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This article uses unpublished Vietnamese sources to study a special aspect of the Franco-Vietnamese War?: how the Democratic Republic of Vietnam used various methods in waging war in South Vietnam between August?1945 and?1951, when the leader of the South's army, Nguyen Binh, died. This little known military strategist dominated the waging of the war and military matters in the South. He played a key role, after the Second World War, in forming the South's army, one which he would transform from?1949 into more modern units. He stands out in particular because he did not hesitate to wage war by other means. Urban warfare was a military and political weapon for him, to be used simultaneously with ? classical ? warfare. The two could go together.