Editing People's Army of Vietnam (section)

==History==
===Before 1945===
{{See also|Military history of Vietnam}}
The first historical record of Vietnamese military history dates back to the era of [[Hồng Bàng]], the first recorded state in ancient Vietnam to have assembled military force. Since then, military plays a crucial role in developing Vietnamese history due to its turbulent history of wars against China, [[Champa]], Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

The [[Nam tiến|Southern expansion]] of Vietnam resulted in the destruction of Champa as an independent nation to a level that it did not exist anymore; total destruction of [[Luang Prabang]]; the decline of Cambodia which resulted in Vietnam's annexation of [[Mekong Delta]] and wars against Siam. In most of its history, the Royal Vietnamese Armed Forces was often regarded to be one of the most professional, battle-hardened and heavily trained armies in [[Southeast Asia]] as well as [[Asia]] in a large extent.

===Establishment===
[[File:Vo Nguyen Giap, Vietminh forces, 1944.jpg|left|thumb|General [[Võ Nguyên Giáp]] on the date of the PAVN's establishment in 1944. Chief of General Staff [[Hoàng Văn Thái]] wearing a [[pith helmet]] and holding the flag.]]
The PAVN was first conceived in September 1944 at the first Revolutionary Party Military Conference as the '''Information, Communication and Education Unit of the Liberation Army''' (alternatively translated as the '''Vietnam Information, Communication and Education Liberation Army''', {{Lang|vi|Việt Nam Tuyên truyền Giải phóng Quân}}) to educate, recruit and mobilise the Vietnamese to create a main force to drive the [[History of Vietnam#Colonization|French colonial]] and [[French Indochina in World War II|Japanese occupiers]] from Vietnam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indochine54.free.fr/vm/vietminh.html#top|title=Viet Minh|first=Nowfel|last=Leulliot|work=free.fr|access-date=11 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105234426/http://indochine54.free.fr/vm/vietminh.html#top|archive-date=5 November 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Vietnam People's Army, foundation and development |url=http://mod.gov.vn/en/vpa |access-date=16 Feb 2023 |website=[[Ministry of Defence (Vietnam)|Viet Nam Ministry of National Defence]]}}</ref> Under the guidelines of [[Ho Chi Minh|Hồ Chí Minh]], [[Võ Nguyên Giáp]] was given the task of establishing the brigades and the Propaganda Unit of the Liberation Army came into existence on 22 December 1944. The first formation was made up of thirty-one men and three women, armed with two revolvers, seventeen rifles, one light machine gun, and fourteen breech-loading flintlocks.<ref>Macdonald, Peter (1993). ''Giap: The Victor in Vietnam'', pp. 32</ref> It fought the PAVN's first ever engagement at the [[Battles of Khai Phat and Na Ngan]] against French soldiers in late 1944. The [[United States]]' [[Office of Strategic Services|OSS]] agents, led by [[Archimedes Patti]] – who was sometimes referred as the first instructor of the PAVN due to his role - had provided ammunitions as well as logistic intelligence and equipment. They also helped train these soldiers, who formed the backbone of the  Vietnamese military to successfully fight the Japanese and other opponents. For instance, the PAVN's July 19, 1945 attack at Tam Dao internment camp in [[Tonkin (French protectorate)|Tonkin]] saw 500 soldiers kill fifty Japanese soldiers and officials, freeing French civilian captives and escorting them to the Chinese border. The PAVN also fought the [[21st Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|Japanese 21st Division]] in Thai Nguyen that year, and regularly raided rice storehouses to alleviate an [[Vietnamese famine of 1944–1945|ongoing famine]].<ref>Hanyok, Robert (1995). "Guerillas in the Mist: COMINT and the Formation and Evolution of the Viet Minh 1941-45". (p.107).</ref>

There was another separate communist army called the '''National Salvation Army''' (''Cứu quốc quân'') which was founded and commanded by [[Chu Văn Tấn]] on 23/2/1941.

On 15/5/1945 the Propaganda Liberation Army merged with the National Salvation Army into the '''Vietnam Liberation Army''' (''Việt Nam Giải phóng Quân'') on 15 May 1945.<ref name="EarlyDays">{{Cite web|url=http://indochine54.free.fr/vm/early.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522020332/http://indochine54.free.fr/vm/early.html|url-status=dead|title=Early Days :The Development of the Viet Minh Military Machine|archive-date=22 May 2010|website=indochine54.free.fr|access-date=8 May 2023}}</ref> The [[Democratic Republic of Vietnam]] was proclaimed in [[Hanoi]] by [[Ho Chi Minh]] and [[Vietminh]] on 2 September 1945. Then in September, the army was renamed the Vietnam '''National Defence Force''' (''Việt Nam Vệ quốc Đoàn'').<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cổng TTĐT Bộ Quốc phòng Việt Nam|url=http://www.mod.gov.vn/vn/danh-sach/sa-qdndvn/sa-qdndvn-lstt/sa-qdndvn-lstt-qctk|website=mod.gov.vn}}</ref><ref name="EarlyDays"/> At this point, it had about 1,000 soldiers.<ref name="EarlyDays"/> On 22 May 1946, the army was called the '''National Army of Vietnam''' (''Quân đội Quốc gia Việt Nam'', not to be confused with the opposite [[Vietnamese National Army]] of the France-associated [[State of Vietnam]] which had a synonymous English name and exactly the same Vietnamese name). Lastly, in 1950, it officially became the '''People's Army of Vietnam''' (or '''Vietnam People's Army''', ''Quân đội Nhân dân Việt Nam'').<ref name=":0" />

Võ Nguyên Giáp went on to become the first full general of the PAVN on 28 May 1948, and famous for leading the PAVN in victory over French forces at the [[Battle of Dien Bien Phu]] in 1954 and being in overall command against U.S. backed [[South Vietnam]] at the [[Fall of Saigon]] on 30 April 1975.

===French Indochina War===

{{main article|First Indochina War}}
On 7 January 1947, its first regiment, the 102nd 'Capital' Regiment, was created for operations around [[Hanoi]].<ref>Conboy, Bowra, and McCouaig, ''The NVA and Vietcong'', Osprey Publishing, 1991, p.5</ref>  Over the next two years, the first division, the [[308 Division (Vietnam)|308th Division]], later well known as the Pioneer Division, was formed from the 88th Tu Vu Regiment and the 102nd Capital Regiment. By late 1950 the 308th Division had a full three infantry regiments, when it was supplemented by the 36th Regiment. At that time, the 308th Division was also backed by the 11th Battalion that later became the main force of the [[312th Division (Vietnam)|312th Division]]. In late 1951, after launching three campaigns against three French strongpoints in the [[Red River Delta]], the PAVN refocused on building up its ground forces further, with five new divisions, each of 10–15,000 men, created: the [[304th Division (Vietnam)|304th Glory Division]] at [[Thanh Hóa]], the 312th Victory Division in Vinh Phuc, the [[316th Division (Vietnam)|316th Bong Lau Division]] in the northwest border region, the [[320th Division (Vietnam)|320th Delta Division]] in the north Red River Delta, the [[325th Division (Vietnam)|325th Binh Tri Thien Division]] in Binh Tri Thien province. Also in 1951, the first artillery Division, the [[351st Artillery-Engineer Division (Vietnam)|351st Division]] was formed, and later, before [[Battle of Dien Bien Phu]] in 1954, for the first time in history, it was equipped with 24 captured 105mm US howitzers supplied by the Chinese [[People's Liberation Army]]. The first six divisions (308th, 304th, 312th, 316th, 320th, 325th) became known as the original PAVN 'Steel and Iron' divisions. In 1954, four of these divisions (the 308th, 304th, 312nd, 316th, supported by the 351st Division's captured US howitzers) defeated the [[French Union]] forces at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, ending 83 years of French rule in Indochina.

The [[French Foreign Legion]] had been deployed to combat the Vietnamese insurgency during the First Indochina War. However, some of the legionnaires, such as [[Stefan Kubiak]], deserted after witnessing torture of Vietnamese peasants at the hands of French troops and began fighting for the [[Viet Minh|Việt Minh]], volunteering to join the PAVN.<ref name="dantri">{{cite web|url=https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/chuyen-ve-nguoi-linh-le-duong-mang-ho-bac-ho-1399178601.htm|title=Chuyện về người lính lê dương mang họ Bác Hồ|author=Hoàng Lam|date=2014-04-29|website=dantri.com.vn|publisher=Dân trí|access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref><ref name="naszahistoria">{{cite web|url=https://naszahistoria.pl/ho-chi-toan-jak-polski-dezerter-zostal-bohaterem-ludowego-wietnamu/ar/11916979|title=Ho Chi Toan. Jak polski dezerter został bohaterem ludowego Wietnamu|last=Rodak|first=Wojciech|date=2017-03-24|website=naszahistoria.pl|access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref><ref name="wp">{{cite web|url=https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/ho-chi-toan-polak-w-mundurze-wietnamskiej-armii-6126038350481537a|title=Ho Chi Toan - Polak w mundurze wietnamskiej armii|last=Schwarzgruber|first=Małgorzata|date=2015-02-18|website=wiadomosci.wp.pl|publisher=[[Wirtualna Polska]]|access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref>

===Vietnam War===
{{main article|Vietnam War}}
[[File:Pavnattack.jpg|thumb|North Vietnamese troops in Vietnam War, 1967]]
[[File:Nvamarch2.jpg|thumb|[[Infiltration tactics|Infiltrators]] on the move in Laos down the Ho Chi Minh trail.]]

Soon after the [[1954 Geneva Conference|1954 Geneva Accords]], the 330th and 338th Divisions were formed by southern Viet Minh members who had moved north in conformity with that agreement, and by 1955, six more divisions were formed: the 328th, 332nd and 350th in the north of the [[North Vietnam]], the 305th and the [[324th Division (Vietnam)|324th]] near the [[Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone|DMZ]], and the 335 Division of soldiers repatriated from [[Laos]]. In 1957, the theatres of the war with the French were reorganised as the first five military regions, and in the next two years, several divisions were reduced to brigade size to meet the manpower requirements of collective farms.

By 1958, it was becoming increasingly clear that the [[South Vietnam|South Vietnamese government]] was solidifying its position as an independent republic under [[Ngô Đình Diệm]], who staunchly opposed the terms of the Geneva Accords, which required a national referendum on unification of north and south Vietnam under a single national government.  North Vietnam prepared to settle the issue of unification by force.

In May 1959, the first major steps to prepare infiltration routes into [[South Vietnam]] were taken; [[Group 559]] was established, a logistical unit charged with establishing routes into the south via Laos and [[Cambodia]], which later became famous as the [[Ho Chi Minh trail]]. At about the same time, Group 579 was created as its maritime counterpart to transport supplies into the South by sea. Most of the early infiltrators were members of the 338th Division, former southerners who had been settled at [[Xuan Mai]] from 1954 onwards.

Regular formations were sent to South Vietnam from 1965 onwards; the 325th Division's 101B Regiment and the 66th Regiment of the 304th Division met U.S. forces on a large scale, a first for the PAVN, at the [[Battle of Ia Drang]] in November 1965. The 308th Division's 88A Regiment, the 312th Division's 141A, 141B, 165A, 209A, the 316th Division's 174A, the 325th Division's 95A, 95B, the 320A Division also faced the U.S. forces which included the [[1st Cavalry Division (United States)|1st Cavalry Division]], the [[101st Airborne Division]], the [[173rd Airborne Brigade]], the [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]], the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]] and the [[25th Infantry Division (United States)|25th Infantry Division]]. Many of those formations later became main forces of the [[3rd Division (Vietnam)|3rd Division]] (Yellow Star Division) in Binh Dinh (1965), the [[5th Infantry Division (Vietnam)|5th Division]] (1966) of 7th Military Zone (Capital Tactical Area of ARVN), the [[7th Division (Vietnam)|7th]] (created by 141st and 209th Regiments originated in the 312th Division in 1966) and [[9th Division (Vietnam)|9th Divisions]] (first Division of National Liberation Front of Vietnam in 1965 in Mekong Delta), the 10th Dakto Division in Dakto – [[Central Highlands (Vietnam)|Central Highlands]] in 1972.

On 20 December 1960, anti-government forces in South Vietnam joined to form a united front called [[Vietcong|National Liberation Front of South Vietnam]] (''Mặt trận Dân tộc Giải phóng Miền Nam Việt Nam'') or simply known as the Vietcong in the United States. On 15 December 1961, the NLF established its own military called [[Liberation Army of South Vietnam]] (LASV) to fight against the American supported [[Army of the Republic of Vietnam]]. The LASV was controlled and equipped by the PAVN.

General [[Trần Văn Trà]], one-time commander of the [[COSVN|B2]] Front (Saigon) HQ confirms that even though the PAVN and the LASV were confident in their ability to defeat the regular ARVN forces, U.S. intervention in Vietnam forced them to reconsider their operations. The decision was made to continue to pursue "main force" engagements even though "there were others in the South – they were not military people – who wanted to go back to guerrilla war," but the strategic aims were adjusted to meet the new reality.

<blockquote>We had to change our plan and make it different from when we fought the Saigon regime, because we now had to fight two adversaries — the United States and South Vietnam. We understood that the U.S. Army was superior to our own logistically, in weapons and in all things. So strategically we did not hope to defeat the U.S. Army completely. Our intentions were to fight a long time and cause heavy casualties to the United States, so the United States would see that the war was unwinnable and would leave.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historynet.com/interview-with-nva-general-tran-van-tra.htm |title=Interview with PAVN General Tran Van Tra |access-date=7 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106200506/http://www.historynet.com/interview-with-nva-general-tran-van-tra.htm |archive-date=6 January 2014 |url-status=live |date=2006-06-12 }}</ref></blockquote>

During the Vietnamese Lunar New Year [[Tết|Tết holiday]] starting on 30 January 1968, the PAVN/VC launched a general offensive in more than 60 cities and towns throughout south of Vietnam against the US Army and [[Army of the Republic of Vietnam]] (ARVN), beginning with operations in the border region to try and draw US forces and ARVN troops out of the major cities. In coordinated attacks, the [[Tet Offensive attack on US Embassy|U.S Embassy in Saigon]], Presidential Palace, [[Tet offensive attack on Joint General Staff Compound|Headquarters of the Joint General Staff]] and [[Republic of Vietnam Navy]], TV and Radio Stations, [[Tet Offensive attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base|Tan Son Nhat Air Base]] in Saigon were attacked by commando forces known as "đặc công". This offensive became known as the "[[Tet Offensive]]". The PAVN sustained heavy losses of its main forces in southern military zones. Some of its regular forces and command structure had to escape to Laos and Cambodia to avoid counterattacks from US forces and ARVN, while local guerrillas forces and political organisations in South Vietnam were exposed and had a hard time remaining within the [[Mekong Delta]] area due to the extensive use of the [[Phoenix Program]].

Although the PAVN lost militarily to the US forces and ARVN in the south, the political impact of the war in the United States was strong.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/O-W/The-Vietnam-War-and-Its-Impact-Political-lessons.html |title=Political lessons – The Vietnam War and Its Impact |publisher=Americanforeignrelations.com |access-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325123259/http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/O-W/The-Vietnam-War-and-Its-Impact-Political-lessons.html |archive-date=25 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Public demonstrations increased in ferocity and quantity after the Tet Offensive. During 1970, the 5th, 7th and 9th Divisions [[Cambodian campaign|fought in Cambodia]] against U.S., ARVN, and Cambodian [[Khmer National Armed Forces]]. The PAVN gained new allies: the [[Khmer Rouge]] and guerrilla fighters supporting deposed Prime Minister [[Norodom Sihanouk|Sihanouk]]. In 1975 the PAVN were successful in aiding the [[Khmer Rouge]] in toppling [[Lon Nol]]'s U.S.-backed regime, despite heavy US bombing.

After the withdrawal of most U.S. combat forces from [[Indochina]] because of the [[Vietnamization]] strategy, the PAVN launched the ill-fated [[Easter Offensive]] in 1972. Although successful at the beginning, the South Vietnamese repulsed the main assaults with U.S. air support. Still North Vietnam retained some South Vietnamese territory.

Nearly two years after the full U.S. withdrawal from Indochina in accordance with the terms of the 1973 [[Paris Peace Accords]], the PAVN launched a [[1975 spring offensive|Spring offensive]] aimed at overthrowing the South Vietnamese government and uniting Vietnam under communist rule. Without direct support of the U.S., and suffering from stresses caused by dwindling aid, the ARVN was ill-prepared to confront the highly motivated PAVN, and despite the on paper superiority of the ARVN, the PAVN quickly secured victory within two months and [[Fall of Saigon|captured Saigon]] on 30 April 1975, ending the 20 year Vietnam war.

After national reunification, the LASV was officially merged into PAVN on 2 July 1976.

===Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1975–1991)===

{{main article|Cambodian–Vietnamese War|Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1979–1991)}}
<!-- [[WP:NFCC]] violation: [[File:H 4 ill 639759 cambodia-phnom penh-1979-61.jpg|thumb|VPA-led forces defeat [[Khmer Rouge]] forces and take Phnom Penh in 1979]] -->
Towards the second half of the 20th century the armed forces of Vietnam would participate in organised incursions to protect its citizens and allies against aggressive military factions in the neighbouring Indochinese countries of Laos and Cambodia, and the defensive border wars with China.
* The PAVN had forces in Laos to secure the Ho Chi Minh trail and to militarily support the [[Pathet Lao]]. In 1975 the Pathet Lao and PAVN forces succeeded in toppling the [[Kingdom of Laos|Royal Laotian regime]] and installing a new, and pro-Hanoi government, the Lao People's Democratic Republic,<ref>Christopher Robbins, ''The Ravens: Pilots of the Secret War in Laos.'' Asia Books 2000.</ref> that rules Laos to this day.
* Parts of Sihanouk's neutral Cambodia were occupied by troops as well. A pro US coup led by [[Lon Nol]] in 1970 led to the foundation pro-US [[Khmer Republic]] state. This marked the beginning of the [[Cambodian Civil War]]. The PAVN aided [[Khmer Rouge]] forces in toppling Lon Nol's government in 1975. In 1978, along with the [[FUNSK]] Cambodian Salvation Front, the Vietnamese and Ex-Khmer Rouge forces succeeded in toppling [[Pol Pot]]'s [[Democratic Kampuchea]] regime and installing a new government, the [[People's Republic of Kampuchea]].<ref>David P. Chandler, ''A history of Cambodia'', Westview Press; Allen & Unwin, Boulder, Sydney, 1992</ref>
* During the [[Sino-Vietnamese War]] and the [[Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1979–1991)]], Vietnamese forces would conduct cross-border raids into Chinese territory to destroy artillery ammunition. This greatly contributed to the outcome of the Sino-Vietnamese War, as the Chinese forces ran out of ammunition already at an early stage and had to call in reinforcements.
* While occupying Cambodia, Vietnam launched [[Vietnamese border raids in Thailand|several armed incursions into Thailand]] in pursuit of Cambodian guerrillas that had taken refuge on the Thai side of the border.