The history teacher who defeated two empires without ever attending a military academy
As a young history teacher at a Hanoi lycée, he would sketch detailed Napoleonic campaign plans on the blackboard. His students called him 'the General.' Fifteen years later he accepted the French surrender at Dien Bien Phu.
A history teacher with no formal military training who built the Viet Minh army and defeated France at Dien Bien Phu (1954), then the United States in the war that followed. As the first commander of a colonial liberation force to break a modern imperial army in pitched battle, he spent three decades building the People's Army into a mechanised combined-arms force and perfecting a people's war aimed at breaking the enemy's political will.
Activities and affiliations
Career Timeline
- 1941–1945Military commander, Viet Minh
- 1946–1947Minister of the Interior, DRV
- 1946–1980Minister of Defence, DRV / SRV
- 1951–1982Politburo member, Communist Party of Vietnam
- 1955–1991Deputy Prime Minister
- 1972Relieved as field commander (replaced by Văn Tiến Dũng); retained Defence portfolio
- 1982–1991Central Committee member
Related historical events
- 1945–1954The August Revolution and the First Indochina WarCommander of the People’s ArmyBuilt regular divisions and defeated the French on Route 4 and at Điện Biên Phủ.
- 1955–1975The Second Indochina WarDefence minister and army commander-in-chiefRegained control of military affairs with the “North-First” faction after Tet.
Revising and commanding the Điện Biên Phủ campaign
In December 1953, Võ Nguyên Giáp, defense minister of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and the Army Party Central Committee sought a way to end the war and chose to attack the French position at Điện Biên Phủ. Giáp was appointed campaign commander and initially planned an assault for 26 January 1954. On the morning of the attack, however, he called it off: artillery positions were exposed to French air and artillery strikes, and he was not certain of victory. Although some unit commanders first opposed the decision, the Politburo eventually endorsed it. After adjustments to the artillery deployment, Viet Minh forces opened their attack on 13 March.
The opening assault captured two French strongpoints, but Viet Minh losses exceeded 9,000 from 13 to 16 March, including about 2,000 killed. On 17 March Giáp changed course, abandoning a rapid assault in favor of protracted operations. Viet Minh troops dug trenches and tunnels to approach the positions and tighten the siege. After this change, their casualties fell sharply, while shortages of food and ammunition made it increasingly difficult for the French garrison to hold out. The battle ended with the French surrender on 7 May. Later accounts of the victory consider not only Giáp’s command but also the army’s organization and supply, and the role of Chinese assistance and advisers. China supplied artillery and other material and helped with artillery operations, while campaign decisions were considered by Vietnam’s political and military leadership.