General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army

Bộ Tổng tham mưu
(General Staff)

Insignia of the General Staff
Active 7 September 1945 – present
Country  Vietnam
Allegiance Vietnam People's Army
Branch Active duty
Type Staff
Part of President
Ministry of Defence
Vietnam People's Army
Garrison/HQ Hanoi
Commanders
Current Chief of General Staff Lt.Gen Phan Van Giang
First Chief of General Staff Gen. Hoàng Văn Thái

General Staff (Vietnamese: Bộ Tổng tham mưu) is the commanding and managing organisation of the Vietnam People's Army, the paramilitary forces, militia and other activities relating to defence of Vietnam. The General Staff was established on 7 September 1945, right after the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the first Chief of the General Staff was General Hoàng Văn Thái. During the Second Indochina War, Vietnam War, Cambodian-Vietnamese War, Sino-Vietnamese War and other skirmishes, the General Staff always had an essential role in organising, commanding the armed forces and planning, operating military campaigns for the Ministry of Defence and the Government of Vietnam. The current Chief of the General Staff is Lt.Gen Phan Van Giang who also holds the position of Deputy Minister of Defence.

History and roles

Right after the August Revolution and the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on 2 September 1945, the General Staff was established on 7 September 1945.[1][2] The first Chief of the General Staff was Major General Hoàng Văn Thái who held the position from 1945 to 1953.[3] During the existence of the General Headquarters of the Vietnam People's Army (Bộ Tổng tư lệnh Quân đội Nhân dân Việt Nam), which had been the supreme commanding organ of the armed forces from 1946 to 1975, the General Staff was directly under the General Headquarters and acted as staff of the General Headquarters according to the decree No. 47/SL which was issued on 1 May 1947.

After the Vietnam War, the General Headquarters was dissolved and the General Staff began to operate under the Ministry of Defence in the position of commanding and managing organisation of the Vietnam People's Army, the paramilitary forces, militia and other activities relating to defence of Vietnam. From 1978, the Chief of Staff was also Deputy Minister of Defence and would take the position of acting minister during the absence of the Minister of Defence.[4] Following the demise of Colonel General (or Senior Lieutenant General) Nguyễn Khắc Nghiên, the current Chief of Staff is Lt.Gen Phan Van Giang.

Structure

Gen. Phùng Quang Thanh, Chief of the General Staff from 2001 to 2006.

The organisation of the General Staff consists of:[4]

In addition, the General Staff also directly manages the operation of the 144th Brigade (which protects the Ministry of Defence headquarters), the Military Honor Guard Battalion Hanoi (Đoàn Nghi lễ quân đội), and several companies and project management authorities.

List of Chiefs of General Staff

No. Image Name Began Ended Rank in office Notes
1 Hoàng Văn Thái 1945
1954 		1953
1954 		Major General Later promoted to General, Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Leader of Vietcong from 1967 - 1973.
2 Văn Tiến Dũng 1953
1954 		1954
1978 		Army General Later promoted to General, Minister of Defence, Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam.[5]
3 Lê Trọng Tấn 1978 1986 Army General Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of Central Committee, died in 1986.[6]
4 Lê Đức Anh 1986 1987 Army General Later elected to President of Vietnam, Member of the Politburo.[7]
5 Đoàn Khuê 1987 1991 Army General Later promoted to Minister of Defence, Member of the Politburo.[8]
6 Đào Đình Luyện 1991 1995 Colonel General Held at the same time the position of Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of the Central Committee.
7 Phạm Văn Trà 1995 1997 Lieutenant General Later promoted to full General, Minister of Defence, Member of the Politburo.
8 Đào Trọng Lịch April 1997 May 22, 1998 Lieutenant General Deputy Minister of Defence, member of Central Committee, died in an aircraft crash in 1998.[9]
9 Lê Văn Dũng May 22, 1998 May 2001 Lieutenant GeneralLater promoted to full General, Director of the General Department of Politics, Secretary of the Central Committee.
10 Phùng Quang Thanh May 2001 August 31, 2006 Colonel General Later promoter to full General, Minister of Defence, Member of the Politburo.
11 Nguyễn Khắc Nghiên August 31, 2006 November 13, 2010 Colonel GeneralDeputy Minister of Defence, Member of the Central Committee, died in 2010 of cancer.[10]
12 Đỗ Bá Tỵ December 22, 2010 May 21, 2016 Army General Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of the Central Committee. Later elected to Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam
13 Phan Văn Giang May 21, 2016 Incumbent Lieutenant General Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of the Central Committee.[11]

Notes

References

  • Ministry of Defence of Vietnam (2009). White book of Defence of Vietnam (in Vietnamese). Hanoi: World Publishing House. 
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