It was a coincidence in history that in 1911, a patriotic young man named Nguyễn Tất Thành left his country and started his journey to save his country; meanwhile, in An Xá village, Lệ Thủy district, Quảng Bình province, Võ Nguyên Giáp was born. 29 years later, in 1940, the history wheel combined the life and career of Võ Nguyên Giáp with the leadership of Leader Nguyễn Ái Quốc - Hồ Chí Minh (Nguyễn Tất Thành) after their meeting at Thúy Hồ (Kunming, China).

Photo of Võ Nguyên Giáp taken when he studied law in Hanoi, 1934
Source: Collected

“If I had not been a soldier, I would have still been a teacher, maybe a teacher of Philosophy or History”

(General Võ Nguyên Giáp)

Teacher Võ Nguyên Giáp taught at Thăng Long Private School, Hà Nội, 1939
Source: Collected

General Võ Nguyên Giáp’s military career began in 1944, when the Vietnam Liberation Army Propaganda Unit was established. Starting with only 34 soldiers who were ordinary people, that army, under the leadership of the Party, leader Hồ Chí Minh and Commander-in-Chief Võ Nguyên Giáp, went through "battles within the encirclement of the enemy", became experienced after each battle, each campaign, and won a victory over the French colonialists which was marked by the victory of the ‘five-continents resounding and world-shaking’ Điện Biên Phủ campaign.

Photo: The Vietnam Liberation Army Propaganda Unit was established and headed by Comrade Võ Nguyên Giáp, Cao Bằng province, December 22, 1944. It was the precursor of the Vietnam People's Army, which directed the uprising to seize power in August 1945.
Source: VNA

President Hồ Chí Minh and General Võ Nguyên Giáp in Tân Trào in 1945

Source: Tuyên Quang Museum

Comrade Võ Nguyên Giáp reviewed soldiers for the first time in Hanoi after the army had seized the power, August 26, 1945

Source: Vietnam Institute of Social Sciences Information

Comrade Võ Nguyên Giáp and soldiers of the High Command returned to ATK Định Hóa, 1947

Source: General Võ Nguyên Giáp’s family

After the victory of the Việt Bắc - Autumn-Winter 1947campaign, President Hồ Chí Minh discussed the brevet promotion for some military cadres with the Central government. One of the brevets was General (for Võ Nguyên Giáp). That year, Võ Nguyên Giáp was 37 years old.

President Hồ Chí Minh attended the General brevet Promotion for Võ Nguyên Giáp, in Định Hóa, Thái Nguyên province, on May 28, 1948
Source: General Võ Nguyên Giáp’s family

President Hồ Chí Minh and General Võ Nguyên Giáp analysed the situation before giving directions for a battle in Điện Biên Phủ, 1953 - 1954

Source: General Võ Nguyên Giáp’s family

“You, Commander-in-Chief will take the field. I give you full authority... This battle is very important, so we must win. If you are sure of a victory, you should act; otherwise, shouldn’t”

(President Hồ Chí Minh)

In December 1953, the Central Committee of Vietnamese Communist Party and President Hồ Chí Minh held a meeting on the opening of a strategic front: "Destroy the élite French expeditionary forces in Điện Biên Phủ"
Source: Vietnam News Agency

After the Geneva Convention, under the leadership of the Party, President Hồ Chí Minh and the Politburo, at the General Headquarters, General Võ Nguyên Giáp continued to direct the Commanders of the fronts and the entire army to gradually crush the political military conspiracy of the United States and the government of the Republic of Vietnam, which contributed to the success of the liberation of the South, and to the reunification of the country.

Photo: General Võ Nguyên Giáp

The political and military interventions of the United States in the South which went against the Geneve Convention and especially the policy of Denouncing and Exterminating Vietnamese Communists of the Republic of Vietnam government caused heavy losses for the Southern revolution. Under the leadership of the Party, especially under the direct leadership of President Hồ Chí Minh, General Võ Nguyên Giáp, holding the post of Secretary of the Central Military Commission, decided to establish the Corps 559 (for the by-land support of Trường Sơn strategy), and the Corps 759 (for by-sea support of the South).

General Võ Nguyên Giáp, the photo was taken when he made an inspection at Trường Sơn trail, 1973
Source: Vietnam News Agency

At An Bờ mountain, Lệ Thủy district, Quảng Bình province, General Võ Nguyên Giáp discussed with the officers of the Command of the Trail 9 - Southern Laos campaign, 1971

Source: Vietnam Military history museum

General Võ Nguyên Giáp approved the Air Defense Command’s plan of fighting against the US B-52 bombers in 1972

Source: Air Defense and Air Force Museum

During the last phase of the resistance war against the US, at the General Headquarters, General Võ Nguyên Giáp and officers of the Military Commission of the Party Central Committee kept watch on the developments at the fronts so that they could immediately provide appropriate instructions for attacks.
In his memoirs, the General said:
"These days, I always stayed at Headquarters and seldom came home, even though my house is only a few hundred meters away. In my office, my comrades put a small bed there. In addition to the maps hanging on the wall, I also put a military map of the South right under the large glass on the table to monitor all the developments of the fronts so that i could make appropriate calculations"

(Memoirs of General Võ Nguyên Giáp)

General Võ Nguyên Giáp - Secretary of The Military Commission of the Party Central Committee sent a secret telegram No.157 that said: “Be more and more active, Be braver and Braver. Try to get to the front in a shortest time and liberate the South. Be determined to fight and to win a complete victory” , April 7, 1975.

General Võ Nguyên Giáp announced the news of the victory, April 30, 1975

General Võ Nguyên Giáp had a group photo taken with the most important militants, the photo was taken before the office of the Military Commission of the Party Central Committee on April 30, 1975

British military historian Peter Macdonald writes: “From 1944 - 1975, Võ Nguyên Giáp's life was associated with battles and victories, which makes him one of the great marshals of all times. With 30 years in the position of Commander-in-Chief and nearly 50 years of involvement in political affairs as the highest ranking officer, he proved himself to be a man of extraordinary qualities in all areas of the war. There weren't many generals like him who were so good at combining guerrilla warfare with regular warfare. Such combination is unprecedented.”

General Võ Nguyên Giáp and General Văn Tiến Dũng expressed their happiness, the photo was taken in Saigon after liberation day, May 1975
Source: VNA