HISTORY

HERALDRY

Early Emblems

Post War Vietnam

Democratic Vietnam

Socialist Vietnam

Armed Forces

History

From early times North Vietnam has been in the sphere of influence of the Chinese Empire, for a long time as a part of the Empire, and sometimes, after a series of rebellions, as a vassal of it.

As a result of a civil war in the region that started in 1520, the Emperor of China sent a commission to study the political status of Annam in 1536. As a consequence of the delivered report, he declared war against Mạc Đăng Doanh. Mạc Đăng Doanh died at the very time that the Chinese armies passed the frontiers of the kingdom in 1537, and his father, Mạc Đăng Dung, the founder of the Mạc Dynasty, hurried to submit to the Imperial will, and declared himself to be a vassal of China. The Chinese declared that both the Lê Dynasty and the Mạc had a right to part of the lands and so they recognized the Lê rule in the southern part of Vietnam while at the same time recognizing the Mạc rule in the northern part, which was called Tunquin (i.e. Tonkin). This was to be a feudatory state of China under the government of the Mạc.

However, this arrangement did not last long. In 1592, Trịnh Tùng, leading the Royal (Trịnh) army, conquered nearly all of the Mạc territory and moved the Lê emperors back to the original capital of Hanoi. The Mạc only held on to a tiny part of north Vietnam until 1667, when Trịnh Tạc conquered the last Mạc lands.

In 1802 Tonkin was captured by Nguyen Phuc An (the later Gia Long.) who united it with Annam into the Empire of Viet Nam in 1806.

French protectorate

After the Sino-French War (1884–1885), Tonkin became a French protectorate. Effective French colonial administration lasted until World War II, when French Indochina was occupied by Japan.

Democratic Republic of Vietnam

In 1945, the Vietnamese resistance army Viet Minh arranged a massive relief effort. In northern Vietnam, the Japanese surrendered to the Chinese Nationalists. The Viet Minh then organized the “August Revolution” uprisings across the country. As a result Emperor Bao Dai abdicated on 25 August 1945 and surrendered his power to Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the Viet Minh. Bao Dai was made “supreme advisor”. On 2 September 1945 the Viet Minh-led government in Hanoi proclaimed the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam in Ba Đình Square. After the Viet Minh army had defeated the French at the battle of Dien Bien Phu (in Western Tonkin) in 1954, the republic was transformed into what became known as North Vietnam, consisting of Tonkin and North-central Vietnam.

In 1976 North Vietnam was united with South Vietnam into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Heraldry

Early Emblems

Trinh-cannon, 1677

No portraits of the Mac or Trinh Rulers are available but we may suppose that their robes were embroidered with a lion as this was the badge of a miltary official of the second rank. This is confirmed  by the sculptures of two generals from the 16th century, showing them with lions at their feet. Lions were also the badges of rank of their Nguyen adversaries in South Vietnam.

Lion badge, 16th century Tonkin.

A peculiarity is a cannon, cast in 1677, from the time of Trịnh Tạc (1657-’82) the conqueror of the last Mac lands. On it is a flower which could be interpreted to be the emblem of the Trinh dynasty. No other examples of this emblem are known to prove this hypothesis.

In the time of the Nguyen Empire the heraldic system of Tonkin was not different from the system of the Empire

Post War Viet-nam

Viet-nam Dan-chu Cong-Hoa

02.09.1945-1976

After the liberation a red flag was flown, in its blue canton three white stripes (meaning ‘South’).

By Constitution of 8 November 1946 a red flag was adopted charged with a yellow five-pointed star. This was the flag of the Viet Minh. The star, surrounded by a garland also served as a national emblem. After the division of Vietnam in two parts in 1954, a national emblem sovjet-style was adopted on 21 July 1956. It consists of the star from the flag and a cogwheel issuant below. It is surrounded by a garland of ears of rice tied with a red ribbon inscribed with the name of the country VIET NAM DAN CHU CONG HOA (Democratic Republic Vietnam).

Arms: Gules, a five-pointed star Or.

Garland: Ears of rice, on the junction a cogwheel Or, tied with a ribbon Gules with the

Motto: Viet-nam Dan-chu Cong-Hoa in golden lettering.

Adopted 21 July 1956

Cong-hoa Xa-hoi Chu-nghia Viet-nam

02.07.1976-present

On 2 July 1976 South Vietnam joined the Democratic Republic. For the united republic, at the time named Socialist Republic the emblem of the Democratic Republic was ised. The name of the country on the ribbon was changed into cong hoa xa hoi chu nghia viet nam (Socialistist Republic Vietnam). Besides a version of the emblem is used with the name viet nam only.

Arms: Gules, a five-pointed star Or.

Garland: Ears of rice, on the junction a cogwheel Or, tied with a ribbon Gules with the

Motto: Cong-hoa Xa-hoi Chu-nghia Viet-nam in golden lettering.

ð  See illustration in the head of this essay

Armed Forces

Arms of the General Staff

Army

Arms

Cap badge

Navy

Arms and Emblem

Air Force

Arms

Wings

Roundel

Police

Arms

Cap Badge