In washington, flags were ordered to fly at halfmast for the soldier henry kissinger once credited as the man who singlehandedly got the u. Vietnamese president ho chi minh strides ahead of general giap on a visit to an army unit in 1957. How many of you remember the name general giap from the north vietnamese army. Peoples war peoples army marxists internet archive. Vo nguyne giap was a general for the peoples army of vietnam and was in a leadership position in the tet offensive, the easter offensive, and the ho chi minh campaign. Korean and vietnam veterans of the rio grande valley. Musthave books for the library of the learned warrior.
Vo nguyen giap august 25, 1911october 4, 20 was a vietnamese general who led the viet minh during the first indochina war. Vo nguyen giap, southeast asias most successful communist general, minister of defense and commander in chief of north vietnam s army, shares with premier khrushchev a conviction that the future holds many just wars of national liberation. Then youll understand the strategy giap laid out for victory in vietnam. General giap and the myth of american invincibility.
In grab their belts to fight them, readers will get inside the minds of north vietnamese divisional commanders like general tran van tra, and the better known general vo nugyen giap, the architect of the 1954 battle of diem bien phu against the french. General giap had specifically ordered the nva troops to kill the cia army and occupy its field headquarters in the long tieng valley. General vo nguyen giap obituary world news the guardian. Giap was the first general to defeat the forces of the us in a war. Oct 04, 20 the south vietnamese army collapsed precipitously as the north vietnamese pushed down the coast. His connecting thread is north vietnamese general vo nguyen giap, a remarkable figure who, with no formal military training, fashioned a ragtag militia into. His tactics were instrumental in both the viet minhs victory over the french 194654 and north vietnams victory in 1975. Unfortunately for fury, giap s men discovered him and castle and imprisoned them. What is your view on the vietnamese general vo nguyen giap. The pavn is a part of the vietnam peoples armed forces and includes. We are very pleased to publish the english translation of a series of articles by general vo nguyen giap, member of the political bureau of the central committee of the viet. Giap was a very famous and knowledgeable general in the north vietnamese army. When you subtract the table of contents, preface, introduction, appendix and advertisements this book is 34 pages. At the time he wrote these reflections on the war with the u.
Oct 05, 20 vo nguyen giap, the relentless and charismatic north vietnamese general whose campaigns drove both france and the united states out of vietnam, died on friday in hanoi. Deliberate distortions still obscure understanding of the. For more than 30 years, general giap was the key organizer of the vietnamese armed forces and its main strategic thinker. North vietnamese general giap admits neardefeat a friend from the great state of kentucky sent me the following. By focusing on giap s role throughout the war, and by making available for the first time a wealth of recently declassified north vietnamese documents, davidson offers unprecedented insight into hanois military strategies, an insight surpassed only by his inside knowledge of american operations and planning. North vietnamese army project gutenberg selfpublishing. Peter macdonald, an officer in the british army for over thirty years, talked about his book giap. General vo nguyen giap, commander of the north vietnamese army, wrote in his memoirs that his army was on the brink of collapse, but the u. Vo nguyen giap has been called one of the greatest military strategists of the 20th century.
Navy and 3 reconnaissance aircraft differs significantly from western sources that hold losses during that same period to. Vietnamese society and the north vietnamese army to assess linkages with general vo nguyen giaps actions in the mid1900s. Vo nguyen giap, southeast asias most successful communist general, minister of defense and commander in chief of north vietnams army, shares with. Oct 04, 20 vo nguyen giap, the celebrated general who masterminded the defeat of the french military at dien bien phu and led north vietnams forces against the us, has died aged 102 at a military hospital. He must also be credited with winning the first indochina war, which was waged against the french from 1946 to 1954. The general who defeated america in vietnam by james a.
Vo nguyen giap 191120 was a leading vietnamese military commander and strategist. In 1969, nva general vo nguyen giap admitted that from 1964 to 1969 alone, he had lost over 500,000 soldiers killed on the battlefield, and an untold number wounded or missing. Ground force including strategic rear forces, navy, air force, border defence force, and coast guard. Click download or read online button to get general vo nguyen giap book now. Giap began with almost nothing, but in thirty years of war him defeated two world powers, the price was terrible, but the vietnamese army created by giap win, the usa lost 58. Interviews with a top north vietnam army general and two former soldiers provide important insights into the other sides perspective on the vietnam war. As the north vietnamese now freely admit, the viet cong guerrillas virtually destroyed. Despite longrunning rumors that general giap wrote in his memoirs that the u. Military commander who led vietnamese forces to victory over the us and french. With ho chi minh, giap marched his forces into hanoi in august 1945, and in september ho announced the independence of. General vo nguyen giaps immortal sayings tuoi tre news. Vo nguyen giap, the military commander of north vietnam during the war, in. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Army command and general staff college fort leavenworth, kansas 660276900 i i ii.
Subjects range from south vietnamese citizens who opposed their government and joined the viet cong, to important figures in hanoi who dedicated their lives to the communist cause, to nationalists who were stalwart opponents of communism, to north vietnamese commanders who. Vietnamese society and the north vietnamese army to assess linkages with general vo nguyen giap s actions in the mid1900s. Vietnam war a memoir bio of general vo nguyen giap. Fury was dispatched on a mission to assassinate giap with the aid of u. General giaps memoirs armchair general and historynet. General vo nguyen giap download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. In 1990 peter macdonald went to hanoi at the invitation of the vietnamese government to interview general vo nguyen giap, the legendary commander of the vietnamese army who had crushed the french at dien bien phu and stymied the americans at khe sanh. Red river delta, and so by early 1951 giaps soldiers were within a few days march of hanoi. General giap now holds the positions of vicepremier, minister of defeiise and ile head to lim, aiczti.
General vo nguyen giap was the north vietnamese mastermind who defeated the french and american. General giap, giap is how you spell it, but pronounce it general giap. As an officer and a journalist for the north vietnamese army newspaper, bui tin knew many of the political leaders of the postfrench era in indochina. General giap has published his memoirs and confirmed. There is no other account of north vietnamese general vo nguyen giaps life. He began his career by fighting against french colonial forces during the indochina war. General vo nguyen giap was the north vietnamese mastermind who defeated the french and american superpowers over 30 years in what was previously an unthinkable possibility that countries with so so much more military and economic power could lose to an underdeveloped third world country. The battle of an loc, april 1972 by lieutenant colonel james h. I found his history to be interesting, especially his education and the foundation of the vietnamese army during the revolution against the french after world war ii. Forty years ago, viet luong was a 9yearold vietnamese boy fleeing saigon with his family. However, both groups ultimately worked under the same. In the context of the vietnam war 19591975, the army was referred to as the north vietnamese army nva. Vietnamese general behind victories over french and us.
Jun 24, 1990 the skirmishes are commemorated to this day as the birth of the vietnamese army. General vo nguyen giap was the north vietnamese mastermind who defeated the french and american superpowers over 30 years in what was previously an unthinkable possibility that countries with so so much more military and economic power. In his book the peoples war the peoples army, general giap explains that military operations must always pass through three phases. One of the centurys most underrated generals, and the quintessential successful underdog with odds severely stacked against him, he took a force of mostly peasants from a small and impoverished country, and one under foreign occupation to boot, a. Senior general vo nguyen giap was, and is, the only pavn figure known at all well outside of vietnam, the only pavn general mentioned in most counts of the vietnam war, and the only vietnamese communist military leader about whom a full length biography has been written. During 1964, giap and the other members of the north vietnamese. In the context of the vietnam war 19551975, the army was referred to as the north vietnamese army nva. Nothing but how they did everything perfectly to win the war. The following quote is from his memoirs currently found in the vietnam war memorial in hanoi. Over the next thirtyfive years, giap created an army of over one million people, a force that would defeat the french, americans, south vietnamese, cambodians and chinese. Then, the author analyzed salient aspects and relationships between us society and the us army to assess linkages with general creighton abramss actions in the mid1900s. Hanoi, vietnam former vietnamese general and perennial democratic presidential candidate vo nguyen giap died this morning at his home in hanoi. Cambodia, and north vietnam, while allowing the communists to run rampant in the. By this time, giap was a north vietnamese army general known for defeating u.
Its a broad picture, although never quite as deeply insightful as we hope for. In late 1971, the north vietnamese army launched campaign z, invading northern laos on a mission to defeat the royal lao army. Apr 17, 2016 april 17, 2016 february 14, 2018 quintus curtius politics, thought guerrilla tactics, vietnam war, vo nguyen giap vo nguyen giap 191120 was the architect of the vietnamese victory in the second indochina war called in the united states the vietnam war, which took place from 1960 to 1975. He first grew to prominence during world war ii, where he served as the military leader of the viet minh resistance against the japanese. Behind its jargon, this little book by the winning team in vietnam gives some. Giap hoped to build an army that would drive out the french and support the goals of the viet minh, ho chi minhs vietnamese independence movement. Several leading congressional representatives, led by minority. The fall of dien bien phu in 1954 signaled the end of french rule in indochina, the establishment of the north vietnamese army as a recognized professional fighting. The disparity between general giap and the othersthe lone figure standing in the forefront of a legion of shadowy. In 1941 giap formed an alliance with chu van tan, guerrilla leader of the tho, a minority tribal group of northeastern vietnam. Davidsons vietnam at war this article was originally published in the october 2005 issue. Oct 04, 20 giap had been largely credited with devising the 1968 tet offensive, a series of surprise attacks on american strongholds in the south by viet cong and north vietnamese forces. Just before the american ground war in vietnam began in march 1965 with the landing of a brigade of us marines at danang, general vo nguyen giap, who had been commander in chief of communist armed. Books in this category describe how the war was prosecuted, experienced and understood by the vietnamese.
He has written books on the vietnam war and the cold war and contributed the chapter. Today hes the first vietnamese american general in the u. Twice he made the dangerous journey down the ho chi minh trail, which was the main military supply route from the north through the laotian panhandle to the south during the american phase of vietnam s wars of independence. This is a biography of general vo nguyen giap, the founder and general of the north vietnamese army. Giap was born into an affluent peasant family in quang ninh province, just north. Interviews with a top north vietnam army general and two.
Whether an agent is a country, army, or person, understanding an agents heritage. General vo nguyen giap organized the first viet minh military force in 1944, a thirtyfour man armed propaganda brigade. Recently i read an old french report on the engagements. Here, for the first time, is the full story of the general who humbled both the french and the americans in vietnam. Oct 04, 20 collected via email, november 2007 giaps memoirs gen. Subjects range from south vietnamese citizens who opposed their government and joined the viet cong, to important figures in hanoi who dedicated their lives to the communist cause, to nationalists who were stalwart opponents of communism, to north vietnamese. Giap s claim citing a communique from the army high command that in one 12day period north vietnamese forces shot down 33 b52s, 5 f111s, and 24 u. General giap has published his memoirs and confirmed what most americans knew. Ap aides said general giap still insisted on being briefed on international and national. Vo nguyen giap was a general in the vietnam peoples army and a. Aug 07, 2012 general vo nguyen giap was the north vietnamese mastermind who defeated the french and american superpowers over 30 years in what was previously an unthinkable possibility that countries with so so much more military and economic power could lose to an underdeveloped third world country. General vo nguyen giap project gutenberg selfpublishing. Robert mcnamara and the ghosts of vietnam the new york times. The general who defeated america in vietnam by james.
After the battle of ia drang in 1966, giap s influence waned as senior commanders. The following three interviews were conducted during the authors visit to vietnam in december 2003 and january 2004. General vo nguyen giap, who has died aged 102, was a selftaught. His tactics were instrumental in both the viet minhs victory over the french 194654 and north vietnam s victory in 1975 early life. I also wanted to address the critical contribution of u. Nov 18, 2017 the genius of north vietnams war strategy how they did it the most admirable thing about this falls pbs series on the vietnam war is the way in which it forces american audiences to confront the. However, both groups ultimately worked under the same command structure. Giap indicated in a 1996 interview with cnn that the north vietnamese army s victory came in large part due to american leaders lack of understanding of vietnam, their underestimation of the north vietnamese will to win, and miscalculations about the effectiveness of guerilla warfare. The victor in vietnam, brigadier macdonald tells not only the story of the man, but of the revolution he worked to created, the army he forged, and the battles and campaigns he won. What we still dont understand is why you americans stopped the bombing of. The war was avoidable if the us side had recognized the determination of the north vietnamese side and had taken a long view of france, north vietnam, the soviet union, china, and the us people. The book is a good acount of giap rise in the revolutionary war. Victory at any cost does not vindicate curreys 1981 tirade on the u.
Then, the author analyzed salient aspects and relationships between us society and the us army to assess linkages with general creighton abrams s actions in the mid1900s. Excellent read details the errors in strategy and actions taken by us leaders and how general giap took advantage of those errors. Vo nguyen giap 191120 was the architect of the vietnamese victory in the second indochina war called in the united states the vietnam war, which took place from 1960 to 1975. Jul 11, 2017 just before the american ground war in vietnam began in march 1965 with the landing of a brigade of us marines at danang, general vo nguyen giap, who had been commander in chief of communist armed. Vo nguyen giap, southeast asias most successful communist general, minister of defence and commander in chief of north vietnams army, shares with premier khrushchev a. General giap was a brilliant, highly respected leader of the north vietnam military. He later commanded the vietnam peoples army during the vietnam war. What we still dont understand is why you americans stopped the bombing of hanoi. Vietnam hero general giap still around at a hundred. The war was avoidable if the us side had recognized the determination of the north vietnamese side and had taken a long view of france, north vietnam.