Republic of Vietnam Military Forces


The Republic of Vietnam Military Forces were the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam and were responsible for the defence of the country from 8 December 1950 to 30 April 1975. Its predecessor, the Vietnamese National Army, was the armed forces of the State of Vietnam, before it became a republic in 1955. The Republic of Vietnam Military Forces day has been celebrated in June 19 every years since 1965.

Branches

The QLVNCH was established on 26 October 1955 when the State of Vietnam became a republic after a rigged referendum. Created out from ex-French Union Army colonial Indochinese auxiliary units, gathered earlier on 8 December 1950 into the Vietnamese National Army or VNA, Armée Nationale Vietnamiènne in French, when France and Vietnam signed an international treaty on 8 December 1950. The treaty was based on the Franco-Vietnamese Summit in Đà Lạt on November 5, the conference estimated that within five years, the Vietnamese armed forces would consist of 115,000 men, with military equipment and weapons provided by the United States. In the first phase, France would lend officers to Vietnam, and the costs would be covered by U.S. aid and the Vietnamese budget. Although Vietnam as the State of Vietnam gained independence from France in 1949, its army was still controlled by the French until Vietnam's full independence was recognized on 4 June 1954. The armed forces of the new state consisted in the mid-1950s of ground, air, and naval branches of service, respectively, the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces day is also celebrated every years in 19 June
Their roles were defined as follows: to protect the sovereignty of the Vietnamese nation and that of the Republic; to maintain the political and social order and the rule of law; to defend the newly independent Republic of Vietnam from external threats; and ultimately, to help reunify Vietnam – divided since the Geneva Accords in July 1954 into two transitional states, one at the north ruled by Ho Chi Minh’s Lao Dong Party regime and the other in the south under Ngô Đình Diệm's authoritarian regime.

Command structure

Regional commands

The Republic of Vietnam Military Forces consisted of four military corps as follows:
I Corps headquartered in Da Nang, included five provinces:
Tactical zone 11, including 2 provinces Quang Tri and Thua Thien
Tactical zone 12, including 2 provinces Quang Tin and Quang Ngai
Quang Nam Special Zone, including Quang Nam Province and Da Nang City
II Corps headquartered in Nha Trang, but the 2nd Army Corps Command is located in Pleiku, included 12 provinces:
Tactical Zone 22, including 3 provinces Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Phu Bon
Tactical Zone 23, including 7 provinces Darlac, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Tuyen Duc, Quang Duc, Lam Dong and Cam Ranh city
Special area 24, including 2 provinces Kon Tum and Pleiku
III Corps headquartered in Bien Hoa, include 10 provinces:
Tactical Zone 31, including 3 provinces Tay Ninh, Hau Nghia, Long An
Tactical zone 32, including 3 provinces Phuoc Long, Binh Long, Binh Duong
Tactical Zone 33, including 4 provinces Binh Tuy, Phuoc Tuy, Long Khanh, Bien Hoa and Vung Tau city
Capital Military District of Saigon - Gia Dinh
IV Corps headquartered in Can Tho, included 16 provinces:
Dinh Tuong tactical zone, including 4 provinces Kien Tuong, Dinh Tuong, Go Cong, Kien Hoa
Tactical Zone 41, including 7 provinces Kien Phong, Chau Doc, Vinh Long, Vinh Binh, An Giang, Kien Giang, Sa Dec
Tactical Zone 42, including 5 provinces Phong Dinh, Chuong Thien, Ba Xuyen, Bac Lieu, An Xuyen
On July 1, 1970 the four Corps were redesignated as Corps Tactical Zones.

Criticism

The ARVN always had problems keeping men in the ranks, but during 1973–75, the problem reached epidemic proportions. During 1974, for example, only 65 percent of authorized manpower was present for duty at any time. The nation's officer corps still suffered from the promotion and retention of generals due to their political loyalties, not their professional abilities. Corruption and incompetence among officers was endemic, with some "raising it almost to an art form."
In 1972, General Creighton Abrams fumed at ARVN complaints that they lacked arms and equipment. He said: “The ARVN haven’t lost their tanks because the enemy tanks knocked them out. The ARVN lost their tanks because goddamn it, they abandoned them. And, shit, if they had the Josef Stalin 3, it wouldn’t have been any better.” He likewise harangued President Nguyen Van Thieu and chief of staff General Cao Van Vien: ''“Equipment is not what you need. You need men that will fight... You’ve got all the equipment you need... You lost most of your artillery because it was abandoned.”''

Leadership

First Republic (1955-1963)

President - Supreme Commander-in-chief : Ngo Dinh Diem
Minister of National Defense : Ngo Dinh Diem
Chief of the Joint General Staff :

Military junta (1963-1967)

Chief of State - Supreme Commander-in-chief :
Commander-in-chief
Minister of National Defense :
Chief of the Joint General Staff :

Second Republic (1967-1975)

President - Supreme Commander-in-chief :
Minister of National Defense :
Chief of the Joint General Staff :

Notable commanders

Army">Army of Republic of Vietnam">Army

Air Force">South Vietnam Air Force">Air Force

Navy">Republic of Vietnam Navy">Navy

Marine Division">Republic of Vietnam Marine Division">Marine Division

Airbone Division">Republic of Vietnam Airborne Division">Airbone Division

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Rangers">Vietnamese Rangers">Rangers

Presidential Guard">Presidential Guard (South Vietnam)">Presidential Guard

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Special Forces">Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces">Special Forces