70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE VIETNAM PEOPLE’S ARMY (PT.1) Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) was established on 22 December 1944 at Cao Bang Province having the name “Vietnam Propaganda Unit of the Liberation Army” by the directive of Ho Chi Minh to Vo Nguyen Giap. The original strength of the forerunner of VPA was only thirty-four soldiers with very little equipment, captained by Hoang Sam. Just two days following the establishment, the unit achieved their first victories at Phai Khat and Na Ngan against French outposts. On May 15, 1945, the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of Liberation Army merged with the National Salvation Army and was renamed as the Vietnam Liberation Army (VLA).(1) Exploiting the surrender of Empire of Japan to Allied on 15 August 1945, League for Vietnam Independence (Viet Minh) - with main military force came from Liberation Army - quickly seized the state power from Japanese puppet government. On 2 September 1945, Ho Chi Minh officially declared the independence of Vietnam and the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV). On 23 September 1945, French troop returned to Sai Gon. As the consequence of the failure of the diplomatic negotiation between France and DRV, the French Indochina War occurred on 20 December 1946 by the fighting at Ha Noi. In 1950, VLA was renamed to Vietnam People’s Army (VPA). The first decisive victory of the VPA on French Indochina War was the repulse of an assault by French airborne troop at Operation Viet Bac (October – December 1947) followed by the successful attack at French fortifield positions along Route 4 on Operation Border Zone three years later (September – October 1950). The first division of VPA, 308th Division, was created on 28 August 1949. Six more divisions (304, 312, 320, 316, 325 and 351) were raised one after another and five of these divisions (308, 304, 312, 316, 351) participated in the victory of Dien Bien Phu on 1954, “the first time that a non-European colonial independence movement had evolved through all the stages from guerrilla bands to a conventionally organized and equipped army able to defeat a modern Western occupier in pitched battle.(2) (1) Vietnam People’s Army, foundation and development, published on the website of Vietnam Ministry of National Defence. Link: mod.gov.vn/wps/portal/?uri=nm:oid:Z6_FANR8B1A0O7IF0IJEK3MO01061. (2) Quotation from Martin Windrow. Kenney, Michael. British Historian Takes a Brilliant Look at French Fall in Vietnam. The Boston Globe, 4 January 2005.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 10:13:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015