united with the Empire of Vietnam and that Kim would attend the unification ceremonies on August 8 in Saigon. After

6525-529: Was backed by the Vanguard Youth (Thanh Nien Tien Phong) in Cochinchina, which expanded to 200,000 by early summer. In the northern provinces of Việt Bắc , their armed forces seized control, after which they distributed lands to the poor, abolished the corvée, established quốc ngữ classes, local village militias, and declared universal suffrage and democratic freedoms. Due to their opposition to

6612-435: Was considered derogatory, and it was replaced with "Vietnamien" (Vietnamese). Apart from Thuận Hóa , these terms have been internationally accepted since Kim ordered the changes. Given that the French colonial authorities emphatically distinguished the three regions of "Tonkin", "Annam", and "Cochinchina" as separate entities, implying a lack of national culture or political integration, Kim's first acts were seen as symbolic and

6699-613: Was created by the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP) as a national united front to achieve the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam . The Việt Nam Độc lập Vận động Đồng minh Hội was previously formed by Hồ Học Lãm 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 taken over by Hồ Chí Minh and

6786-458: Was even extended to Nguyễn Hữu Độ, the great-grandfather of Bảo Đại who was notable in assisting the French conquest of Đại Nam in the 1880s. Kim put particular emphasis on the mobilisation of youth. Youth Minister Phan Anh, attempted to centralise and heavily regulate all youth organizations, which had proliferated immediately after the Japanese coup. On May 25, an imperial order decreed an inclusive, hierarchical structure for youth organizations. At

6873-533: Was immediately overshadowed by external pressure and domestic infighting. On July 26, the leaders of the Allies issued a declaration demanding the unconditional surrender of Japan. Japan was on the defensive and quickly losing ground, and its aim was no longer to win the war, but simply to find an honorable ceasefire. On the Vietnamese front, the possibility of future punishment by the Allied forces for collaboration with

6960-459: Was organised to select a list of national heroes for induction into the Temple of Martyrs ( Nghĩa Liệt Tử ). City streets were renamed. In Huế, Jules Ferry was replaced on the signboards of a main thoroughfare by Lê Lợi , the founder of the Lê dynasty who expelled the Chinese in 1427. General Trần Hưng Đạo , who twice repelled Mongol invasions in the 13th century, replaced Paul Bert. On August 1,

7047-535: Was permitted to announce the Vietnamese "independence", this declaration had been prepared by Seiko Yokoyama, Minister for Economic Affairs of the Japanese diplomatic mission in Indochina and later advisor to Bảo Đại. Bảo Đại declared the Treaty of Huế made with France in 1884 void. Trần Trọng Kim , a renowned historian and scholar, was chosen to lead the government as prime minister . Kim's historic achievement

7134-603: Was the encouragement of mass political participation. In memorial ceremonies, Kim honoured all national heroes, ranging from the legendary national founders, the Hùng kings to slain anti-French revolutionaries such as Nguyễn Thái Học , the leader of the Vietnamese Nationalist Party ( Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng ) who was executed with twelve comrades in 1930 in the aftermath of the Yên Bái mutiny . A committee

7221-606: Was the main leadership organization within Viet Minh. Ho Chi Minh was the highest leader. Nguyễn Lương Bằng was appointed as the Direct of the General Department (from 1941 to 1951). Hoàng Văn Thụ was appointed as the Secretary of the General Department (from 1941 to 1943 when he was captured by colonial French), and then Hoàng Quốc Việt  [ de ; vi ] took over the position (from 1943 to 1951). Nguyen Luong Bang, Hoang Van Thu and Hoang Quoc Viet were members of

7308-420: Was the successful negotiation with Japan for the territorial unification of the nation. The French had subdivided Vietnam into three separate regions: Cochinchina (in 1862), and Annam and Tonkin (both in 1884). Cochinchina was placed under direct rule while the latter two were officially designated as protectorates. Immediately after terminating French rule, the Japanese authorities were not enthusiastic about

7395-441: Was to alter the national name to Việt Nam . This was seen as a significant and urgent task. It implied territorial unity; "Việt Nam" had been Emperor Gia Long 's choice for the name of the country since he unified the modern territory of Việt Nam in 1802. Furthermore, this was the first time that Vietnamese nationalists in the northern, central and southern regions of the country officially recognized this name. In March, activists in

7482-416: Was to make the Vietnamese population believe that they had to collaborate with the Japanese, because "if the Japanese lose the war, the independence of Indochina would not become complete." At the inauguration of the Council of the South on July 21, Minoda implicitly referred to the unification of Vietnam. Trần Văn An was appointed as the president of the council, and Kha Vạn Cân, a leader of the Vanguard Youth,

7569-697: Was under the command of Võ Nguyên Giáp . Other founders were Lê Duẩn and Phạm Văn Đồng . The Việt Nam Độc lập Đồng minh is not to be confused with the Việt Nam Cách mệnh Đồng minh Hội (League for the Vietnamese Revolution, abbreviated as Việt Cách ) which was founded by Nguyễn Hải Thần . Việt Cách later joined the Vietnamese National Coalition in 1946. Today, the Vietnam Fatherland Front –

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