(VOVworld) – Former Commander-in-chief, General Vo Nguyen Giap was one of the most renowned generals in the world. The legendary general has passed away yet stories about him will forever remain in the hearts of millions of Vietnamese people and friends around the world.

General Vo Nguyen Giap was a teacher of history who never had any formal military training. What was special about General Giap was his ability to inspire and motivate soldiers, encouraging them to fight and sacrifice for their homeland. American historian and journalist Stanley Karnow, author of the famous book “Vietnam: A History”, published in 1983, said General Giap’s strategic talent placed him in the company of the world’s greatest military leaders alongside the Duke of Wellington, Ulysses S. Grant, and Douglas MacArthur.

As a military strategist, General Giap has been praised by a great number of noted historians, scholars, and journalists. Daniel Roussel, producer of the documentary “Dien Bien Phu-the battle between a tiger and an elephant”, interviewed General Giap many times. He says: “I met and knew General Vo Nguyen Giap for 35 years. I was lucky to have witnessed his activities as Commander of the Vietnam People’s Army, as a politician and as an ordinary person in his private life. I called him “My General” or just “Uncle”. When meeting him, I reminded myself how lucky I was to discuss history with a man who made history.”
The 1954 Dien Bien Phu campaign made a name for General Giap, turning him into one of the greatest military strategists of the 20^th century. General Giap was best known for his strategy shift from “Quick fight, quick victory” to “Solid fight, solid victory”. His decision was hailed by many historians as Daniel Roussel puts it: “Giap told me that it was the most difficult night of his life. On the night of January 25, 1954 when the Vietnamese army was ready to attack the fortifications of the French troops, General Giap felt that something was not right and decided to withdraw his troops and wait several more weeks to prepare logistics and weapons. He did not want to waste lives capturing the stronghold in one week when he could gradually weaken it. The battle lasted longer but eventually he was the winner.”

Daniel Roussel and General Giap

General Giap had a great love for soldiers and many times he cried over his comrades’ losses. The late Senior Lieutenant General Tran Van Tra wrote: “General Vo Nguyen Giap regretted each drop of blood of his soldiers. He often told his subordinates that a good commander is one who defeats the enemy with the least casualties and that human lives are priceless and nothing can make up for war losses.” Lieutenant General Vu Xuan Vinh, former head of the External Relations Department of the Ministry of National Defense, said he witnessed a meeting between General Giap and the President of the World Veterans Association in 2004.Vinh said that although the war had ended many years before, General Giap kept talking about his desire for peace during that meeting. Vinh says: “The General asked the President of the World Veterans Association to tell young people around the world to preserve peace, be united, and not abuse the power of bigger countries to intimidate smaller ones. He said that youths should meet in lecture halls or on sporting fields, not on battlefields. The President told us that we should have called General Giap the General of Peace”.  
  

Because he hated war and treasured peace, General Giap named his second daughter Hoa Binh, which means peace. Binh says her father was a warmhearted man. Her family received many delegations, particularly war veterans on his birthday and on major national holidays, which were happy moments for him despite his age and failing health. Binh says: “I accompanied my father on his trips to Dien Bien Phu for national celebrations in 1994 and 2004. Visiting his former battlefields, he was very moved and burst into tears over old memories. Whenever we visited our home village, he paid tribute to our ancestors and cried. My grandparents died while he was away, and visiting their tombs made him very emotional.”

General Giap during a visit to Dien Bien Phu in 1994

General Giap’s warm-heartedness stemmed from Vietnam’s cultural tradition and his family’s humaneness. He was an avid disciple of President Ho Chi Minh who called him “Văn” or “Literature” but gave him the task of “Võ” or “Martial Arts”. A war veteran visiting General Giap presented him with a parallel sentence in praise of his talent and qualifications which won the trust of President Ho Chi Minh.