Abstract
dc:descriptionThis study traces the evolution of the Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN) as the embodiment of Vietnam’s enduring negotiation between continental tradition and maritime transformation. For centuries, geography, ideology, and political economy confined Vietnamese strategic thinking to a continental–riverine framework, prioritizing land defense over oceanic projection. The sea, once peripheral, gradually became central as Vietnam’s leaders reinterpreted their historical defensive ethos within a maritime context. Rooted in nationalism and Marxism–Leninism, the modern VPN emerged after 1945 as a politically controlled, resource-efficient coastal force—an institution shaped as much by ideology and self-reliance (tự lực tự cường) as by combat necessity. Vietnam’s strategic culture—defensive realism, asymmetric pragmatism, and strategic autonomy—remains the connective tissue linking this heritage to contemporary naval modernization. The Đổi Mới reforms of 1986 and subsequent resolutions transformed the sea into a “living space” for development and sovereignty, while the 1988 Johnson South Reef clash catalyzed doctrinal innovation through “people’s warfare at sea.” Since the early 2000s, pragmatism has become Vietnam’s strategic hallmark, producing a layered, denial-oriented naval modernization that balances deterrence with diplomacy. The VPN now operates between modern and postmodern paradigms: a force simultaneously prepared for combat and engaged in cooperative security through naval diplomacy, reflecting Hanoi’s “bamboo diplomacy” of flexibility and independence. The navy’s partnership with the Vietnam Coast Guard and the maritime militia—its lawship–warship continuum—illustrates how a small state integrates military, constabulary, and civilian instruments into a coherent maritime posture. Together, these forces extend Vietnam’s defensive culture seaward, enabling calibrated responses to gray-zone coercion while sustaining deterrence. The VPN’s evolution demonstrates how a historically continental nation has redefined its strategic identity without abandoning its defensive foundations. Ultimately, Vietnam’s naval transformation reveals that strategic culture, when guided by restraint and adaptability, can turn constraint into strength and geography into a source of strategic resilience.
Degree
thesis:*- Grantor dc:publisher
- UNSW, Sydney
- Year dc:date
- 2026
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Nguyen, Phuong
Subjects
dc:subject × 7Rights
dc:rights- Statement dc:rights
-
- embargoed access
- CC BY 4.0
- Language dc:language
- en
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Identifier
- https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/32599