Trần Văn Trà

Vietnamese general who reshaped modern guerrilla warfare strategy during the Vietnam War

General Trần Văn Trà (1919–1996) played a decisive role in the Viet Cong's military success against superior US and South Vietnamese forces. As commander of the People's Liberation Armed Forces, he engineered the audacious Tet Offensive (1968), which shifted global perceptions of the war despite heavy casualties.

Trà's innovations included decentralized command structures and tunnel networks like Cu Chi, which neutralized American air superiority. His memoir Vietnam: History of the Bulwark B2 Theatre reveals his emphasis on protracted people's war—a blend of political mobilization and asymmetric tactics.

Post-war, Trà controversially advocated for transparency about Northern losses, leading to his political marginalization. Historians like Stanley Karnow credit his strategies with demonstrating how resource-poor armies could challenge superpowers, influencing insurgencies worldwide.