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How did the Viet Cong form and what were its goals?

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Vietnam War U.S. troops wading through a marsh in the Mekong delta, South Vietnam, 1967.

The Viet Cong emerged in the mid-1950s as a collection of diverse groups opposed to the government of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. Initially composed of elements from the Hoa Hao and Cao Dai religious sects, they were joined by former members of the southern Viet Minh.1

In 1960, the Viet Cong became the military arm of the National Liberation Front (NLF), a political organization formed to challenge the South Vietnamese government. While the NLF included both communists and non-communists, it was supported by the North Vietnamese Army, which provided guidance, weapons, and reinforcements.21

The movement’s primary goals were the overthrow of the South Vietnamese government and the reunification of Vietnam. To achieve these ends, the Viet Cong utilized guerrilla tactics, including sabotage, ambush, and terrorism, to maintain control over the countryside until the eventual collapse of the South Vietnamese government in 1975.21