1975 Vietnamese Ministry of Education Wall Map of Vietnam during the August Revolution

Published near the end of the American Vietnam War, this 1975 Vietnamese Ministry of Education wall map of Vietnam depicts the 1945 August Revolution, an armed revolt against the Japanese occupation and French colonial rule. Small illustrations of the Vietnamese Communist flag (now the national flag of Vietnam) mark cities where insurrections occurred, with dates in red. The dark red in extreme northern Vietnam highlights the region controlled by the Central Committee of the Communist Party, while the orange areas mark 'Chiến Khu' (war zones).

The August Revolution

The August Revolution, also known as the August General Uprising, began in mid-August 1945, and within two weeks the Việt Minh controlled all of Vietnam. This fortuitous position evolved after the Japanese coup d'état in March 1945 that overthrew the puppet French government. The coup exacerbated an already devastating famine, which allowed the Việt Minh the opportunity to organize their 'People's Revolutionary Committees'. When the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, these committees were poised to seize power and did so without hesitation. Two weeks later, on September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnamese independence from France, which would lead to the French Indochina War (1946 -1954) and subsequently the American Vietnam War (1855 - 1975).

Publication History and Census

This map was created and printed by the Second Publishing House of Survey of Geodesy and Map and published by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education in 1975. This is the only known example.