At the Dien Bien Phu front in 1954 (Year of the Horse), General Vo Nguyen Giap's "war horse" style was most clearly shown in his observation and decisiveness. Instead of being hasty, he made a decision that he later called "the most difficult in his commanding career": Switching from "fight quickly, resolve quickly" to "fight surely, advance surely".
Instead of being hasty, he made a decision that he later called "the most difficult in a commander's life": Switching from "fight quickly, resolve quickly" to "fight surely, advance surely".
This change is not a step back, but a timely effort to prepare for a decisive leap.
In the book "Vo Nguyen Giap - Victory at All Costs" (published by Thai Ha Books and The Gioi Publishing House), American historian Cecil B. Currey dedicated respectful words to talk about General Vo Nguyen Giap's flexible military thinking:
He was never a rigid general. Like a clever warhorse, he knew when to stop to observe and when to gallop. The ability to change the entire combat plan right at G-hour in Dien Bien Phu is proof of a mind that is not constrained by any stereotypes.
According to the content in the book "Vo Nguyen Giap - Victory at all costs", the decision to pull the cannon in and then pull the cannon out to ensure the safety of soldiers and sure victory for the battle is a manifestation of patience and deep vision of a general who always puts human values first.
The image of a "war horse" in the General also lies in his incredible endurance. In the book, it is described that throughout 56 days and nights of "digging mountains, sleeping in bunkers, drizzle, squeezing rice", he and the soldiers overcame all limits of endurance.
According to the book "Vo Nguyen Giap - Victory at all costs", the general quietly coordinated each attack, taking care of each supply convoy. Like a galloping horse silently moving forward for the common goal, the presence of the Commander-in-Chief at the front became a great source of encouragement, helping our army and people maintain their will until the day of complete victory.
The Dien Bien Phu victory is not only limited to the numbers on the military map, but also proof of a great personality. General Vo Nguyen Giap showed the world that true strength does not come from advanced weapons, but from flexibility and passionate patriotism.
The book "Vo Nguyen Giap - Victory at all costs" describes General Giap as forever a general of the people, a military teacher with a kind but courageous heart. The story of the change in combat motto at Dien Bien Phu is still a valuable lesson about creativity and courage, inspiring many generations today and in the future.
Cecil B. Currey (1923-2013) is a professor of military history, who taught for 34 years at the University of South Florida (USA). Victory at all costs is the last book of the set of three books Cecil B. Currey wrote about Vietnam, after Self-destruction (1981) and Americans Worry (1988). The book is translated by Nguyen Van Su, 456 pages thick.
To write this book, Cecil B. Currey searched for thousands of different sources of documents, including conversations with both Vietnamese and American people. But the most notable were the direct conversations with General Giap. The first time Cecil B. Currey was received by General Giap and answered many questions as well as he provided many unique documentary photos (with some printed in the book) was in December 1988, when General Vo Nguyen Giap was 77 years old.
