General Vo Nguyen Giap was a prominent military leader in Vietnam known for his role in the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War. Born on August 25, 1911, he was a key strategist for the Viet Minh and later the North Vietnamese Army, leading successful campaigns against French colonial forces and later the United States. Giap's military tactics emphasized guerrilla warfare and the mobilization of the local population. His leadership contributed significantly to the defeat of the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and the eventual reunification of Vietnam in 1975. He is often regarded as one of the greatest military strategists of the 20th century.