He was the son of a rice farmer. At the age of 14, he joined a secret nationalist movement. He graduated from Hanoi University with a doctorate, and taught history at a private school.
His family name "Vo" means "force" and his first name Giap means "strong armor".
He had a special interest in the military strategies of Napoleon. One student recalled that Vo could draw the French emperor's battle plans from memory. He published several books on military tactics.