People's Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam

The People's Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam (PLAF), or Viet Cong's army was the official army of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam. The PLAF forces were independent of the People's Army of Vietnam. The PLAF was unofficially established after 1954 and was recognized as main battle forces in South Vietnam by North Vietnam in 1961. The PLAF forces were outside of the control of the People's Army of Vietnam, but politically tied to the PAVN, because more than half of the PLAF forces were members of the Communist Party.

According to 1954 Geneva agreements, the Viet Cong were not compulsorily removed to the North because it was a political entity, not a military force. North Vietnamese support for the Viet Cong to establish the NLF forces was allowed on the basis that it remained a militia in the South. The PLAF was recognized as the official force on February 15, 1961 by North Vietnam. The PLAF originally carried out operations ostensibly to protect South Vietnamese citizens from offensives by the Republic of Vietnam and the United States. Most early soldiers in the PLAF were South Vietnamese. However, casualties of war forced North Vietnam to provide volunteers for the PLAF. As a result, many people mistakenly believed that the PLAF was a part of the People's Army of Vietnam. North Vietnam and other communist nations recognised the PLAF as the main militarily force in South Vietnam and considered the People's Army of Vietnam as supporter. After the reunification of Vietnam, the PLAF was merged into the People's Army of Vietnam.

In January 1961, the militia in South Vietnam became the official force there. On February 15, 1961, North Vietnam recognized it as the main battle force in South Vietnam. At the end of 1961, there were 24,500 soldiers and 100,000 militants in the PLAF. The PLAF had 11 battalions, with commanding generals Trần Văn Trà, Hoàng Văn Thái, Lê Trọng Tấn, Lê Đức Anh, Nguyễn Thị Định, and others.

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