Trần Văn Quang

Trần Văn Quang (1917 – 3 November 2013) was a colonel general (three-star general) of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). He was a deputy chief of General Staff of PAVN and a deputy minister of Vietnam's Ministry of Defence. During the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, Quang was the head of Department of Operations.

Early years Born in 1917 in Nghi Lộc District, Nghệ An Province of Annam (French protectorate), Quang was a son of Trần Văn Năng – a Confucianist who was jailed by French colonial government for six months. His elder brother is Trần Văn Tăng – a teacher and revolutionist and member of New Revolutionary Party of Vietnam who was also jailed by the French and died in prison. His second elder brother is Trần Văn Cung, who was a Vietnamese revolutionary and was the secretary of the first communist cell in Vietnam. His young brother is Trần Văn Bành, who was a colonel of PAVN.

Quang joined the Communist Party of Indochina in 1936. Between 1938 and 1939, he was one of communist leaders in Saigon–Cho Lon. He was jailed by the French colonial administration in 1939, but he escaped in October 1940 and went to Nghệ An. In April 1941, he was caught again and was given a life sentence. In June 1945, he was freed. In May 1950 when the 304 Division was established, Quang became the political commissar of this division.

In 1958, he became a major general and the deputy chief of General Staff. In 1961, he went to Southern of Vietnam and became a member of Central Executive Committee of the People's Revolutionary Party who was in charge of military affairs.

Quang died on 3 November 2013 in Hanoi.