Unravelling the Giap Myth
Abstract
Vo Nguyan Giap has been compared to the likes of Rommel and Napoleon and is included in the Army War College's listing of Classical and Contemporary Military Strategists. The basis of this fame is Giap's leadership of the Viet Minh in their victory over the French in the Indochina War. Books, periodicals and unpublished works were researched in gathering data. In general, these were limited to selections which focused on the Indochina War against the French, rather than no later works covering the Vietnam War. It was, after all, against the French where the Giap myth was begun and developed. The conclusions drawn from the research are that Giap's fame as a tactician and strategist were exaggerated, that neither his tactics nor his strategies were new or imaginative. Giap's greatest ability was an organizer of the masses in a total effort behind the war. Giap successfully combined the roles of civil organizer, politician and battlefield leader in achieving his victory over the French.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA141243
Entities
People
- M. W. Keaveney
Organizations
- United States Army War College