Beijingwalker
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- Nov 4, 2011
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Chinese Support for North Vietnam during the Vietnam War: The Decisive Edge
by Bob Seals
Best turn it into a bigger warIm afraid you really ought to send more troops to the SouthDont be afraid of U.S. intervention, at most its no worse than having another Korean War. The Chinese army is prepared, and if America takes the risk of attacking North Vietnam, the Chinese army will march in at once. Our troops want a war now.
-- Mao speaking to the North Vietnamese in 1964
So why did the powerful modern nations of France and the United States lose two wars in Vietnam to a third rate military power like North Vietnam? This is the logical question that many historians have asked and attempted to answer since the Second Vietnam War ended in April 1975 with the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese tanks.
This Chinese military support, to include equipment, advisors and planning assistance, provided from 1949-1975, would prove in both the First and Second Indochina Wars to be decisive. This substantial military support would give the Peoples Army of Vietnam an edge to resist Western forces and eventually subjugate the Republic of South Vietnam. This support, for various reasons, has never really been acknowledged by most popular histories of the conflict.
This is perhaps due to the fact that such acknowledgement of the massive Chinese military support provided challenges many cherished myths of Vietnamese Communist military brilliance and the heroic struggle against overwhelming western imperialists. Two recent histories bear this out. Case in point A Military History of China, edited by David A. Graff makes no mention of Chinese support for Vietnam while Bruce A. Ellemans Modern Chinese Warfare, 1795-1989, dismisses Chinese support in a mere two sentences.
However, unless this decisive Chinese support is properly understood by students of both Vietnam wars the answer to the question of why North Vietnam won will remain incomplete and misunderstood. This paper will attempt to outline the Chinese communist support in both wars and explain exactly why this support was so decisive.
China communist Party and North Vietnam power signed up agreements about PLA sent troops to Vietnam fight against American imperialist in 1965. At the same year, PLA send air defensive missile force, air defensive artillery, engineering force, railways troops, sweep mine team and shipping fleet and so on support North Vietnam. And carried on battle and supported tasks.
Chia total sent 320,000 troops to support North Vietnam until 1968 March, At the same time, China provided numerous military equipments and battle supplies. Include 170 planes, 140 ships and 500 tanks, 16000 trucks, cannon 37000, 2.16 millions guns ,bullets and shells add up to 12800 millions. In additional to these, and trained 6000 persons and technologists, through Vietnam war ,China gave an huge human power, finance, substance assistances for North Vietnam, count in supplies equality more the 20 billion dollars.
by Bob Seals
Best turn it into a bigger warIm afraid you really ought to send more troops to the SouthDont be afraid of U.S. intervention, at most its no worse than having another Korean War. The Chinese army is prepared, and if America takes the risk of attacking North Vietnam, the Chinese army will march in at once. Our troops want a war now.
-- Mao speaking to the North Vietnamese in 1964
So why did the powerful modern nations of France and the United States lose two wars in Vietnam to a third rate military power like North Vietnam? This is the logical question that many historians have asked and attempted to answer since the Second Vietnam War ended in April 1975 with the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese tanks.
This Chinese military support, to include equipment, advisors and planning assistance, provided from 1949-1975, would prove in both the First and Second Indochina Wars to be decisive. This substantial military support would give the Peoples Army of Vietnam an edge to resist Western forces and eventually subjugate the Republic of South Vietnam. This support, for various reasons, has never really been acknowledged by most popular histories of the conflict.
This is perhaps due to the fact that such acknowledgement of the massive Chinese military support provided challenges many cherished myths of Vietnamese Communist military brilliance and the heroic struggle against overwhelming western imperialists. Two recent histories bear this out. Case in point A Military History of China, edited by David A. Graff makes no mention of Chinese support for Vietnam while Bruce A. Ellemans Modern Chinese Warfare, 1795-1989, dismisses Chinese support in a mere two sentences.
However, unless this decisive Chinese support is properly understood by students of both Vietnam wars the answer to the question of why North Vietnam won will remain incomplete and misunderstood. This paper will attempt to outline the Chinese communist support in both wars and explain exactly why this support was so decisive.
China communist Party and North Vietnam power signed up agreements about PLA sent troops to Vietnam fight against American imperialist in 1965. At the same year, PLA send air defensive missile force, air defensive artillery, engineering force, railways troops, sweep mine team and shipping fleet and so on support North Vietnam. And carried on battle and supported tasks.
Chia total sent 320,000 troops to support North Vietnam until 1968 March, At the same time, China provided numerous military equipments and battle supplies. Include 170 planes, 140 ships and 500 tanks, 16000 trucks, cannon 37000, 2.16 millions guns ,bullets and shells add up to 12800 millions. In additional to these, and trained 6000 persons and technologists, through Vietnam war ,China gave an huge human power, finance, substance assistances for North Vietnam, count in supplies equality more the 20 billion dollars.
