This day marks the independence of Vietnam from the French in 1945.
In 1887, Vietnam became part of French Indochina. During the Second World War, Vietnam was captured by the Japanese. The French did not go away completely but continued to exert a bit of influence in Vietnam. At the end of the war in August 1945, Vietnam was left without a colonial power. Sensing this vacuum, Việt Minh launched the August Revolution across the country to take the power back from the colonizers. Emperor Bảo Đại abdicated on August 25, 1945, bringing an end to the Nguyễn dynasty.
On September 2, 1945, at Ba Đình Square, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Viet Minh, declared Vietnam an independent country. The name of this new nation would be the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In 1976, the two halves of Vietnam were united into one country, and the name was changed to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. September 2 remains the National Day of Vietnam.
