Trần Hưng Đạo
Vietnamese military genius who repelled Mongol invasions three times
Trần Hưng Đạo (1228–1300), born Trần Quốc Tuấn, is celebrated as Vietnam's greatest military strategist. He orchestrated victories against the Mongol Yuan dynasty in 1258, 1285, and 1288 using revolutionary tactics for his time. His "scorched-earth policy" and naval ambush at Bạch Đằng River became legendary, employing submerged wooden stakes to trap enemy fleets during tidal changes.
What makes him truly unique was his advocacy of "people's war" philosophy centuries before modern theorists. He famously wrote in Dụ Chư Tỳ Tướng Hịch Văn:
"The people are like water – they can carry the boat or capsize it."This progressive view empowered peasants as combatants, a radical concept in 13th-century feudal societies.
After victories, he refused kingship despite popular support, demonstrating unprecedented political restraint. Modern Hanoi's Trần Hưng Đạo Temple remains a national symbol of resistance and wisdom.
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