General Vo Nguyen Giap: The Vietnamese Napoleon

Book excerpt: General Giap is undoubtedly one of the foremost practitioners of insurgency and revolutionary war. He has been called by some, the Vietnamese Napoleon. The issue is: What are the factors which have gained him such a reputation? What experiences have influenced his life and caused him to develop the strategy and tactics used the past 25 years in Vietnam? An extensive literature search was made to trace his life’s history and to determine what factors have caused him to be as he is. The study examined his early life, civilian education, and use within the Vietnamese Communist Party, military training and experience. No effort was made to give a detailed analysis of any campaign or battle. A final evaluation was made that although his contribution on to the two wars in Indochina was great, evidence does not support placing him with such men as Mao, Guderian, or Napoleon. He has contributed little which is new to strategic or tactical principle & but rather has demonstrated the ability to apply well those principles developed by others.