© 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. [8] A series of uprisings beginning in the Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre in January 1960 created "liberated zones", models of Viet Cong-style government. How did the Vietnam War affect American society? ASEAN Beat The True Origin of the Term 'Viet Cong' Contrary to some histories, the term "Viet Cong," like the war itself, was not a byproduct of the American presence in Vietnam. By the end of 1969, there was little communist-held territory, or "liberated zones", in South Vietnam, according to the official communist military history. In August 1945, Ho claimed control of Indochina during the August Revolution. [71] In May 1968, Trường Chinh urged "protracted war" in a speech that was published prominently in the official media, so the fortunes of his "North first" fraction may have revived at this time. Members generally referred to the Viet Cong as "the Front" (Mặt trận). Pushed into Cambodia, the Viet Cong could no longer draw South Vietnamese recruits. [41] The Soviets cut aid in 1964 as an expression of annoyance with Hanoi's ties to China. The Vietcong - The Vietnam War - Edexcel - GCSE History Revision ... - BBC By the terms of the Geneva Accord (1954), which ended the Indochina War, France and the Viet Minh agreed to a truce and to a separation of forces. Ngo Dinh Diem's . Was ist der unterschied zwischen vietminh und vietcong Click the card to flip d. Battlefield:Vietnam | Guerrilla Tactics - PBS [15] He argued adamantly that war with the United States was necessary to achieve unification. [42][nb 8] Even as Hanoi embraced China's international line, it continued to follow the Soviet model of reliance on technical specialists and bureaucratic management, as opposed to mass mobilization. Brian has nearly twenty years of experience teaching in classrooms and working as a private tutor for grades 7 through 12. The United States and its allies fought North Vietnam and its supporters between 1955 and 1975 in the conflict known as the Vietnam War. The Viet Minh, or, formally, the League for the Independence of Vietnam, was an overwhelmingly but not entirely communist-oriented guerrilla movement formed by Vietnamese nationalist and. The Viet Cong called for the unification of Vietnam and the overthrow of the American backed South Vietnamese government. Which country had control of Vietnam before the revolution? The Tet Offensive increased American public discontent with participation in the Vietnam War and led the U.S. to gradually withdraw combat forces and to shift responsibility to the South Vietnamese, a process called Vietnamization. However, his legacy lives on. [44] Hanoi was soon receiving up-to-date surface-to-air missiles. Tales of sensational murder and mayhem soon crowded the headlines. In March 1956, southern communist leader Lê Duẩn presented a plan to revive the insurgency entitled "The Road to the South" to the other members of the Politburo in Hanoi. De Fransen vochten tegen de Vietminh. 3. 139-140 (Frederick A. Praeger, 1967) The Vietnamese mourned the loss of what they considered a symbol of hope for an independent Vietnam. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. After Japan’s surrender to the Allies, they entered Hanoi on August 19. The Vietminh were a national liberation movement created in 1941 in order to chase the French and Japanese out of Vietnam, and in doing so gaining independence. What were the results of the Vietnam War? 1. SAT Subject Test US History: Practice and Study Guide, High School World History: Tutoring Solution, NY Regents Exam - Global History and Geography: Help and Review, NY Regents Exam - Global History and Geography: Tutoring Solution, NY Regents Exam - US History and Government: Help and Review, NY Regents Exam - US History and Government: Tutoring Solution, Middle School US History: Help and Review, Middle School US History: Tutoring Solution, SAT Subject Test World History: Tutoring Solution, SAT Subject Test US History: Tutoring Solution, World Conflicts Since 1900: Certificate Program, Create an account to start this course today. Beginning in February 1970, Lê Duẩn's prominence in the official media increased, suggesting that he was again top leader and had regained the upper hand in his longstanding rivalry with Trường Chinh. He founded the Vietnamese Communist Party in Hong Kong on Feb. China had become communist in 1949 and communists were in control of North Vietnam. For nearly five decades, Ho Chi Minh spearheaded the movement for Vietnamese independence from colonial powers, and is considered one of the most prominent revolutionaries of the 20th century. [16] But as China and the Soviets both opposed confrontation at this time, Lê Duẩn's plan was rejected and communists in the South were ordered to limit themselves to economic struggle. He was a founder of the Indochinese Communist Party and the League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh). The Viet Cong led the fight against the South Vietnamese government under Ngo Dinh Diem, and eventually against troops from the United States. The first was the Central Intelligence Agency's covert action known as the Phoenix Program, which worked to assassinate Viet Cong agents and to undermine its hold on villages. Although most of their weapons, uniforms, and equipment were provided by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, the North Vietnamese also carried arms captured from the French and even the Japanese in the earlier Indochinese wars. When Ho chi Minh created the party, his basics aims were not just use Vietminh as a political party but also as a guerilla tactic resolution. He served as the President of North Vietnam and engaged in diplomacy with China and the Soviet Union, maintaining support from both throughout the war. [56] After Thanh's death in July, Giáp was assigned to implement this plan, now known as the Tet Offensive. Geneva Accords & 1954 Conference | What were the Geneva Accords? This meant that they had to retreat when the enemy attacked, pursue when they retreated, attack when they tired and raid when they camped. the vietminh formed initially in vietnam to A. create a communist government B. create a pro-western government C. win independence from france D. win independence from japan D. what two events convinced truman to help france in vietnam A. the fall out of china to communism and the outbreak of the korean war Later communist offensives were conducted predominantly by the North Vietnamese. Vietcong Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com It fought under the direction of North Vietnam against the South Vietnamese and United States governments during the Vietnam War. [12] Within a few months, the Viet Cong had been driven into remote swamps. Am 20. [17] Lê Duẩn's blueprint for revolution in the South was approved in principle, but implementation was conditional on winning international support and on modernizing the army, which was expected to take at least until 1959. While the organization also had political leadership, it was primarily concerned with military action and comprised the forces that fought against the United States and its allies during the Vietnam War. Who was Ho Chi Minh? One country would band with another to create a barrier to communism. Hanoi gave the regroupees military training and sent them back to the South along the Ho Chi Minh trail in the late 1950s and early 1960s. ©2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Military forces of the non-communists regrouped in South Vietnam, which became a separate state. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. For nearly five decades, Ho Chi Minh spearheaded the movement for Vietnamese independence from colonial powers, and is considered one of the most prominent revolutionaries of the 20th century. [67] U.S. President Lyndon Johnson and Westmoreland argued that panicky news coverage gave the public the unfair perception that America had been defeated. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. The Vietminh discovered in the late 1940s and 1950s how successful their guerrilla tactics could be against a well-equipped conventional army. About 75,000 communist soldiers were killed or wounded, according to Trần Văn Trà, commander of the "B-2" district, which consisted of southern South Vietnam. Vietnam had been a French colony before World War II started. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/peoplescentury/episodes/guerrilla... https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/tet. These views helped pave the way for the burgeoning ideas of communism that would sweep over Europe and Asia in the early 20th century. The USA were unable to defeat the Vietcong and were met with growing opposition to the war back home.. Dương Quỳnh Hoa and Phùng Văn Cung, along with other dissidents, met with communists to form the National Liberation Front...", Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, Alliance of National, Democratic and Peace Forces, Viet Cong and PAVN logistics and equipment, Viet Cong and PAVN strategy, organization and structure, Viet Cong and People's Army of Vietnam use of terror in the Vietnam War, "Program of the National Liberation Front of South Viet-Nam", Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic, "Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam (1969–1975)", "The Swedish-American Conflict over Vietnam", "Origins of the Insurgency in South Vietnam, 1954–1960", "The History Place — Vietnam War 1945–1960", United States Army Center of Military History, "A Dark Glimpse From Eddie Adams's Camera", "Failure of the Viet Cong to establish liberation committees", "Victory in Vietnam: The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 1954–1975 (book review)", "Vietnam: History of the Bulwark B2 Theatre", Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam, Tet Offensive 1968, US Embassy & Saigon fighting, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Viet_Cong&oldid=1153081749, Defunct political party alliances in Asia, History of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Military units and formations of the Vietnam War, Articles containing Vietnamese-language text, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 May 2023, at 03:23. Many sections of the original Ho Chi Minh trail still exist, some having been incorporated into the Ho Chi Minh Highway, which connects the northern and southern regions of Vietnam. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. The Viet Cong was successful at harassing American and Republic of Vietnam Army troops, and at indoctrinating many villagers across the south in both communist doctrine and in nationalist sentiments directed against the American presence. Ho also served as the president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) from 1945 until his death in 1969. The Viet Cong was dissolved when North and South Vietnam were unified. After a . He was a founder of the Indochinese Communist Party, the League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh), the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong), and served as the president of the Democratic State of Vietnam (North Vietnam) from 1945 until his death in 1969. The Viet Minh forces liberated considerable portions of northern Vietnam, and after the Japanese surrender to the Allies, Viet Minh units seized control of Hanoi and proclaimed the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Significant Events in the First Indochina War, Guerrilla Warfare in Vietnam | Overview, Viet Cong & Methods, U.S. Involvement in Vietnam | History, Politics & War, Causes of American Defeat in the Vietnam War, The Vietnam Ground War: U.S. Military Strategy & Policy. [27], Two regional command centers were merged to create the Central Office for South Vietnam (Trung ương Cục miền Nam), a unified communist party headquarters for the South. Viet Minh | Ho Chi Minh & Viet Cong - Video & Lesson Transcript - Study.com It decided to send money, supplies and military advisers to help the South Vietnamese Government. Ho hoped to appeal to President Woodrow Wilson's campaign for self-determination at the Versailles Conference in 1919. Updated on August 09, 2019. [80] With U.S. bombing ended, communist logistical preparations could be accelerated. Also, while younger generations may challenge the notion of the collective good over that of the individual, nationalist pride and independence, the goals that the Viet Minh pursued for a great part of the twentieth century, remain. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. The United States provided financial support to France’s fight against Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh from the 1940s until direct U.S. involvement. Corrections? - Timeline, Causes & Effects, William Jennings Bryan: Biography, Accomplishments & Scopes Trial, Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community, Recount the rise of Ho Chi Minh as a leader in Vietnam after WWI, Recall some details of Viet Minh's fight with France during WWII as they strove for nationally recognized freedom, Point out the success of the First Indochina War and the resulting division of the country. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. "[74] The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968 led to intense Sino-Soviet tension and to the withdrawal of Chinese forces from North Vietnam. [52] Viet Cong death squads assassinated at least 37,000 civilians in South Vietnam; the real figure was far higher since the data mostly cover 1967–72. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. a. The 1972 Easter Offensive was a direct North Vietnamese attack across the DMZ between North and South. Viet Cong (VC) | Definition, Tactics, & History | Britannica He decided to change his birth name to Nguyen Ai Quoc, which translated to Nguyen the Patriot. After years of vicious fighting, France finally succumbed to Ho and the Viet Minh after a devastating defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in May 1954. Difference between Vietminh and the Vietcong? - Answers The official Vietnamese history gives the group's name as the Liberation Army of South Vietnam or the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLFSV; Mặt trận Dân tộc Giải phóng miền Nam Việt Nam). Faced with not one, but now two foreign occupiers, Ho Chi Minh saw armed insurrection as the last hope for Vietnamese independence. Weapons of the Vietnam War - Wikipedia Regardless, the Viet Minh forces were unrelenting. Ho and General Giap facilitated the establishment of a guerrilla movement in the south that would be under their control and include both natives of South Vietnam and northerners who ventured into the south. flashcard sets. Vietcong: [noun] a guerrilla member of the Vietnamese Communist movement. The Vietcong were also soldiers, trained to fight in the tactics of guerrilla warfare. They were replaced by the organization known as the Viet Cong (officially called the National Liberation Front,) which was a South Vietnamese communist revolutionary and nationalist organization. First Indochina War | Battle of Dien Bien Phu & the Geneva Conference. The Viet Cong created the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam in December 1960 at Tân Lập village in Tây Ninh as a "united front", or political branch intended to encourage the participation of non-communists. While the Indochinese Communist Party was a political organization guided primarily by Marxist-Leninst ideology, Ho and his lieutenants, Vo Nguyen Giap and Pham Van Dong, created the Viet Minh to appeal primarily to nationalist sentiments. The Vietcong and North Vietnam were supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and China who supplied money and weapons. In 1924, Ho improved his understanding of communism after attending the 5th Communist International. [58] In January and February 1968, some 80,000 Viet Cong struck more than 100 towns with orders to "crack the sky" and "shake the Earth. [nb 4] In 1969, the Viet Cong created the "Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam" (Chính Phủ Cách Mạng Lâm Thời Cộng Hòa Miền Nam Việt Nam), abbreviated PRG. [76] Although 1970 was a much better year for the Viet Cong than 1969,[76] it would never again be more than an adjunct to the PAVN. Why did the Vietnamese reject French rule? Did the Viet Minh and Viet Cong work together? Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "accfce05001ac4cb94a3a294cd92a84d" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. [57] Funeral processions were used to smuggle weapons into Saigon. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. US history ch 26 section 1 Flashcards | Quizlet [56][nb 9] He submitted a plan to Hanoi in May 1967. The Viet Cong - Jstor The Viet Cong used these tactics against the US military and ARVN. The name is said to have first been used by South Vietnamese Pres. The Viet Minh is known as nationalist, it was formed in opposition against Japanese and French colonial rule in North Vietnam. The truth was that Tet cost us half our forces. As a tribute to Ho, the Vietnamese renamed Saigon, the capital of the RVM, Ho Chi Minh City following the communist victory in the Vietnam War in 1975. The USA was afraid that communism would spread to South Vietnam and then the rest of Asia. Dies führte zur Gründung der „Nationalen Front für die Befreiung Südvietnams" (NFB). The differences between the Viet Minh and the Viet Cong are both chronological and geographic. presidency. The Viet Cong operated in the South of Vietnam, fighting against the pro-American southern government, with support from the North Vietnamese Army. "[8] Thọ, a lawyer and the Viet Cong's "neutralist" chairman, was an isolated figure among cadres and soldiers. [63], The offensive was undertaken in the hope of triggering a general uprising, but urban Vietnamese did not respond as the Viet Cong anticipated. There was also a U.S. presidential election in 1964. Under the agreement, Vietnam was to be reunited following internationally supervised elections in 1956. Latest answer posted April 09, 2021 at 3:53:04 PM. [61] A photo by Eddie Adams showing the summary execution of a Viet Cong in Saigon on February 1 became a symbol of the brutality of the war. VIETCONG speech - 710 Words | Studymode Ho's quest for independence was stymied again. In that battle, Viet Minh soldiers, under the leadership of General Vo Nguyen Giap, encircled French forces and, following months of attacks on the French position, compelled the colonial forces to surrender, ending the era of French imperialism in Southeast Asia. The organization's leaders soon began an attempt to root out counter-revolutionaries in their territory, which cost them their popularity. Upon returning to Indochina in 1941, Ho sparked a nationalist campaign to win Vietnamese independence from France. The Vietminh was the revolutionary army operating in Vietnam when it was under the French flag, and their organization and tactics were conventional. Discover how the United States worked with the communist Viet Minh against the Japanese in World War II, Pop Quiz: 19 Things to Know About the Vietnam War, Note how the Viet Minh's guerrilla tactics confined French troops to the cities in the First Indochina War, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Viet-Minh. Further, his Viet Minh guerrillas fought against the Japanese in the mountains of South China. [82], Activists opposing American involvement in Vietnam said that the Viet Cong was a nationalist insurgency indigenous to the South. [66] Tet had a profound psychological impact because South Vietnamese cities were otherwise safe areas during the war. Ho Chi Minh, the communist-nationalist leader of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) during the First Indochina War and Vietnam War, was born Nguyen Sinh Cung in 1890 in the northern province of Nghe An in Indochina. [8] The earliest citation for Viet Cong in English is from 1957. © copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. [46] Six thousand documents were captured, revealing the inner workings of the Viet Cong. At the end of the war, a peace agreement signed in Geneva, led to the temporary division of Vietnam into North and South. For instance, a raid at Tam Dao internment camp in Tonkin on July 19, 1945 saw 500 Viet Minh kill fifty Japanese soldiers and officials, freeing French civilian captives and escorting them to the Chinese border. A founder of the Indochinese Communist Party in 1930 and the League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh) in 1941, Ho Chi Minh also served as the president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) from 1945 until his death in 1969. Who was Ho Chi Minh and what did he do? Dezember 1960 verkündete diese im Rundfunk ihr Programm, welches Ziel sie bis 1975 verfolgte. [Vietnam] Vietminh, Vietcong en het verschil - YouTube Following liberation from Japanese occupation, the Viet Minh turned its guns on the French soldiers sent to recolonize what was called French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia). c. If one country would pay for their freedom, the others will follow. After the reunification of the country (1976), Viet Minh leaders continued to take an active role in Vietnamese politics. [84] They said some statements issued by communist leaders in the 1980s and 1990s suggested that southern communist forces were influenced by Hanoi. [57] General William Westmoreland, the U.S. commander, received reports of heavy troop movements and understood that an offensive was being planned, but his attention was focused on Khe Sanh, a remote U.S. base near the DMZ. The Viet Minh recruited Vietnamese citizens with a broad range of beliefs. Log in here. Latest answer posted September 27, 2017 at 8:14:50 PM. After France fell to Germany in 1940, Japan seized control of Vietnam, but allowed French officials and troops to administer the country. [40] The "special war" and "strategic hamlets" policies allowed Saigon to push back in 1962, but in 1963 the Viet Cong regained the military initiative. The Viet Cong were South Vietnamese supporters of the communist National Liberation Front in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War (known in Vietnam as the American War). [38] U.S. President John F. Kennedy decided in November 1961 to substantially increase American military aid to South Vietnam. For the next eight years, the Viet Minh, led by General Vo Nguyen Giap, waged a bloody insurgency against the French in what came to be known as the First Indochina War (1946-1954). CIA. [13] France withdrew its last soldiers from Vietnam in April 1956.[14]. Ho Chi Minh led the movement for Vietnamese independence from colonial powers, and is considered one of the most prominent revolutionaries of the 20th century. The Viet Minh -- which means "League for Vietnamese Independence" -- was a political coalition formed in 1941. What is the difference between Vietminh and the Vietcong? Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, was the occasion of the January 30, 1968 surprise simultaneous offensive across South Vietnam against Viet Cong units. 1945 proklamierte die Viet-Minh das unabhängige Vietnam; sie erhob sich 1946 gegen die andauernde französische Herrschaft (. What was the outcome of the Vietnam War? The True Origin of the Term 'Viet Cong' - The Diplomat [35] About 40,000 communist soldiers infiltrated the South in 1961–63. The Viet Minh were instrumental in forcing the eventual withdrawal of French troops from Vietnam, but only after France was humiliated at the battle of Dien Bien Phu, which ran from March to May 1954. They also waged a mass murder campaign against civilian hamlets and refugee camps; in the peak war years, nearly a third of all civilian deaths were the result of Viet Cong atrocities. The Viet Cong[nb 1] (can be abbreviated as VC, sometimes spelled as Vietcong), officially the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam,[nb 2] was an armed communist organization in South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Vietcong definition, a Communist-led army and guerrilla force in South Vietnam that fought its government and was supported by North Vietnam. It had both guerrilla and regular army units, as well as a network of cadres who organized and mobilized peasants in the territory the Viet Cong controlled. [9] American soldiers referred to the Viet Cong as Victor Charlie or V-C. "Victor" and "Charlie" are both letters in the NATO phonetic alphabet. For many Vietnamese, he remains the figurehead of the country. Việt Minh - Wikipedia North Vietnam established the Viet Cong on December 20, 1960, at Tân Lập village in Tây Ninh Province to foment insurgency in the South. Latest answer posted May 12, 2021 at 1:53:46 PM. France. After a series of failed negotiations and minor conflicts between the French and Viet Minh, Ho orchestrated a large-scale war effort against France, which is known as the First Indochina War, and lasted from 1946 to 1954. The Viet Minh was instrumental in Vietnamese resistance to French occupation and the Indochinese War fought between Vietnam and France. Ho believed the Marxist model of uniting the labor class against the capitalist class would translate to uniting the peasants of Vietnam against the oppressive policies of colonial France. Whether you’re studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers. Desiring "businesslike" relations, the Kremlin favored incumbent, Trà begins, "How did the B2 theater carry out the mission assigned it by the Military Commission of the Party Central Committee?" The offensive riveted the attention of the world's media for weeks, but also overextended the Viet Cong. Many American soldiers were exposed to Agent Orange and other chemicals during their time in Vietnam. Viet Minh Vs Viet Cong - eNotes.com Also discover the difference between Viet Minh vs. Viet Cong. Many of the Viet Cong's core members were volunteer "regroupees", southern Viet Minh who had resettled in the North after the Geneva Accord (1954). [75] After the overthrow of Prince Sihanouk in March 1970, the Viet Cong faced a hostile Cambodian government which authorized a U.S. offensive against its bases in April. After a crushing defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in May of 1954, France was finally forced out of Vietnam. At the victory parade, Tạng noticed that the units formerly dominated by southerners were missing, replaced by northerners years earlier. "It is a major irony of the Vietnam War that our propaganda transformed this debacle into a brilliant victory. [Vietnam] Vietminh, Vietcong and the difference - YouTube Open to all political groups and organizations, communist and non-communist alike, the Viet Minh became a quasi-military force that called on soldiers, workers, peasants, intellectuals, civil servants, merchants, young men and women to drive out the French and Japanese usurpers. See more. Vietminh vs. Vietcong: See the Difference | Dictionary.com While Vietnam remains a communist country today, it's economy over the last several decades has transitioned toward a more capitalist, free market model, engaging in global trade.