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TL;DR: Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, observed on June 21, commemorates the first issue of Thanh Nien newspaper founded by Nguyễn Ái Quốc, published on June 21, 1925 in Guangzhou, China. This event marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press, tied to the dissemination of Marxism-Leninism and preparations for the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
What is Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day?
After World War I (1914-1918), victorious nations met at the Versailles Peace Conference to redistribute markets and spheres of influence. In Vietnam, contradictions between the people and colonialism, along with feudal collaborators, grew increasingly acute. Patriotic movements led by scholars and intellectuals, though resilient, were brutally suppressed and fell into a deep crisis over the path to national salvation.
This context demanded the systematic dissemination of Marxism-Leninism into Vietnam, the mobilization and organization of patriotic movements and the working class struggle, tied to preparing political, ideological, and organizational conditions for founding a vanguard revolutionary Party.
Key milestones and characteristics of Thanh nien newspaper and Vietnam's revolutionary press according to the article.
| Milestone | Event | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| 21/6/1925 | The first issue of Thanh nien newspaper was published | Published regularly every week |
| 21/6/1925 to 4/1927 | The first period of Thanh nien newspaper | Nguyễn Ái Quốc directly directed editing, printing, and distribution |
| 4/1927 to the end of 1929 | The second period of Thanh nien newspaper | Directed by the General Association of the Youth Association |
| 21/6/1925 to the end of 1929 | Activities of Thanh nien newspaper | Published more than 200 issues and thousands of articles |
| 3/2/1930 | Founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam | Opened Vietnam's revolutionary press |
| Mid-1936 | The revolutionary press in the period after the Party was founded | More than 160 newspapers and magazines of the central and local levels |
| 21/6/2025 | Commemoration of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day | Marking 100 years |
The birth of Thanh Nien newspaper
Nguyễn Ái Quốc, a patriot with deep knowledge of Eastern and Western cultures and years of journalistic experience, was inspired by Lenin's views on the press: "In the present era, without a political newspaper there can be no political movement"; "The press is the propagandist, the agitator, the collective organizer, the collective leader."
In late 1924, the Comintern sent Nguyễn Ái Quốc to work in China. Arriving in Guangzhou, he immediately began publishing a political newspaper while opening training classes for outstanding young people sent from Vietnam to become the core of the revolution. He and some of his students published the political newspaper of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League, named Thanh Nien. Its first issue appeared on June 21, 1925, published weekly. Most copies were secretly sent to Vietnam, some to League organizations in Thailand and China, to patriotic Vietnamese in France, and to the Comintern.
What were the two periods of development?
Over nearly five years, Thanh Nien had two periods:
- First period, June 21, 1925 to April 1927: Nguyễn Ái Quốc directly directed editing, printing, and distribution.
- Second period, April 1927 to late 1929: after Nguyễn Ái Quốc left Guangzhou for secret activities, the newspaper was directed by the League's General Committee.
Thanh Nien published more than 200 issues, focusing on key themes: the contradiction between the Vietnamese nation and French imperialism and between colonial peoples and imperialism in general; affirming that only revolutionary struggle could liberate the nation; resolutely opposing reformism; the revolutionary force being the united whole people with workers and peasants as the foundation; the need for a Communist Party to lead the revolution and organize the masses; and introducing the revolutionary experiences of other countries, affirming that Vietnam's revolution must follow the Russian path to victory.
What was the historical role of the revolutionary press?
From its first issue on June 21, 1925 to late 1929, with over 200 issues and thousands of articles, Thanh Nien excellently fulfilled its leading, pioneering role in the ideological work of the Revolutionary Youth League, the predecessor of the Party. It disseminated Marxism-Leninism and "The Revolutionary Path," guided and encouraged members trained abroad to return home and promote the workers' and patriotic movements, contributing to the theoretical, political, ideological, and organizational preparation for the emergence of communist organizations in late 1929 and the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam on February 3, 1930, opening a new stream: Vietnam's revolutionary press.
How did the revolutionary press grow after the Party's founding?
At the Party's founding conference, it adopted brief platforms and statutes. In the conference report, the Party issued a resolution on 16 important and urgent issues, of which issue 14 was the resolution on the press:
- Abolish newspapers previously published by the Indochinese Communist Party and the Annam Communist Party.
- The Central Committee may publish one theoretical journal and three propaganda newspapers.
- Abolish newspapers of mass organizations led by the Party.
- Maintain all newspapers run by the masses.
Implementing this policy, Party committees at all levels, from the Central Committee to regional, provincial, district committees, and Party organizations in French colonial prisons, overcame difficulties to publish their own newspapers. Some committees, shattered by repression, had to suspend publication and resume when reorganized. By mid-1936, there were over 160 newspapers and journals of the Central Committee and localities.
Spreading through the revolutionary movement
Thanks to a thoroughly revolutionary Party with wise political and organizational lines and the prestige of leader Nguyễn Ái Quốc, the revolutionary press of this period, though operating secretly with crude means and frequently changing locations, still promptly disseminated documents of the founding conference, especially Nguyễn Ái Quốc's "Appeal" after the conference.
Responding to the Central Committee's call, the revolutionary press nationwide focused on Nghệ Tĩnh, publishing many articles encouraging the masses to struggle and exposing the crimes of imperialists and collaborators. Lao kho newspaper of the Cochinchina Party Committee, issue 15, October 5, 1930, wrote: "Since September 1, peasants in Nghệ An and Hà Tĩnh have struggled most fiercely. In villages, all authority belongs to peasant associations; in some villages, women also participate in village and national affairs. Lawsuits and oppression no longer exist. The people resolve all disputes themselves."
What does June 21 mean?
On June 21, 1925, the first issue of Thanh Nien marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press. Since then, June 21 is observed annually as Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, honoring journalists and recalling the glorious tradition of a press tied to the nation's revolutionary cause. In 2025, Vietnam marks 100 years of its revolutionary press (June 21, 1925 to June 21, 2025).
The event reminds us of the pioneering role of the press in ideological and cultural work, in disseminating revolutionary theory, encouraging patriotic movements, and organizing the masses. It is also an occasion for today's journalists to continue the tradition, uphold political courage, professional ethics, and social responsibility.
