ABSTRACT
The Vietnamese Communists—the Viet Cong—are clearly embarked on a strategy very similar to the one they pursued in the war against the French. With the armistice and the subsequent proclamation of the Vietnamese Republic, the Communists in the south merely went underground, and the struggle for total conquest of Vietnam has continued ever since, directed and aided by the government of North Vietnam. Indeed, some observers maintain that entire Viet Cong operations are planned with the primary mission of capturing equipment from the Vietnamese army. North Vietnam's greatest contribution, at present, lies in furnishing guidance, moral support, trained cadres, and perhaps a limited amount of specialized equipment. The organized rebel forces flaunt their own flag and have an official organization for political action—the Committee for the Liberation of South Vietnam. In their efforts to win popular support, the Viet Cong are employing the familiar combination of persuasion and terror so successful in the past.
