The great value of the October Revolution

The seminar, co-hosted by the People’s Army Newspaper, the Communist Magazine and the Academy of Journalism and Communications (AJC), attracted participation of many outstanding figures.

In his introduction speech, PhD Pham Tat Thang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Magazine, stressed that over 100 years of ups and downs in history, the revolution is still a “scream” in the middle of the long night of the imperialism and the torch that shed a light for the oppressed people of the world to follow.

The revolution was the successful transformation of Marxism’s theory into Russia’s reality under Vladimir. I. Lenin’s leadership. It also initiated the global movement of revolutions, setting a foundation for the establishment of the system of the socialist countries, Thang reiterated.

100 years have passed by, but the lessons of the revolution are still valuable in this age, he went on, quoting President Ho Chi Minh’s words saying that the revolution is as bright as sunlight over all continents, waking up millions of the oppressed on earth and there has not been any revolutions in the humankind’s history that had such a significant meaning.

Lightening up the age and the future

The birth of the Soviet Union, the child of the October Revolution, and the Socialist regime with their great contributions to the miracles of the 20th century were mentioned by Professor Vu Van Hien, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Deputy-General Director of the Radio ‘the Voice of Vietnam’, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council and many other participants as an undeniable value of the revolution.

According to Professor Ha My Huong from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the humane and humanitarian value is one of the true values of the revolution, the most humane revolution in history. Meanwhile, in his paper to the seminar, Ho Quang Loi, Permanent Deputy-President of the Vietnamese Journalists’ Association, stressed that the greatest outcome of the revolution is that it basically eradicated “man exploiting man” and helped laborers take their working tools from the exploiters.

Concurring with that approach, Associate Professor Bui Thi Kim Hau from the AJC highlighted that the revolution changed the position of Russian workers from slaves of the Tsar to masters of the country, making Socialism become real, not merely theoretical.

In his opinion, Associate Professor Pham Huu Tien, former Director of the Institute of Science Information under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, held that the existence and development of the Soviet Union provides a realistic foundation to realize fundamental values of the October Revolution – the values that not only show the preeminent characteristics of the revolution a driving force of the existence and development of mankind. He explained that though the Soviet Union does not exist any more, fundamental values of the revolution are still meaningful in our age.

One of the values of the October Revolution is the lesson of self-defense revolution. Obviously, the revolution proves that Socialism does not only gather strengths to defeat armed attacks of the external hostile imperial forces but also aware of and foil all of their poisonous plots of peaceful infiltration from inside. On the other hand, the revolution defends itself by not only proletarian tools and measures, but also by the best way of promoting internal strengths and being proactive in renovating creatively and comprehensively both in theory and practice to gain status and force which are strong enough to successfully implement the Socialist cause.

Valuable lessons for Vietnam

Participants at the seminar agreed that the October Revolution directly influenced different aspects of the establishment of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the resistance wars against the French colonialists and American aggressors, the cause of national independence, liberation, national unification, and the building of a socialist country. The revolution profoundly influenced Nguyen Ai Quoc, who then became the great leader of the Vietnamese revolution, nation, and people.

Associate Professor Nguyen Manh Huong, former Chief of the Research Department of the Military Institute of Humanitarian and Social Science under the Ministry of National Defense, highlighted that during his quest for national salvation, Nguyen Ai Quoc found in Marxism-Leninism the only right way to save his country. The October Revolution was one of the decisive factors that influenced President Ho Chi Minh’s choice to liberate the country: proletarian revolution and national independence together with Socialism.

In his paper to the seminar, Professor Nguyen Duc Binh, former member of the Politburo, former Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council and former Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, affirmed that the victory of the Vietnamese revolution is, first of all, that of the Communist Party of Vietnam in creatively applying the revolutionary nature of Marxism-Leninism, popular experiences of the October Revolution, and experiences of the international Communists’ and workers’ movements in the Vietnam’s situation in order to work out a political guideline and correct revolution measures to solve practical issues of the country’s revolution.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Vu Khoan analyzed lessons learnt in developing Socialism in the Soviet Union in economic and political fields, as well as the reasons for the collapse of the union. These lessons are valuable for the Vietnam’s revolution and its way to Socialism, such as flexible thought that is suitable for each period; considering people’s interests as roots, ensuring real democracy by promoting mastership of the people, considering Party building and cadres training as key and ensuring equality of interests in international relations…

Resonating with Khoan, Associate Professor Nguyen Trong Phuc, former Director of the Institute of Party History under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, held that the Soviet Union’s perestroika and reform in Eastern Europe was not successful together with the collapse of Socialist regimes in those countries was a great loss of the world revolutionary movement. However, Vietnam is still consistent with Socialism and has achieved great achievements, thanks to creatively applying and developing theory of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology on Socialism and transition to Socialism in the reality of the country.

October Revolution, root of the close relations between Vietnam and the Soviet Union

Together with valuable lessons and experiences shared for the Vietnamese revolution, the October Revolution also brought for Vietnam, the Soviet Union, a reliable friend that has been side-by-side with the country in its struggle for national defense and development. Many Vietnamese generations consider the Soviet Union their second motherland.

Vu Khoan revealed that, despite hardship in the early 1950s, Soviet friends really “shared their meals” to provide the best conditions for Vietnamese students to study in the country. He said that the Soviet Union assisted Vietnam greatly in military equipment and weapons. Moreover, during his assignment in the Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow, he witnessed many Soviet war veterans coming to the embassy to voluntarily go to Vietnam to fight side by side with the Vietnamese against invaders.

“With the tradition of ‘when eating the fruit, remember who planted the tree’, our people will never forget that noble virtue of the Russian and other ethnic groups in the Soviet Union,” Vu Khoan stressed.

As a person who studied in the Soviet Union for years, Senior Lieutenant General Vo Van Tuan, former Deputy-Chief-of-the-General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, confirmed that the assistance from the Soviet Union and other socialist countries played an important role in the victory of the Vietnamese revolution. He expressed gratitude for this support and hoped that the relationship with the countries’ peoples would last forever.

Everlasting values of the time

A century has gone by but the quintessence and values of the revolution is still a driving force to urge and inspire the revolutionary spirit of the world revolution, including Vietnamese people and the Communist Party of Vietnam in their cause of renewing the country, promoting industrialization and modernization and international integration.

Nguyen Hong Vinh, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Permanent Deputy-Chief of the Central Commission for Ideology and Culture, former Editor-in-Chief of the Nhan Dan newspaper, reminded the participants of the immortal landmarks and achievements of the revolution in streets and political and social life in some Eastern European countries that he has been to. He said that those are materials and fundamental values of the Socialist realism that the revolution and the Soviet Union have produced. He also informed the participants about issues relating to good relationship between Vietnam and Russia today.

Concluding the seminar, Major General Pham Van Huan, Editor-in-Chief of the People’s Army Newspaper, confirmed that the seminar achieved its set goals. He said that comments at the seminar help clarify historical, theoretical and realistic meanings of the revolution. These comments, he stressed, reaffirmed that Marxism-Leninism, with realistic victory of the October Revolution, is an advanced scientific ideology that has a guiding value for mankind. The revolution gave birth to the Soviet Union and the socialist system. Good goals of the revolution are the goals that mankind is thriving for.

Ideologies and values of the revolution will take everlasting impacts on present issues because the revolution bears a profound humanitarian value, he concluded.

The October Revolution is of great significance and comprehensive and profound influences in various aspects of the Vietnamese revolution, both in the past, at present, an in the future. Experiences learnt from the revolution should continuously be researched and applied in the reality of the Vietnamese revolution, building a Vietnam of a prosperous people, strong country, democracy, equality, and civilization.

Translated by Nam Long