Talking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Japan on the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945 – 2025) and Vietnam’s National Day (September 2, 1945), Shimizu highlighted his admiration for President Ho Chi Minh’s exceptional political talent and strategic vision, noting how skillfully he seized the international context after World War II, especially the “power vacuum” following Japan’s surrender and the weakening control of France, to unite the entire Vietnamese people.

He held that the success of the August Revolution and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam hold immense and indisputable significance, as they instilled a spirit of national independence and the Vietnamese people’s aspiration for self-determination.

According to the expert, during this period, President Ho Chi Minh not only declared independence but also made a creative decision: adopting Quoc Ngu, a Latin-based script, as the primary written tool for Vietnamese instead of the complex Chinese characters or Nom scripts. At a time when literacy rates were low and Chinese and French languages dominated, this choice became a powerful tool for the Vietnamese people to understand revolutionary ideals and policies, enabling their active participation. By using writing to raise public awareness, President Ho Chi Minh successfully transformed the independence movement into a nationwide movement.

Regarding the impact of the August Revolution in the regional and international context, Prof. Shimizu stated that the Vietnamese people’s revolution sparked a wave of national liberation across Asia and other colonial countries, holding immense significance at the time. It symbolised the collapse of colonial regimes after World War II, demonstrating that a small nation could achieve independence from Western powers, inspiring hope and courage for other oppressed peoples across Asia.

This achievement conveyed a clear message to the global community that colonialism was over and signified a pivotal moment in shaping a new world order.

The August Revolution not only transformed Vietnam’s history but also played a key role in promoting the wave of decolonisation, becoming a pivotal moment in the world history, he said, noting its greatest legacy is the spirit of national independence and the people’s aspiration to determine their destiny — an enduring principle in Vietnam’s nation-building and preservation from 1945 to the present.

Notably, over the past 80 years, despite war, blockades, the “Doi moi” (renewal) process and international integration, Vietnam has maintained a foreign policy of independence and self-reliance, reflecting the spirit of “daring to rise”, which helped the country evolve from a poor and post-colonial nation into an active member of ASEAN, the UN, and the World Trade Organisation, and many new-generation free trade agreements.

Prof. Shimizu said he believes that the spirit of the August Revolution is not only part of history but also a long-term “spiritual asset” guiding Vietnam in the era of globalisation.

The August Revolution - marking the birth of an independent state - remains a powerful symbol of Vietnam’s enduring aspiration to advance through its intrinsic strength, the expert said.

August Revolution: A “beacon of hope” for global anti-imperialist movement

The success of Vietnam’s August Revolution was a “beacon of hope” for those resisting imperialism worldwide, Prof. Dr. Michael Brie, a German philosopher and social scientist, told the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the revolution (August 19, 1945–2025) and the National Day of Vietnam (September 2, 1945–2025).