Although the group named its own soldiers the People's Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF), the National Liberation Front has been memorialized by the American public as the Viet Cong, a name derived from Việt Nam Cộng-sản, or “Vietnamese communist.” The Viet Cong were a continuation of the Viet Minh, and many VC leaders had fought against French forces during the First Indochina War. The Viet Cong (VC), or the National Liberation Front, was the main political and armed communist opposition operating within South Vietnam. Learn more about the People’s Army of Vietnam. PAVN troops earned no respite from conflict, however, and in 1978 were on the frontlines of Vietnam’s war with Cambodia. PAVN troops suffered a significant amount of the North’s wartime casualties, with hundreds of thousands dead. Armed with tanks and artillery marched successfully on the South, ending the Vietnam War. Three years later, however, PAVN forces had recovered from their earlier offensive, and now stood strong with 685,000 troops. However, American airpower and ARVN resistance stifled this attack. With the coming American withdrawal, PAVN forces employed more conventional attacks, as was seen in the 1972 Easter Offensive. The army was well-motivated and politically indoctrinated, and often employed a mix of regular and irregular (guerilla) operations.
Soviet and Chinese advisers and supplies enhanced the fighting strength of PAVN forces. The People’s Army of Vietnam traces its lineage back to the Viet Minh fighters organized by Võ Nguyên Giáp during the war with France, with the formal separation of the PAVN coming by the end of 1950. Nevertheless, the two forces remained distinct. Additionally, officers, reinforcements, and supplies from PAVN forces were often funneled to the Viet Cong, which operated with PAVN troops frequently.
Like the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), the PAVN was divided into regular, regional, and security forces that each received different degrees of training and supplies. The People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN), popularly known as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), was the main branch of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
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