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
President of Vietnam
Branch Active duty
Type Staff
Part of Ministry of Defence
Vietnam People's Army
Garrison/HQ Hanoi
Commanders
Current Chief of General Staff Col.Gen Phan Văn Giang
First Chief of General Staff Gen. Hoàng Văn Thái

The 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 Senior Lieutenant General (AKA Colonel General) Phan Văn 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 Senior Lt Gen Võ Văn Tuấn in 2016, Senior Lt Gen Phan Văn Giang became the new Chief of Staff.

Structure

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

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

  • Office of the General Staff (Văn phòng Bộ Tổng tham mưu)
  • Department of Political Affairs (Cục Chính trị)
  • Department of Operations (Cục Tác chiến)
  • Department of Personnel (Cục Quân lực)
  • Department of Military Intelligence (Cục Tình báo)
  • Department of Information Technology (Cục Công nghệ thông tin)
  • Department of Electronic Warfare (Cục Tác chiến điện tử)
  • Department of Politico-Military Training (Cục Quân huấn). This is also the office responsible for the sport activities of the Army including the operation of the Thể Công football club.
  • Department of Cartography (Cục Bản đồ)
  • Department of Cryptography (Cục Cơ yếu)
  • Department of Logistics (Cục Hậu cần)
  • Department of Schools (Cục Nhà trường)
  • Department of Civil Defence (Cục Dân quân tự vệ)
  • Department of Search and Rescue (Cục Cứu hộ cứu nạn)

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 (Đoàn Nghi lễ quân đội), and several companies and project management authorities.

Chief of the General Staff

The Chief of the General Staff (Vietnamese: Tổng tham mưu trưởng) is the chief of staff of the General Staff of the People's Army of Vietnam. He is appointed by the President of Vietnam, who is the Commander-in-Chief.

List of Chiefs of General Staff

№ Chief of General StaffTook officeLeft officeTime in officeDefence branchMinister of DefencePresident
1
Thái, Hoàng VănArmy General
Hoàng Văn Thái
(1915–1986)
[lower-alpha 1]		7 September 194519537–8 years
Ground forces		Chu Văn Tấn
(1945 – 1946)
Phan Anh
(1946 – 1946)
Võ Nguyên Giáp
(1946 – 1947)
Ta Quang Buu
(1947 – 1948)
Võ Nguyên Giáp
(1948 – 1980)		Hồ Chí Minh
(1945 – 1969)
2
Dũng, Văn TiếnArmy General
Văn Tiến Dũng
(1917–2002)
[lower-alpha 2]		195319540–1 years
Ground forces		Võ Nguyên Giáp
(1948 – 1980)		Hồ Chí Minh
(1945 – 1969)
(1)
Thái, Hoàng VănArmy General
Hoàng Văn Thái
(1915–1986)		195419540 years
Ground forces		Võ Nguyên Giáp
(1948 – 1980)		Hồ Chí Minh
(1945 – 1969)
(2)
Dũng, Văn TiếnArmy General
Văn Tiến Dũng
(1917–2002)		1954197823–24 years
Ground forces		Võ Nguyên Giáp
(1948 – 1980)		Hồ Chí Minh
(1945 – 1969)
Tôn Đức Thắng
(1969 – 1980)
3
Tấn, Lê TrọngArmy General
Lê Trọng Tấn
(1914–1986)
[lower-alpha 3]		19785 December 1986 †7–8 years
Ground forces		Võ Nguyên Giáp
(1948 – 1980)
Văn Tiến Dũng
(1980 – 1987)		Trường Chinh
(1981 – 1987)
4
Anh, Lê ĐứcArmy General
Lê Đức Anh
(born 1920)
[lower-alpha 4]		5 December 198616 February 198773 days
Ground forces		Văn Tiến Dũng
(1980 – 1987)		Võ Chí Công
(1987 – 1992)
5
Khuê, ĐoànArmy General
Đoàn Khuê
(1923–1999)
[lower-alpha 5]		16 February 198710 August 19914 years, 175 days
Ground forces		Lê Đức Anh
(1987 – 1991)		Võ Chí Công
(1987 – 1992)
6
Luyện, Đào ĐìnhColonel General
Đào Đình Luyện
(1929–1999)
[lower-alpha 6]		10 August 1991December 19954 years, 3 months
Air Force		Đoàn Khuê
(1991 – 1997)		Võ Chí Công
(1987 – 1992)
Lê Đức Anh
(1992 – 1997)
7
Trà, Phạm VănArmy General
Phạm Văn Trà
(born 1935)
[lower-alpha 7]		December 199529 December 19972 years
Ground forces		Đoàn Khuê
(1991 – 1997)		Lê Đức Anh
(1992 – 1997)
8
Lịch, Đào TrọngLieutenant General
Đào Trọng Lịch
(1939–1998)
[lower-alpha 8]		29 December 199722 May 1998 †144 days
Ground forces		Phạm Văn Trà
(1997 – 2006)		Trần Đức Lương
(1997 – 2006)
9
Dũng, Lê VănArmy General
Lê Văn Dũng
(born 1945)
[lower-alpha 9]		22 May 1998May 20012 years, 11 months
Ground forces		Phạm Văn Trà
(1997 – 2006)		Trần Đức Lương
(1997 – 2006)
10
Thanh, Phùng QuangArmy General
Phùng Quang Thanh
(born 1949)
[lower-alpha 10]		May 200131 August 20065 years, 3 months
Ground forces		Phạm Văn Trà
(1997 – 2006)		Trần Đức Lương
(1997 – 2006)
11
Nghiên, Nguyễn KhắcColonel General
Nguyễn Khắc Nghiên
(1951–2010)
[lower-alpha 11]		31 August 200613 November 2010 †4 years, 74 days
Ground forces		Phùng Quang Thanh
(2006 – 2016)		Nguyễn Minh Triết
(2006 – 2011)
12
Ty, Đỗ BáArmy General
Đỗ Bá Tỵ
(born 1954)
[lower-alpha 12]		22 November 201021 May 20165 years, 190 days
Ground forces		Phùng Quang Thanh
(2006 – 2016)		Nguyễn Minh Triết
(2006 – 2011)
Trương Tấn Sang
(2011 – 2016)
13
Giang, Phan VănColonel General
Phan Văn Giang
(born 1960)
[lower-alpha 13]		21 May 2016Incumbent2 years, 144 days
Ground forces		Ngô Xuân Lịch
(since 2016)		Trần Đại Quang
(since 2016)

Chairmen of Chief of Staff by branches of service

  • Air Force – 1
  • Army – 12
  • Navy – 0

Notes

  1. ↑ Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Leader of Vietcong from 1967 - 1973, Deputy Chief of Staff from 1974 to 1986.
  2. ↑ Later elected to Minister of Defence, Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam.[5]
  3. ↑ Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of Central Committee, died in 1986.[6]
  4. ↑ Later elected to President of Vietnam, Member of the Politburo.[7]
  5. ↑ Later elected to Minister of Defence, Member of the Politburo.[8]
  6. ↑ Held at the same time the position of Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of the Central Committee.
  7. ↑ Later elected to Minister of Defence, Member of the Politburo.
  8. ↑ Deputy Minister of Defence, member of Central Committee, died in an aircraft crash in 1998.[9]
  9. ↑ Later elected to Director of the General Department of Politics, Secretary of the Central Committee.
  10. ↑ Later elected to Minister of Defence, Member of the Politburo.
  11. ↑ Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of the Central Committee, died in 2010 of cancer.[10]
  12. ↑ Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of the Central Committee. Later elected to Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam
  13. ↑ Deputy Minister of Defence, Member of the Central Committee.[11] m

References

  1. ↑ Ministry of Defence (2009), White book, p. 110
  2. ↑ Mai Phương (7 September 2007). "Gặp mặt truyền thống các thế hệ cán bộ" (in Vietnamese). Qdnd.vn.
  3. ↑ "Hoàng Văn Thái" (in Vietnamese). Từ điển Bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010.
  4. 1 2 Ministry of Defence (2009), White book, p. 53
  5. ↑ "Văn Tiến Dũng" (in Vietnamese). Từ điển Bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010.
  6. ↑ "Lê Trọng Tấn" (in Vietnamese). Từ điển Bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010.
  7. ↑ "Lê Đức Anh" (in Vietnamese). Từ điển Bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010.
  8. ↑ "Đoàn Khuê" (in Vietnamese). Từ điển Bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010.
  9. ↑ "Bay qua đỉnh Phy Phả Xây" (in Vietnamese). Tuoitre.com.vn. 6 June 2005.
  10. ↑ "Nguyễn Khắc Nghiên" (in Vietnamese). National Assembly of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010.
  11. ↑ "Vietnam's new chief of general staff appointed". e.vnexpress.net/. 22 May 2016.

References

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