army of the republic of vietnam
Posts containing references to the real life Army of the Republic of Vietnam, such as depictions of historical events, military vehicles, or soldiers with clear evidence of the colors or uniforms of South Vietnam.
History
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was the military arm of the anti-communist nation of South Vietnam, from the country's inception during the post-colonial division of Indochina in 1955, until the reunification of Vietnam in 1975. During those twenty years, ARVN was effectively in a constant state of war against communist forces: fighting both a guerilla insurgency in the south of the country against the National Liberation Front, and a conventional conflict in the north of the country against the North Vietnam's military arm, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN).
Even after the mass deployment of American and Allied forces in 1965, ARVN forces continued to bear the brunt of the fighting during the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, ARVN also became more and more tied to the politics of South Vietnam, and political officer appointments, corruption and factional infighting continually degraded the army's ability to continue the conflict. Despite these issues, ARVN's efforts continued to prove decisive, from 1967 to 1968 to 1972.
The withdrawal of Allied troops in 1973, end of American supplies in 1974, and PAVN offensive in 1975 together proved to be the death knell for South Vietnam. Though ARVN troops continued to fight bravely in places, even lacking arms and ammunition, the country they fought to defend was rapidly collapsing. On 30 April 1975, PAVN forces captured the South Vietnamese capital city of Saigon (modern day Ho Chi Minh City), and what was left of the South Vietnamese government either surrendered or fled. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam, and the country said army was pledged to defend, had ceased to exist.
