10 definitions by VietnamWar  Giap served as minister of defense
and commander-in-chief of the People's Army of Vietnam. With the
outbreak of hostilities with South Vietnam, and later the United
States, Giap led North Vietnam's strategy and command. In 1967,
Giap oversaw the planning for the massive Tet Offensive. While
initially against a conventional attack, Giap's goals were both
military and political. In addition to achieving a military
victory, Giap desired the offensive to spark an uprising in
South Vietnam and show that American claims about the war's
progress were wrong. While the 1968 Tet Offensive proved to be a
military disaster for North Vietnam, Vo Nguyen Giap was able to
achieve some of his political objectives. The offensive showed
that North Vietnam was far from being defeated and significantly
contributed to changing American perceptions about the conflict.
Following Tet, peace talks began and the US ultimately withdrew
from the war in 1973. Following the American departure, Giap
remained in