The Army of the Republic of Vietnam | General Overview

~ THE ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM OVERVIEW DESCRIPTION:
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) is the conventional ground force of the Republic Vietnam. Unfortunately, much of what is generally known about the ARVN is reduced to stereotypes, built from anecdotal accounts. To have a more well-rounded, nuanced understanding of the Vietnam War, a foundational overview of South Vietnam’s armed forces is desperately needed. This video is a high-level overview of the ARVN which summarizes its history and general organization.
While the ARVN definitely had its flaws, the fact that it is simply dismissed or minimized from the general narratives of the war causes a severe mischaracterization of the war. The South Vietnamese ground forces is the force that did the majority of the fighting, and took the majority of the casualties as a result. While the fighting may not have been in set-piece battles like American operations, and therefore not newsworthy to the American public, the fighting was constant and steady, which produced the constant and steady casualties throughout the war. National Liberation Front and People’s Army forces typically elected to fight South Vietnamese ground forces first due to their older equipment and lessened fire support prioritization.
The ARVN would eventually grow to replace withdrawing American forces, facing the conventional, combined-arms invasion of 1972 with its American advisors. After these advisors withdrew in 1973, South Vietnam’s Armed Forced fought many more unknown battles until its defeat in 1975.
Timeline:
00:00 Intro
00:58 History of the ARVN
05:04 Joint General Staff Overview
06:31 South Vietnam’s 4 Military Regions
07:50 Military Region 1 and I Corps
09:13 Military Region 2 and II Corps
10:26 Military Region 3 and III Corps
11:42 Military Region 4 and IV Corps
12:42 The ARVN Rangers
13:37 The ARVN Armour
14:38 The ARVN Artillery
15:27 The Strategic Reserve
15:40 The ARVN Airborne
16:51 The ARVN Marines
17:52 Overview of the Territorial Forces
19:50 Outro
~ BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Dong Van Khuyen. The RVNAF. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History, 1980.
Collins, James. The Development and Training of the South Vietnamese Army. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 1975.
Spector, Ronald. Advice and Support: The Early Years; The U.S. Army in Vietnam. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History, 1985.
Clarke, Jeffrey. Advice and Support: The Final Years; The U.S. Army in Vietnam. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History, 1988.
Rottman, Gordon. Army of the Republic of Vietnam 1955-75. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2010.
Ha Mai Viet. Steel and Blood: South Vietnamese Armor and the War for Southeast Asia. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2008.
Ngo Quang Truong. Territorial Forces. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History, 1983.
Thank you for reading the description. Hello.

[@garysanderson8968]

My late uncle (my father's older brother) was a 1st Lieutenant in the ARVN's 3rd Infantry Division. He graduated from the National Military Academy in 1971. He died in an ambush in 1972 when supporting my father's unit near Quang Tri. I'm still visiting his grave in Bien Hoa every weeks. Without him, I wouldn't be here

[@pudanielson1]

When I go to visit my grandparents in Vietnam in 2025, I plan on laying flowers at Nghia trang bien hoa. I'll have to fly into Saigon and stay with some relatives but you know if they let foreigner sin easily?

[@garysanderson8968]

@@pudanielson1 Vietnamese people now are very hospitable. They somewhat forgot about the past. Foreigners or Viet Kieu are always welcome

[@RiceBoy1975]

You have my respect

[@user-gp3ew2rk6q]

it's always miserable for the ones who fought on the wrong side of the war

[@hisiendbiwsisjsjs-qf2px]

It’s only “the wrong side” if a side lost. Would you say the same if the ROV won? Perhaps not.

[@Bobafett-lc2vx]

As an American, it is refreshing to watch your videos about the unsung and forgotten backbone/heroes of South Vietnam during the Vietnam war. Though with all due respect to my country and it’s vets, I’m sick of the whole “meh PTSD jungle rice patty m60 helicopter fortunate son war against the commie rice farmer with da AK47.”

[@Trench1919A4]

it is a funny meme but its overused and some people treat it as truth when it's just a meme.

[@Snuffy03]

Dude, it's "rice paddy, not rice patty'. Patty is a girl's name. A paddy is where rice is grown. My war was probably over before you were a gleam in daddy's eye.

[@Bobafett-lc2vx]

@@Snuffy03 ok boomer

[@Snuffy03]

@@Bobafett-lc2vx Boomer, an appellation I wear proudly.

[@Bobafett-lc2vx]

@@Snuffy03 do you also wear proudly the fact that you get on people’s case for simply misspelling “rice patty”?

[@zacharyballif3212]

Maybe videos on each ARVN division. Along with Rangers, Marines, Airborne, Navy, and Air force.

[@Pax_Wilcasark]

Thank you for this amazing summarized video my friend. Right now I’m trying to learn more about the history and lives of ARVN soldiers to connect to my maternal heritage. My maternal great-grandfather migrated after the 1954 Geneva Convention from Hanoi to Bienhoa, leaving behind his own family to pursue a world without Communist influence. There, he joined the 4th Field Infantry Regiment in 1955 (which later became the 7th Division). He followed the Republic of Vietnam till the war’s very end in 1975, in which year he would have served 20 years in the army. My grandpa joined the ARVN when he was 17, apparently he hid this from his family, only to be found out later when he joined the same Battalion as his father! Together they experienced the last days of the RVN as father and son, sergeant and private and fellow comrades. I’m very proud of this wartime heritage of mine and will strive to preserve it at my best. Glory to the Republic of Vietnam!

[@Johnaq]

Long live the Republic! Country-Honor-Duty!

[@VladislavDrac]

Please do the Navy and the Air Force next

[@johnnie743]

I agree one quote I heard from a macv sog guy went like this "people always said we were the bravest people they ever met and anyone who tells me that I always tell them the South Vietnamese who flew the king bee where the bravest men we ever met"

[@stormeaglegaming5395]

Amazing video on the composition of ARVN

[@Zootinius]

Many thanks for continuing to compile and create informative videos about the RVN and ARVN. I hope many more of those curious of such topics find this channel/videos.

[@pablosoleramaeso4561]

It's a shame that they were forgotten so badly despite having done most of the fighting and dying, good work as always. Btw could you make a video about the other branches of the RVNMF like the RVNAF and other Security Forces from the Republic of Vietnam like the RVNP and CIO? Like if the ARVN got forgotten this guys got pretty much erased.

[@johnnie743]

The time in effort you put into these is extremely valuable and your videos are extremely valuable teaching the new generation the truth instead of the Ken Burns bulshit lies

[@that1guysittingthere]

Any chance you could cover the Vietnamese Nationalist Party’s earlier clashes with the Communists in 1946? I know it predates South Vietnam, but I believe this is an important origin point of the war that isn’t discussed enough. David G. Marr wrote about a battle that happened in Phu Tho and Yen Bai in his book Vietnam: State, War, and Revolution (1945-1946). Would look good with your animated maps, such as showing Vu Hong Khanh’s defenses and retreat. Along with his last push into Lang Son in 1949 where he suffered heavy casualties from both French and Viet Minh.

[@johnnie743]

Another amazing video man

[@RMmilitarymiscellany]

Superb, thank you for producing this.

[@jeffreybutcher4451]

Thank you so much for this

[@dontran391]

You mentioned in this video about the Vietnamese Nationalist (aka. Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng or VNQDD) & that the ARVN consisted of some VNQDD members. I heard stories about the VNQDD, that they are BOTH Anti-Communist AND Anti-French Colonial & Pro-Democracy & Pro-Vietnamese Nationals. You were right about the VNQDD did temporary formed an alliance with the Communist Viet Minh to fight off the Japanese in WW2 & then even against the French in the Indochina War & also were right that the VNQDD later joined the Saigon Regime because they were against Communism. It's quite a bummer that the VNQDD weren't that strong. They were pounded down by the French & then later most of their members were wiped out by the Communists. I theorized that if some of the important VNQDD members survived from the French AND the Communist Viets onslaught, the formation of Saigon Regime Republic of Vietnam would be completely different, where I would predict that the 1st president of that particular Republic of Vietnam would be one of the important VNQDD members instead of Ngo Dinh Diem. The VNQDD are technically the ones who would make Vietnam a non-Communist, non-colonial, pro-democracy country. Unfortunately, not much is said about the VNQDD due to the fact that they were weakened from the French, then the Communists, & even by Ngo Dinh Diem's administration. Otherwise, a Vietnam with VNQDD members would have been different. Please do a video about the VNQDD. Not much is said about them & would be great to learn more about them.

[@TellTheSpartans]

Another great video.

[@gianlucapirro9054]

very interesting and informative. Thanks a lot

[@Mancom37]

One of my favourite parts is the section of the Territorial forces, specially the People's Self-Defense Force. Is there any documents or books you could recommend about them?

[@lecraig_]

i agree. this militia proves there were anti communist ”poor farmers” and not just these viet cong

[@RiceBoy1975]

AWSOME video that good work

[@turtleman5010]

He back

[@Francois_the_notable]

Why only the Infantry (ARVN) ? Why not the entire Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces?

[@pudanielson1]

Probably in the future, The Republic of Vietnam's armed forces was a lot with a million personnel at it's peak.

[@googleuser2007]

@@pudanielson1 I think there's a misconception that ARVN was the entire armed forces instead of a branch.

[@pablosoleramaeso4561]

@@googleuser2007 Yeah it was the most visible branch alongside the Marines, that being said this guy knows that ARVN was only the Army Branch and not the entire military.

[@googleuser2007]

@@pablosoleramaeso4561 Yes, although he labeled the marines as "ARVN Marines" despite not being under their branch which I believe was an error.

[@markgarrett3647]

Real Time History just released a new disappointing video riddled with lots of outdated information, biases and omissions about America's defeat in Vietnam.

[@ReySchultz121]

I didn't watch it, could you give me a rundown? From your description i'm not feeling it.

[@jimmorakot7255]

Real Time History on clip Why the US Lost the Vietnam War look pretty shallow too me

[@markgarrett3647]

@@ReySchultz121 Jesse Alexander (aka Real Time History) basically skipped a lot of things about the conflict like the fighting between the RoV military and the PAVN post-Second Battle of Quang Tri and the shockingly bad treatment that the RoV President Thieu got from Kissinger and framed his narrative of the conflict along the outdated and biased lines of pro-Communist Americans.

[@markgarrett3647]

@ReySchultz121 Jesse Alexander (aka Real Time History) basically skipped a lot of things about the conflict like the fighting between the RoV military and the PAVN post-Second Battle of Quang Tri and the shockingly bad treatment that the RoV President Thieu got from Kissinger and framed his narrative of the conflict along the outdated and biased lines of pro-Communist Americans.

[@markgarrett3647]

@ReySchultz121 Jesse Alexander (aka Real Time History) basically skipped a lot of things about the conflict like the fighting between the RoV military and the PAVN post-Second Battle of Quang Tri and the shockingly bad treatment that the RoV President Thieu got from Kissinger and framed his narrative of the conflict along the outdated and biased lines of pro-Communist Americans.

[@Trvinh92]

The chart reflect the involvement of the U.S Army in Vietnam, as well as their strategy - Vietnamization, no doubt about that.

[@gwiezdnyhubert1]

Hi bro, great video, are you Vietnamese?

[@maloz63]

I find it very interesting that the Cao Di were supported by the OSS/CIA as the third force to uprise against the French and Communists in Graeme Greene's book The Quiet American

[@1984SheepDog]

Will you do a video on Ngo Dinh Diem?

[@Flapjackbatter]

Hello, MoSV. Have you considered starting a Patreon? Anyway. Very interesting. Great video. Great visuals.

[@zacharyballif3212]

Are videos going to be made every three weeks?

[@markgarrett3647]

The comment hiding algorithm is getting frustrating.

[@TriNguyen0601]

On paper, a strong army with state of the art equipment and the training of the strongest military on earth at the time. However, its weakness lies in its leadership and political backing. If you match the ARVN's timeline with the first Indochina war, you can clearly see, after the French re-invade Vietnam, they aimed to quickly end the war by trying to encircle the VietMinh armies in Viet Bac but failed ( Operation Léa 1947). As their military approach failed, they aim for a political one. The French created an entity called the State of Vietnam and bring back ex emperor Bao Dai as its head. The ARVN (at the time was called the Vietnamese National Army) was formed under this condition. Their first chief of staff, Nguyen Van Hinh is basically a French. The army structure described in this video is very much a product of RVN's history. The special force is basically Ngo Dinh Diem's private army to try and deal with the unstable internal political situation in South Vietnam ( you can read about Binh Xuyen, the coup of 1960, 1962 and 1963). A common theme of this army is that even though they are more numerous than the Vietcong in total, they are typically outnumbered at the point of contact, this is because they have little to no intelligence and relies on American intelligence, instead. This is not to mention the serious issue of corruption and factionalism within the army.

[@pudanielson1]

It took 10 years for the ARVN to actually become a capable fighting force especially after 1968.

[@MeetJohnnyNg]

This is false statement. The ARVN was winning the war since 1955 they never allowed to cross the 17th parallel they could’ve easily march all the way to Hanoi, but the American too chicken and hold the ARVN back in fear of China. In 1974 congress cut funding and all supplies to South Vietnam while Soviet Union and China equipped North Vietnam and the VC with latest weapons and unlimited ammunition. 1973 had American bombing the north for just one more week the communist would’ve surrendered but the hippies and left protests and congress vote no to withdraw cut abandoned South Vietnam.

[@Johnaq]

A communist parrot repeated the same lies and spreads bullshit again. Fuck you!

[@comentedonakeyboard]

"I Corps" is the first corps in roman numerals, not eye corps

[@SeanElniski-uf8en]

what about the arvn special force and south vietnam navy seal,

[@halflifeapc8777]

Thank you for your exceptional efforts at highlight the historic significance of the tremendous suffering of the South Vietnamese. Though their cause was not just, they deserve to be remembered for their honorable sacrifice in the face of increasing insurmountable odds. Your excellent content is a monument to the memory of that sacrifice and I deeply appreciate it

[@Elephantsss]

Their cause was about freedom , they did not want Communist Dictatorship . They were abandoned by US , while the Soviets bankrolled the North . Learn some history gamer.

[@markgarrett3647]

They're cause is just. They fought against an enemy that ruthlessly tortured and murdered thousands of innocent people for how much they owned and for their political views and did the same to POW's.

[@halflifeapc8777]

@@Elephantsss if their cause was about freedom then why weren’t elections held in south Vietnam after liberation?

[@markgarrett3647]

​@@halflifeapc8777Elections in war torn areas are a bad idea as either armed camp can and do intimidate the electorate into voting for them.

[@SpaceMarine500]

Their cause was 100 percent just

[@VietReze]

Hey as a commie(heterodox) I pretty much enjoy your content. Also how do you feel about current Vietnam?

[@ReviveHF]

At least the ARNV put up a good fight for another 3 years even unsupported by the US unlike the Afghan National Army.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Us viet vet stated ARNV were lame we didnt trust them. Australia the same opinion no elan.

[@HollyHartwellWhite]

Both are Shit, Get over it.

[@markgarrett3647]

​@@Eric-kn4yn That's because of the 1962 coup.

[@markgarrett3647]

​@@HollyHartwellWhiteThat's just you.

[@HollyHartwellWhite]

@@markgarrett3647 Talking about yourself, I see..

[@JL-tm3rc]

The ARVN is over a million strong and supported by the South vietnamese airforce considered the 8th best airforce in the world, they received more military aid than the north vietnamese. And yet less than 300,000 NVA with no air support was able to defeat the ARVN in 1975

[@cyclone8974]

By 1975 the ARVN didn't even have bullets for their rifles.

[@JL-tm3rc]

@@cyclone8974 .In terms of small arms the VPA acquired 791,000 M16 rifles plus over 850,000 other assorted rifles and carbines, 50,000 M60 machine guns, 47,000 M79 grenade launchers, 12,000 mortars, 63,000 light antitank weapons and 1,330 assorted artillery pieces Additionally vast stores of ammunition were also taken, with the haul from the Pleiku airbase alone thought to be at least 15,000 tons of ammunition and 100 tons of bombs. SOURCE new york times article 15,000 tons is about 15 kg of ammuntion for a million soldiers from one base, if you account for other military bases south vietnam is overflowing in ammunition in fact the south vietnames army never asked for bullets but the south Vietnamese always keep on asking for bombs to be used by aircraft. In fact south vietnamese soldiers are known to sell their bullets in the black market, if you are running out of bullets you will not be selling bullets or else you will have nothing to defend yourself. The fact is the south vietnamese received way more military aid than the north vietnam in 1974 and years prior that. if you visit vietnam no you can even use vietnam era weapons using vietnam era bullets that were unused

[@JL-tm3rc]

@@cyclone8974 the thousand of tons of captured ammunition stock piles say otherwise, In fact ammuntion is so abundant that soldiers are selling them in the black market. in pleiku alone 15,000 tons small arms ammunition was captured by the NVA

[@pablosoleramaeso4561]

​@@JL-tm3rcThat isn't true, the avarage ARVN regular had more or less 150 bullets per soldier for their M16s, and this is are regular, half of the ARVN were Irregulars like Regional or Popular Forces, most of which by 1975 didn't even have basic equipment, to the point it was common seeing them fight without basic equipment like web gear. The RVNAF was also like not operational, AT ALL. The US cut more or less 3/4 of their aid to South Vietnam from 1973 and 1975 and the South Vietnamese economy was ruined by the 1973 oil crisis and hyperinflation caused by the rising military cost. For example the RVNAF reported that of the 32 C-130s they got only 8 were actually operational and this in late 1973. Trucks were reserved for medical evacuation most of the time, which were ordered to wait until at least 3 men were injured in order to save fuel only evacuating 1 or 2. With most tanks and armored vehicles having become pillboxes and glorified bunkers with few exceptions, with the PAVN only being able to salvage them thanks to Eastern Bloc aid and fuel. Alot of ammunition for their western weapons infact also came from Chinese copies before 1978, were ties were cut, as the Chinese copied alot of western equipment given to them by the Pather Lao, North Vietnam and Khmer Rogue, the Soviets did it too to the point it was common Eastern Bloc OPFOR training units used M16A1 copies. They also got them from weapon stashes from Cambodian Insurgent aid like the KPNLAF during the Third Indochina War.

[@cyclone8974]

@@JL-tm3rc The US cut off the funding to the ARVN. That's a well known fact.

[@ninhmap2929]

to be fair fair, they can be very good army if they was control by Vietnamese , but us think they are better and try to control everything which make ARVN ineffective compare to other side .unfortunately , they are just Settler colonialist forces at that time .

[@ferroangelusprimarchoftheII]

The ARVN were under their own control. The Saigon government had direct control on their armed forces actions. Furthermore, The Saigon Government of the Republic of Vietnam was a fully independent government and was able to do all the actions that a modern Western government could do. The US and coalition forces were only there to advise and support the RVNMF not interfere in government affairs

[@ninhmap2929]

@@ferroangelusprimarchoftheII yes on the paper , but if they truly in control of that war , they should be have direct control of us army in their land and total strategy ,Not just support the main force before 73. And there government is kind of independent, but most of their leaders is from army , which is party control by us , so that government can not remain without a support form army, but army need depends on support form us . While the government has power in other side .

[@ferroangelusprimarchoftheII]

@@ninhmap2929 The ARVN were the primary combatant for the coalition taking 64.80% of all allied dead while the US took only 14.85% of all allied dead. Coalition warfare is about teamwork. The US and ARVN worked as a team under the jurisdiction of the South Vietnamese military command who were being advised by Military Assistance Command Vietnam. All the US advisory units were only there to advise the ARVN soldiers and officers. The US only ever had at their height IN 1968 536,100 troops while the ARVN had 820,000 troops. That number for the ARVN is probably just for the actual ARVN and does not include the Regional and popular force personnel making total South Vietnamese ground troops a lot higher. ARVN troops would be the main fighting force throughout the war. Furthermore, the US combat-to-support ratio was 1 : 12.9 meaning that only 41,815 US servicemen were in combat duties and the rest were in support roles. The ARVN and the South Vietnamese government were independent entities from the US or her allies. What you suggest is that the US had full control of the ARVN and therefore they appointed the political leadership of the RVN based on who was loyal to them in the ARVN. I disagree with that statement based on the amount of material I have read and watched about the war from both sides. My views are that the US and her allies were in South Vietnam to stabilise the country from external communist foreign influences. I fundamentally disagree with the conduct of the war from a US foreign policy and military point of view. I'd have personally supported Laos from falling to communism at all costs but hey it's in the past.

[@dobridjordje]

​@@ferroangelusprimarchoftheIIWhich is exactly why they got brutally mauled at Ap Bac and Binh Gia , incompetent ARVN officers, I don't blame a regular Joe, he had to follow orders but also suffer the consequences.

[@hymenbreaker6100]

ghost clown fiesta

[@rosleeabdulaziz7733]

ARVN is history..

[@nevergiveup19841]

Only country which beat ARVN was the Afghan national army. It took 50 years for humanity to find an equal to such monumental incompetence

[@kevinduong337]

The Egyptians and Syrians didn’t do too well in the Six Day and Yom Kippur wars.

[@nevergiveup19841]

@@kevinduong337 hi please try to re-read my comment. I am making a very subtle point. Ask if you still don't make it out. Cheers.

[@pablosoleramaeso4561]

​​@@nevergiveup19841 Their economy was ruined by the 1973 Oil Crisis 10 years of unstopped insurgency and another 10 of unstopped high intensity Conflict plus the US cutting their aid by 3/4 while the North Vietnamese were still getting boosted by the Soviets and the Chinese with 450 and 180 million USDs worth of military equipment every year. In comparision the US military aid was only giving them 300 million after 1973. Plus a massive difference in terms of economic aid with the Chinese alone giving them a total 20 billion worth of military and economic aid, with the Soviet aid being 2 to 3 times higher, while US aid to the RVN never went over 25 billion (16 Billion military aid and 8 in economic aid) You can't expect a Third world country ravaged by War to maintain a First World level military Force on their own.

[@cudanmang_theog]

Settler colonialist forces

[@Francois_the_notable]

What's wrong with you? Mental sickness?

[@cudanmang_theog]

@@Francois_the_notable justice for 20 million indigenous Cham Hindus and Cham Muslims slaughtered by Vietnamese settler colonialists

[@Francois_the_notable]

@@cudanmang_theog ok I know what's wrong with you, you're clinically insane and is also delusional

[@VietReze]

@@cudanmang_theogdelusional lmao

[@cudanmang_theog]

There is no South Vietnam. Champa Land back!!! Justice for indigenous Cham Hindus and Cham Muslims