Vietnamese Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap, one of the leading military figures in contemporary Asian history, died Oct. 4 at the age of 102. Mr. Giap was instrumental in the defeats of France and the United States during the decades-long war to unite Vietnam.

Those victories are a reminder of the critical importance of spirit and its ability to balance raw power. A country that is fighting for its survival and its sovereignty is a formidable opponent. That energy, properly directed as Mr. Giap managed to do, can prove insurmountable.

Born to a family of rice farmers, Mr. Giap was steeped in a fervent nationalism that yearned for Vietnamese independence from the French. He earned degrees in law and political economics, then taught at a private institution for elite Vietnamese. He is said to have been especially vocal on the subject of the French Revolution.