Vietnamese National Army
| Vietnamese National Army | |
|---|---|
| Quân đội Quốc gia Việt Nam (Vietnamese) | |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Disbanded | 1955 |
| Leadership | |
| Chief of State | See list |
| Chief of the General Staff | See list |
| Personnel | |
| Active personnel | As of July 1954:
|
| Related articles | |
| History | First Indochina War (1950–1954) Battle of Saigon (1955) |
The Vietnamese National Army (VNA; Vietnamese: Quân đội Quốc gia Việt Nam, lit. 'Military of the State (or Nation) of Vietnam', chữ Hán: 軍隊國家越南; French: Armée Nationale Vietnamienne, lit. 'Vietnamese National Army') was a State of Vietnam's military force officially created on 8 December 1950, after the Élysée Accords took effect on 14 June 1949 when Vietnam was recognized by France as an "independent" country ruled by Emperor Bảo Đại. It was commanded by Vietnamese General Hinh and was loyal to Bảo Đại. The VNA fought in joint operations with the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps (CEFEO) against the communist Việt Minh forces led by Ho Chi Minh and Võ Nguyên Giáp. Different units within the VNA fought in a wide range of campaigns including the Battle of Nà Sản (1952), Operation Hautes Alpes (1953), Operation Atlas (1953) and the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954).
It should not be confused with the opposing Communist-led military force which has once adopted the synonymous name National Army of Vietnam (also Quân đội Quốc gia Việt Nam) in about the same period but then soon renamed itself as the existing Vietnam People’s Army. With the departure of the French Far East Expeditionary Corps from Indochina in 1956, the VNA was reorganized as the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces.