soldiers of ordinary origin

"We must rely on people because only when we rely on people will the enemy be unable to destroy us." That is what Leader Nguyễn Ái Quốc said over and over to Comrade Võ Nguyên Giáp the night before Armed Propaganda Brigade for the Liberation of Vietnam was established. From an early age, Võ Nguyên Giáp participated in the student strike at Huế’s National School, later he became a teacher who contributed to raising the patriotic spirit among students through each of his lessons. Besides that, he also struggled as a journalist with his sharp writing style. In the end, he had"chosen the right path". That path was further lit by the ideal of national liberation and class liberation when he met Leader Nguyễn Ái Quốc in Kunming - China. During the time since he returned home, he was assigned the task of forming the revolutionary armed forces. The support of the people of the ethnic groups had greatly contributed to the survival of the army from the early days. It was the army that seized the opportunity and together with the people carried out a general uprising to seize power. The establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was a significant milestone. It represents the aspiration for peace, independence and freedom of the whole nation, and also the highest glory of the soldiers of the revolutionary army who “were of ordinary origin and fought for the people”.

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a miracle that seems impossible

“Vietnamese people have made a miracle that seems impossible in the mid-twentieth century. For the first time in history, a nation that is colonial, semi-feudal and economically underdeveloped, has defeated powerful countries mainly by its own strength, which has set an example of heroism, braveness, intelligence and talent for the world. Eternal glory will go along with Vietnamese people and the Communist Party …”.
(General Võ Nguyên Giáp’s memoirs)

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“If the enemy is strong, we avoid them. If the enemy is weak, we will defeat them. Wherever there are guerrillas, it is the front, even it is behind the defence lines of enemy. To confront the enemy's advanced equipment, we have boundless heroism".
(General Võ Nguyên Giáp)

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.

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