Declaration
Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, 1945
Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam at Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi, on 2 September 1945, opening with words echoing the American Declaration of Independence.
What happened
On 2 September 1945, Ho Chi Minh read a declaration of independence at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, proclaiming the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The declaration opened: "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."[1] France did not recognise the declaration, and the First Indochina War followed, ending with the 1954 Geneva Accords that divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel pending elections that were never held; a second, longer conflict followed until 1975.
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam at Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi, on 2 September 1945, opening with the words: "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." France did not recognise the declaration, and the First Indochina War followed.
- Speakola, Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Speakola) link, declaration text. Source record