The North in the South?

North/South up to 1960
Even though many Vietminh fighters moved North, tens of thousands remained in the South. There
were thousands of "Freedom fighters" in the South with one order - return north when free and fair
elections are held.

Until 1959, Ho was no supporting them in any efforts to attack Diem. In fact they were ordered to
bury their weapons and become absorbed in Southern life. Before 1959 Ho actively discouraged
supporters in the South from attacking Diem's regime. Hanoi wanted to be seen to be abiding by the
Geneva agreements and was bitterly opposed about whether consolidation in the North should take
priority over liberation of the South/

Why?
USSR and China were urging constraint and Hanoi was dependent on them
Didn't want to provoke an American attack
North couldn't afford to support a struggle such as this
North expected to win the 1956 elections

A change of Policy - why?
Diem's policy of repression was so brutal and there was a risk that the South might be totally
annihilated
Southern comrades were pleading for help
The leading Southern communist was Le Duan. In 1957 he moved North and became a part of
the politburo and was able to promote the Southern cause.
Southern communists were beginning to take things into their own hands and the late 1950s
there were frequent small scale attacks

A Change of Policy - What?
May 1955, Central Committee in Hanoi established a branch of the Party called Group 559.
Purpose was to facilitate movement of supplies and troops from North to South. In addition,
cadres were being sent from the North
The insurgents were not officially part of the NVA but it was supported by them. However, as
time wore on, Northern control of NLF increased. 1959, North governing Politburo created
COSVN: the Central Office for South Vietnam to coordinate activities in the South.
Run by Le Duan, Le Duc Tho and 4 other politburo members

Formation
January 1959 - 15th CP Plenum finally adopted a policy of Revolutionary violence to overthrow
Diem's Government and liberate Vietnam - idea was not to 'overtake' the south, but 'liberate'
the south. Ideologically, very different - one is aggressive, one is assistance
20th December 1960 the NLF was formed and it appealed broadly to the people of the South
Incorporated variety of anti-Diem groups: Indigenous Southerners, Northerners sent South,
southerners who had moved north and now returned.
Avoided Marxist identity
Given the derogatory term (Diem or US?) of Vietcong. (Vietnamese Commies - 'commies',
'communists')
In an essay, use either 'NLF' or 'Vietcong' but be consistent ('NLF' is easier to write though)

Organisation
By 1963 Regional Officers presided over 20 zones throughout South Vietnam, each controlled
by an NLF member. Zones were further subdivided into districts and villages all linked
vertically to the Central Committee.
Like Lao Dong, the NLF embraced every aspect of Vietnamese society: youth groups, women's
issues, agricultural reforms
NLF was based on: liberation and ongoing struggle. The struggle was in 2 parts: political and
military. Overthrow Diem and oust the Americans and their goal dovetailed perfectly with
Vietnam's historic and socio-cultural traditions.
Many Southerners joined and many more supported with food, safety and intelligence info.

The NLF had a 10 point program, including:
o Democratic freedom
o Land of the tiler
o Independence from imperialist domination (US)
Re unification with the North (peaceful)
o Neutral foreign policy and relations with Laos and Cambodia

Regular force of 5500 along with an irregular force of 30,000 guerrillas. The force was
reorganised into the People's Revolutionary Army which comprised both paramilitary units of
villagers involved in classic guerrilla tactics and regular soldiers
The cell = 3 people, 3 cells = square, three squads = platoon

Appeal
Land was offered as an incentive to join the guerrillas -> peasant support
Extremely effective recruitment tool -> mass establishment of bases
Villagers were allowed to distribute land amongst themselves
Groups encouraged to be self-sufficient and to use initiative infiltration and espionage
widespread
Cadres generally 'popular and respected' (CIA report)

Front similar to the original Viet Minh proposed, to make it clear that the struggle originated
from the South and disguise communist involvement

Success
It contained in its ranks and in it hierarchy, people from all walks of life. Its foundation
president was Nguyen Huu Tho was the son of a rubber plantation worker . Tho rose from
poverty and eventually studied law in Paris. He returned and became politically active
Warnings were given to collaborators (teachers, civil servants) to cease their collaboration
with the regime, I the warnings weren't heeded the retribution would be swift and violent. In
1961, 4000 people were assassinated by the VC.
They were under strict instructions to respect the people they were fighting for and spent a
great deal of time and effort educating the people - particularly about land reform
Many of Diem's policies, e.g. Agrovilles, just played into the NLF's hands
BY end of 1961 it is estimated that the NLF controlled 80% of the countryside
BY 1963 the VC had become so successful the Southern regime was on the verge of collapse






North Vietnam
Political
o The division of Vietnam at the 17
th
parallel didnt satisfy the political aims of Ho Chi
Minh
o However the north accepted the terms because Ho anticipated the economic, and
thus political downfall of the south
o Initially the North wasnt in a position to assume control of the whole country 0
militarily or politically
o Ho was anticipating an election in the next two years, in which he would win
o Just in case free election werent held a large number of arms and ammunition
was left behind and hidden in the south
Huge whole left in the north after separation. Factories and merchants
packed and left big economic whole in north
o The departure of the Catholics removed a significant source of opposition to the
north Vietnam Government
o The reforms implemented caused a destructive period in North Vietnam and in 1956
Ho Chi Minh professed that errors have been committed
o In the period to 1957, North Vietnam relied heavily on both the Soviet Government,
and the Chinese for industrial support
o While conflict between China and Soviet Union occurred, North Vietnam maintained
neutrality
o However after 1957, when growth of industries, such as coal production, transport,
electricity reliance on them decreased
o However military reliance continued
Economic
o Since most of the fighting of the 1
st
Indo- Chinese war had occurred in the North
production capacity was severely damaged food production down
o The division between the north and the south cut off the north from its major food
supplier the Mekong valley
o During the French-Indochina war the infrastructure (bridges, roads, buildings etc)
had been severely damaged
o Further exacerbated by the refugees moving south while departing they
dismantled and stripped harbour installations, post offices, hospitals, and factories
o A solution to the economic ruin in North Vietnam was the implementation of the
Agricultural reform Tribunals 1955
This was to supervise:
The redistribution of land to the peasants from the landlords
Peasants received equal land, however, it was owned by the state
under the communist regime
The purging of those deemed to be landlords and other feudal
elements
The Vietminh deemed 5% of the population to fir this category
Not popular with anyone
o The Agricultural Reforms and the resultant land redistribution did mean that by
1957, North Vietnam had achieved self-sufficiency in rise production
o 1958 North Vietnam government abandoned the Tribunals in favour of Co-
operativisation plans an attempted to win back the peasant population
o Based on the principle that each village shared the work and responsibility amongst
its members- 1960 86% was working and live in this structure
o From the Geneva Conference to 1960 Vietnam had changed from a country in
famine to the country with the fastest growing economy in South-East Asia
Social
o Due to the drop in production of food, due to above points i.e. damage inflicted by
war, and loss of major source of food supplies there was a severe shortage of food
o Consequently a severe famine was rife
o Famine was alleviated in some sense by the departing refugees heading south
largely Catholics, however some sources suggest that up to 300000 Buddhists also
went South
o The Vietminh believed everybody should adopt the correct attitude a proletariat
attitude
o To be a member of this new society, a Vietnamese must have fought against the
French trained in bloodshed
o You had been jailed and tortured by the French
o Renounce loyalties to your family
o Cadres who implemented the reforms and found those 5% disloyal to North Vietnam,
often did so with enthusiasm atrocities were committed
o They executed anyone who had worked for the French, or those deemed not to
have sufficient enthusiasm and support for the Vietminh
o Often Peasants brought about false accusations of a neighbour to protect
themselves
o The restructuring of agriculture and growth of industry caused great difficulties on
all levels of Vietnamese society
Military
o Peasant uprising were subdued example November 1956 revolt led Ho Chi Minh
to send a decision to put it down (similar to French style)
o 6000 were killed or deported in that one uprising alone












South Vietnam
Political
o Ngo Dinh Diem was ill-prepared to assume control of the country as w whole
o Diem preferred to consolidate his power in the South
o Within a year of the Geneva conference, Diem had consolidated his position in South
Vietnam
o He dethroned Bao Dai (emperor) in October 1955 by means of a rigged referendum
o South Vietnam left the French Union and Diem declared the independent state of
the Republic of Vietnam (RVN)
o Diem made his family the core of the political structure they were extremely
inefficient
o The south Vietnamese government- became significantly dictatorial and it started
to resemble a totalitarian state
o An elaborate ideology
o Ordinance 47: made it illegal to be, or to be associated, with communists
o Many were killed or imprisoned as a result
o A single party government
o After 1956 the only legal political party was the Can Lao led by Diems brother Nhu
o Other political challengers were eliminated
o A System of Terror
o The Can Lao also acted as a Military secret police making Gestapo raids and using
torture
o Near monopoly over communications
o Newspapers were closed down, and strict censorship laws were passed
o Control over the Army
o Diem created a personal army
o Centralised Economy
o A state economic sector was established in 1957, introducing a planned, centralised
economy which was directed by 5 year plans
Social
o The difference between the city life with ample luxuries and US imports, and the
countryside continued to widen
o The South attempted to eliminate the threat of Vietcong relocating entire villages
and then establishing fortified and protected villages 0 this was the Argoville Plan
introduced by Ngo Ding Nhu (Diems Brother)
Vietcong Supporters of Ho, but lived in the South
o Villages were expected to move from their place of homage, relocate in new villages
where they had to build their own houses equipment bought from Nhu
o Peasant opposition rendered the plan obsolete abandoned in early 1961
o However the strategic Hamlet Project followed it with US advisers and finance
o Again peasants were expected to relocate in armed and protected villages and
rebuild their homes and to construct fortifications
o However the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) were unable to screen villages
of each Strategic Hamlet often villages were Vietcong (VC) or National Liberation
Front (NLF)
Same group
o They couldnt make the targets and the Strategic Hamlet project as part of the
winning of hearts and minds (WHAM) failed after Diems death
o The real effect was that it turned the peasants against both the USA and the
Republic of Vietnam
o Om 1956, Diem abolished elections in the villages for the village officials instead thy
were to be appointed by the Diem Government
o The peasantry was oppressed and exploited