Battle of Thái Nguyên

The Battle of Thái Nguyên, fought in Thái Nguyên province, was the small and only battle of the August Revolution, between the communist Viet Minh and the Empire of Japan. The battle lasted from 17 to 25 August 1945.

Battle of Thái Nguyên
Part of the August Revolution
Location of Thái Nguyên
Date 17–25 August 1945[1] Location Thái Nguyên province, Tonkin, Empire of Vietnam Result Japanese agreed to stay confined to their post[2] The Viet Minh established their government in Thái Nguyên on August 28
Belligerents
Empire of Japan	Viet Minh
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Võ Nguyên Giáp

Battle

On 16 August 1945, the Viet Minh forces led by Võ Nguyên Giáp entered Thái Nguyên.^[3]

During the battle itself, only sporadic fighting broke out, as a small group of Japanese army was situated in an old French fort and the Americans were all, except for Major Thomas, away from the battle in an outside safehouse. On 25 August the final battle at Thái Nguyên ended with the Japanese "surrendering" agreeing to stay confined to their post, the same day the Empire of Vietnam (Japan's puppet) collapsed when its emperor Bảo Đại abdicated. The government apparatus of the Empire of Vietnam in Thái Nguyên collapsed and its soldiers (lính bảo an) here automatically surrendered to the Viet Minh, and the Viet Minh established a government in this province on 28 August 1945.^[4]

After the battle, the Viet Minh (de facto led by communists) completely seized Thái Nguyên when Giáp founded the People's Revolutionary Committee in the province.^[5]

See also

• People's Army of Vietnam
• First Indochina War
• Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1945-1946)