Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03

Vo Nguyen Giap Biography and Timeline — Page 2

Follow Vo Nguyen Giap through 75 dated historical records for Vietnam.

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Vo Nguyen Giap, historical timeline

A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.

75Distinct records

2 of 2Page

1954–2013Years on this page

1954

14 March 1954

Capture of Beatrice

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Dien Bien Phu · Warfare / First Indochina War

Viet Minh capture Beatrice in the opening phase

Role range: 1946-1954 – 1946-1975

15 March 1954

Battle of Dien Bien Phu

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Dien Bien Phu · Warfare / First Indochina War

Viet Minh capture the Gabrielle strongpoint

Role range: 1946-1954 – 1946-1975

15 March 1954

Capture of Gabrielle

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Dien Bien Phu · Warfare / First Indochina War

Viet Minh capture Gabrielle after sustained assault

Role range: 1946-1954 – 1946-1975

17 March 1954

Anne-Marie Falls

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Dien Bien Phu · Warfare / First Indochina War

Viet Minh pressure causes the Anne-Marie position to collapse

Role range: 1946-1954 – 1946-1975

30 March 1954

Dominique Attacked

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Dien Bien Phu · Warfare / First Indochina War

Second phase of the siege attacks eastern strongpoints

Role range: 1946-1954 – 1946-1975

31 March 1954

Eliane Fighting

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Dien Bien Phu · Warfare / First Indochina War

Fighting intensifies around the Eliane strongpoints

Role range: 1946-1954 – 1946-1975

6 May 1954

Final Assault

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Dien Bien Phu · Warfare / First Indochina War

Orders final assault against the French entrenched camp

Role range: 1946-1954 – 1946-1975

7 May 1954

Battle of Dien Bien Phu

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Dien Bien Phu · Warfare / First Indochina War

Viet Minh take the French garrison before the Geneva settlement

Role range: 1946-1954 – 1946-1975

21 July 1954

Geneva Settlement

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Geneva · Government / Geneva Conference

Dien Bien Phu victory strengthens Vietnam's position at Geneva

Role range: 1946-1975

1954

Minister of National Defence

Minister of National Defence · Hanoi · Government / Government of Vietnam

Continues as Minister of National Defence during the Dien Bien Phu campaign

Role range: 1948-1980

1955

20 September 1955

Deputy PM Appointed

Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam · Hanoi · Government / Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Appointed Deputy Prime Minister while retaining major military responsibilities

Role range: 1955-1991

1960

Ho Chi Minh Trail Support

Minister of National Defence · Hanoi · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Supports logistical expansion through Laos and Cambodia

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1948-1980

1961

Support for Insurgency

General · North Vietnamese commander · Hanoi · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Supports military planning for communist struggle in South Vietnam

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

1964

Air Defence Expansion

Minister of National Defence · Hanoi · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Oversees expansion of air defence as American pressure increases

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1948-1980

1965

US Ground War Response

Minister of National Defence · Hanoi · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Shapes North Vietnamese response as United States combat forces enter the war

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1948-1980

1967

General Offensive Planning

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Hanoi · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Senior military leadership prepares the 1968 general offensive

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

1968

21 January 1968

Khe Sanh Pressure

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Khe Sanh · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

PAVN pressure around Khe Sanh diverts American attention before Tet

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

31 January 1968

Tet Offensive

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Vietnam · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Communist forces attack cities and provincial capitals during Tet

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

31 January 1968

Tet Offensive

General · North Vietnamese commander · Hanoi · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Associated with overall North Vietnamese military leadership during Tet

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

March 1968

Tet Aftermath

Minister of National Defence · Hanoi · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Assesses losses and political impact after the Tet Offensive

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1948-1980

1970

May 1970

Cambodian Campaign Response

Minister of National Defence · Hanoi · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Responds to allied incursions against communist base areas in Cambodia

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1948-1980

1971

February 1971

Lam Son 719 Response

Minister of National Defence · Laos · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

North Vietnamese forces resist South Vietnamese operations in Laos

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1948-1980

1972

30 March 1972

Easter Offensive

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · DMZ · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

PAVN divisions strike across the DMZ and from Laos

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

30 March 1972

Nguyen Hue Campaign

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Vietnam · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

North Vietnam launches the Nguyen Hue Campaign as a major conventional offensive

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

30 March 1972

PAVN Offensive

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Quang Tri · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

PAVN opens coordinated attacks across northern South Vietnam

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

7 April 1972

Capture of Loc Ninh

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Loc Ninh · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Loc Ninh falls to North Vietnamese forces

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

7 April 1972

Loc Ninh Captured

Commander in Chief of Vietnam People's Army · Loc Ninh · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

PAVN forces capture Loc Ninh during the Easter Offensive

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

1973

27 January 1973

Post-Accords Military Policy

Minister of National Defence · Hanoi · Government / Paris Peace Accords

Keeps defence policy focused on final reunification after the Paris Peace Accords

Role range: 1948-1980

1975

March 1975

Spring Offensive Support

Minister of National Defence · Hanoi · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Supports the final military campaign that leads to reunification

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1948-1980

30 April 1975

Victory Assessment

General · North Vietnamese general · Hanoi · Warfare / Vietnam War, 2nd

Celebrates communist victory after decades of war

Role range: 1960-1975 – 1946-1975

1976

Deputy Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam · Hanoi · Government / Government of Vietnam

Continues as Deputy Prime Minister after national reunification

Role range: 1955-1991

1980

February 1980

Leaves Defence Ministry

Former Minister of National Defence · Hanoi · Government / Government of Vietnam

Leaves the Defence Ministry and is succeeded by Van Tien Dung

Role range: 1948-1980

1982

Leaves Politburo

Former Politburo Member · Hanoi · Government / Communist Party of Vietnam

Leaves the Politburo while remaining a senior national figure

Role range: 1951-1982

1991

August 1991

Retires from Government

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam · Hanoi · Government / Government of Vietnam

Leaves the deputy prime ministership after decades in government

Role range: 1955-1991

2013

4 October 2013

Death of Vo Nguyen Giap

Former General of Vietnam People's Army · Hanoi · Warfare / Military

Death of Vo Nguyen Giap in Hanoi at age one hundred and two

Role range: 1911-2013

Records, sources and methodology

These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.