Formation of People's Army of Vietnam

Date: December 22, 1944 • Location: Huyện Đại Lộc, Viet Nam

World War II: The People's Army of Vietnam is formed to resist Japanese occupation of Indochina, now Vietnam.

The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) is the national military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the armed wing of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). The PAVN is the backbone component of the Vietnam People's Armed Forces and includes: Ground Force, Navy, Air Defence - Air Force, Border Guard and Coast Guard. Vietnam has not organized a formally-separated and structured ground force or army service command; instead, all ground troops, army corps, military districts and special forces are designated under the umbrella term "combined arms" and directly administered by the Ministry of National Defence, under the command of the CPV Central Military Commission, the Minister of National Defence, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army.