Chapter 279
Chapter 279
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Vietnam War (2)
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In fact, even though the Republic of China was under a naval blockade, it wasn't completely choking the Koreans.
China still had Hong Kong to serve as a lifeline.
No matter how intense Korea's naval blockade was, it couldn't block logistics heading to British Hong Kong.
“What are you going to do about routing through Hong Kong?”
China tried to counter Korea's naval blockade with circumvention trade via Hong Kong.
“You think I'm just going to sit back and watch?”
Pyongyang applied pressure on British Hong Kong to cut off China's circumvention trade.
“We're monitoring logistics between Hong Kong and China with aircraft, satellites, and intelligence sources. If you show even the slightest sign of supporting China, ships coming to EA via Hong Kong won't be allowed to drop anchor in our ports. Bear that in mind.”
Yi Seong-jun made it clear to British Hong Kong that circumvention exports to China would not be tolerated.
The tighter Korea's blockade became, the greater the burden felt by the Republic of China.
Washington countered Korea's blockade by deploying merchant ships managed by the U.S. Maritime Administration to keep China's exports and imports alive.
But America couldn't keep putting out these fires forever.
“Crush Vietnam as quickly as possible” to open up a land route.
There was no other way.
The U.S. government began organizing mercenaries from around the world, basing them out of the Philippines.
“South Vietnam needs to be completely overhauled too.”
Langley, having watched General Nguyen Khanh's disastrous rule, proposed another coup.
“We said no third time!”
Washington made it clear it opposed a coup.
But since when did the CIA follow government orders to the letter?
Langley went ahead and incited a coup among South Vietnam's military on its own judgment.
“Nguyen Khanh has no authority left—do you really want to keep him as leader?”
“We were just standing by because Washington seemed to back him. Can we really replace him?”
“Of course. We'll clean up any mess afterward.”
At Langley's instigation, General Nguyen Van Thieu resolved to make a patriotic decision.
In fact, compared to the original history, three coups were mild.
There had been five originally.
When General Nguyen Van Thieu launched his coup, Nguyen Khanh lost power without even putting up a fight.
An unpopular leader had no chance of holding onto the throne from the start.
“What? Another coup? Are they insane?”
Washington learned of the situation late and discussed countermeasures, but it was too late.
Opposing a coup after the regime had already flipped would only cause more chaos.
“Approve it.”
The Lyndon Johnson administration grudgingly recognized General Nguyen Van Thieu's regime.
The CIA had calculated this would happen.
The regime had flipped like a pancake again, but with U.S. support, South Vietnam didn't collapse outright.
Of course, the country was a total mess.
The new ruler of this chaotic nation, General Nguyen Van Thieu, reviewed the mistakes of his predecessors.
What mistakes had they made?
They hadn't grasped that without controlling the guns, you couldn't hold power.
“This body is different from those fools.”
General Nguyen Van Thieu cracked down on South Vietnam's military, which had been launching coups at the drop of a hat.
“You've had it good until now? From here on, you soldiers can't even take a piss without my permission. Got it?”
“What, are you all coup-crazy?”
“Go ahead, try a coup.”
“Hahaha. General, that was a joke.”
South Vietnam's army suddenly fell under centralized control.
As a result, units that had been fighting effectively by adapting to local conditions lost flexibility in operations.
“Couldn't we retreat just 10 km there to regroup?”
“No. No retreats until higher command approves. If there's no order, fight to the death.”
General Nguyen Van Thieu's “reforms” had an effect.
South Vietnam's army combat efficiency hit rock bottom, but it cleanly eliminated the endless insubordination.
Of course, for America, which had been counting on South Vietnam's fighting strength, it was an unwelcome reform.
“The army's getting even worse—should we really be backing that guy?”
“We can't flip another already messed-up country on its head.”
America harbored doubts about the new regime but, unable to risk another coup, decided to support Nguyen Van Thieu.
Fortunately(?), Nguyen Van Thieu didn't completely betray U.S. expectations.
Before long, he began reorganizing the army.
South Vietnam's military size started growing again.
America breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.
But this was Washington's “miscalculation.”
Why would a South Vietnamese military dictator with zero sense of duty to the nation work diligently?
In truth, the army's expansion existed only on paper.
“Put names on the roster, and the aid money rolls right in.”
Nguyen Van Thieu and the generals inflated South Vietnam's army to 800,000 on paper, pocketing aid funds under ghost soldiers' names.
Nguyen Van Thieu shared these profits with the generals to soothe military discontent.
But sharing the spoils like this created a huge problem for General Nguyen Van Thieu.
‘My cut's getting too small.’
The leader working tirelessly for the nation was getting shortchanged.
This was a serious issue.
Nguyen Van Thieu pondered ways to make up for his reduced share.
“Ah. That's it.”
Nguyen Van Thieu dove into the drug trade.
Saigon was constantly buzzing with U.S. aid planes and ships; slipping drugs onto them brought quick profits.
While selling drugs to America this way, Nguyen Van Thieu imposed the death penalty on his own citizens for drug trafficking.
“This country's drug lord is me alone. Who do you think you are?”
America was unaware of the full extent.
Of course, Nguyen Van Thieu didn't deceive America without results.
He handpicked elite, well-trained troops for operations against the Viet Cong.
And when he achieved results, he flaunted them to the Americans.
“Our army can handle this much.”
Nguyen Van Thieu's hype worked on the Americans.
“With the 800,000(?) South Vietnamese army plus our mercenaries, a northern invasion is feasible.”
After long deliberation, America concluded a northern push was worth attempting.
But they had no intention of launching it right away.
With the country in tatters from coups, a northern invasion was out of the question.
They needed at least a few months to stabilize the nation.
The mercenaries needed time to build strength too.
America finalized a schedule to begin the offensive in fall 1968.
The South Vietnamese government signaled its agreement.
“Wise decision.”
Up to here, it was warm communication between allies.
The problem came next.
“America plans to attack in fall 1968.”
North Vietnamese spies embedded in South Vietnam's government relayed this intel north.
North Vietnam rushed war preparations upon learning of the American invasion plan.
They accumulated expensive U.S. weapons and ammo by bribing South Vietnamese soldiers.
But that alone couldn't match the world's top superpower and its puppets.
Le Duan, the party number two and real power number one, visited Moscow in person to plead for Soviet aid.
“If Moscow doesn't step up, the Asian revolution will vanish without a trace. We beg for your comrades' eternal spirits.”
Vietnam's de facto leader Le Duan coming to Moscow for aid.
This was no light matter.
It pitted the Soviet Union's two powerhouses, Brezhnev and Shelest, against each other again.
“Why invest in something so pointless? Korea will end up handling the aftermath anyway.”
“How can we maintain the Second World if the communist motherland loses face?”
The Soviets faced serious internal strife over Vietnam aid.
After prolonged debate, Moscow decided to provide support.
But reflecting Shelest's stance, the aid was limited to face-saving levels.
“Is this how a self-proclaimed communist motherland behaves?”
Le Duan couldn't hide his disappointment at Moscow's promised aid.
While in Moscow, Le Duan visited other Second World nations, but none pledged substantial support.
They were all struggling to fend for themselves.
Le Duan's failure heightened North Vietnam's crisis mentality.
“Why not launch an offensive before they finish preparing?”
“Attack before the enemy completes preparations?”
General Vo Nguyen Giap, North Vietnam's military chief, justified it with his Three Noes Strategy.
The Three Noes Strategy was:
First, avoidance strategy.
Never fight at the enemy's chosen time.
Second, circumvention strategy.
Never fight at the enemy's chosen place.
Third, disruption strategy.
Never fight by the enemy's chosen method.
Under the Three Noes, waiting for America's preparations in fall 1968 wasn't advantageous for North Vietnam.
If fighting was inevitable, now—while the enemy was disorganized from coups—was better than a prepared fall 1968.
The battlefield was the same.
If the enemy formed a front and pushed north, their firepower would maximize.
Better to strike first and complicate the front lines.
Warfare too.
While the enemy planned conventional war, use Viet Cong liberated areas to aggressively unsettle them.
Vo Nguyen Giap's argument appealed perfectly to hardliner Le Duan.
“Exactly. We must seize the initiative.”
After discussions, North Vietnam set fall 1967 as the offensive launch date.