General Staff (Vietnam People's Army)

General Staff (Vietnamese: Bộ Tổng tham mưu) is the commanding and managing organization of the Vietnam People's Army, the paramilitary forces, militia and other activities relating to defence of Vietnam. The General Staff was established on September 7, 1945, right after the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the first Chief of the General Staff was Major 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 organizing, 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 Lieutenant General Đỗ Bá Tỵ who also holds the position of Vice Minister of Defence.

History and roles

Right after the August Revolution and the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945, the General Staff was established on September 7, 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 May 1, 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 organization 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 Mnister of Defence.^[4] Following the demise of Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Khắc Nghiên, the current Chief of Staff is Senior Lieutenant General Đỗ Bá Tỵ.^[5]

Structure

The organization of the General Staff consists of:^[4]

• Bureau of the General Staff (Văn phòng Bộ Tổng tham mưu)
• Department of Politics (Cục Chính trị)
• Department of Operation (Cục Tác chiến)
• Department of Military Forces (Cục Quân lực)
• 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 Essential Affairs (Cục Cơ yếu)
• Department of Administrative Management (Cục Quản lý hành chính). This department is equivalent to a logistics body of the General Staff.
• Department of Schools (Cục Nhà trường)
• Department of Civil Defence (Cục Dân quân tự vệ)

Besides, the General Staff also directly manages the operation of the 144th Brigade, which undertakes the military control, two Colleges (Cao đẳng) No. 3 and No. 8, and several other units.

List of Chiefs of Staff

Notes

References