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Viet Cong
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Viet Cong
See how the Viet Cong's successful guerrilla warfare pushed Lyndon Johnson toward the path of total war
Viet Cong
See how the North Vietnamese-backed Viet Cong launched surprise attacks across South Vietnam
Discover the effect of the Viet Cong's Tet Offensive on American morale despite the attack's failure
At a Glance
U.S. trooops of the 7th. and 9th. divisions wade through marshland during a joint operation on South Vietnam's Mekong Delta, April 1967.
Pop Quiz: 19 Things to Know About the Vietnam War
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Viet Cong
Viet Cong Viet Cong soldier standing with an AK-47, February 1973.

Viet Cong

Vietnamese military and political organization
Also known as: VC, Viet Nam Cong San, Vietnamese Communists
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Viet Cong (VC), the guerrilla force that, with the support of the North Vietnamese Army, fought against South Vietnam (late 1950s–1975) and the United States (early 1960s–1973). The name is said to have first been used by South Vietnamese Pres. Ngo Dinh Diem to belittle the rebels. Though beginning in the mid-1950s as a collection of various groups opposed to the government of President Diem, the Viet Cong became in 1960 the military arm of...

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