The flag of Vietnam, or "red flag with a gold star" (cờ đỏ sao vàng), was designed in 1940 and used during an uprising against French rule in southern Vietnam that year[verification needed]. The background was inspired by the red flag, used by the international communist movement since the Paris Commune of 1871.[1] Red symbolizes revolution and blood. The star represents five main classes in Vietnamese society including intellectuals, farmers, workers, businessman and militaries.[2]
The flag was used by the Viet Minh, a communist-led organization created in 1941 to oppose Japanese occupation. At the end of World War II, Viet Minh leader Ho Chi Minh proclaimed Vietnam independent and signed a decree on September 5, 1945 adopting the flag as the flag of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.[3] The DRV became the government of North Vietnam in 1954 following the Geneva Accords. The flag was modified on November 30, 1955 to make the edges of the star sharper.[4] Until the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, South Vietnam used a yellow flag with three red stripes. The red flag of North Vietnam was adopted as the flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976.[5]