Alliances e Armor : Communist Diplomacy and Armored Warfare during the War in Vietnam

"Jim Pomeroy's Alliances e Armor bridges the gaps between Cold War diplomacy and military operational history. With a firm grasp of multi-archival and secondary sources, Pomeroy provides a comprehensive look at the international issues that influenced Hanoi's decisions in the Second Indochina War in a concise and deftly written narrative. This is a strong addition to the voluminous literature of the war in Vietnam." Kelly Crager, Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam ArchiveThe PeopleArmy of Vietnamdecision to utilize armor as part of its warfighting strategy was a product of various geopolitical factors that surrounded Hanoi during various parts of the Vietnam War. During the First Indochina War, the PeopleRepublic of China (PRC) emerged as the foremost communist benefactor of North Vietnam. The Soviet Union however, largely stood by. While worried by the PRCand Soviet Unionactions during the Geneva Conference of 1954, Hanoi still felt the need to maintain good relations with both countries. This was

Hanoi to pursue a rushed Easter Offensive in March 1972 which saw ill-trained PAVN tank crews fall prey to poor planning and bad strategy. This changed in 1975 when following the Paris Peace Accords and subsequent combined arms training in the Soviet Union, the PAVN victoriously drove its Soviet armor into Saigon. [Publisher's Text]