Like Mao, Giap emphasizes the importance of establishing bases for support from the people and bringing the people together under a common (political) cause. These bases are established in both 'free' areas and in the enemy's rear. He calls for the initial development of guerrilla bases in rural areas and for their use as springboards for attacks into more populated areas. Remaining in rural areas allows guerrillas to preserve their strength and to slowly wear down the enemy. Giap sees the slow encroachment of guerrilla control over the people and land as small, individual pockets which slowly increases in number and gradually unite. He also emphasizes the importance of what he calls 'self-reliance', i.e. small units supplying themselves locally and from what they can capture from the enemy on the battlefield and in the his rear.

From the political standpoint of pushing the cause of communism Giap sees the initial need to emphasize the eradication of the foreign oppression, i.e. the Japanese and French. For the local peasant this meant land redistribution, reduction of taxes etc. Both Mao and Giap used the defeat of the oppressor as the first goal and rallying point for the people- the establishment of communism would come later one can assume.

Giap (and Mao) believes in the importance of allowing local initiative under the umbrella of centralized control. He says that the guerrilla must operate at the small unit level, being both elusive and ubiquitous. The guerrilla fights small battles when success is guaranteed and so slowly attrites the enemy. He never allows the enemy to mass his forces against a lucrative guerrilla target. The guerrilla, however, should mass into conventional forces when the situation presents an assured destruction of the enemy. Giap's focus is on the enemy; the destruction of his forces is paramount.

When fighting the French Giap says that he sought to force them to disperse their forces into small units. He accomplished this by creating the appearance that Vietnamese guerrillas were everywhere. These small French units then became ideal targets for the guerrillas to mass against and destroy. With ever increasing success at this level Giap says he was then able to expand the guerrillas into conventional mobile forces. So while the French were forced to slowly disperse into smaller, relatively weak units, the Vietnamese were able to build their strength. One can see that Giap had the initiative; he was in control of the French and had placed them in a no-win situation. Giap says that if the French massed themselves many areas were left open to free movement and action by the Vietnamese and this left small outposts vulnerable. If they dispersed this left insufficient troops to create a mobile force to meet conventional communist forces, according to Giap. Giap's eventual strategy: 'Our position was...to pin down the enemy's main forces in the fortified camps, while choosing more favorable directions for our attack.'(4:167)

Having considered the principles and strategy of guerrilla warfare provided by two successful guerrilla commanders and theoreticians, one is now faced with the dilemma of how to defeat an insurgency. While history is replete with insurgency success stories, there have also been counterinsurgency victories as well; Malaya is an excellent example.