Title: In the Era of Renovation: Leadership and Security in Vietnam
Abstract: The dramatic entrance of North Vietnamese tanks into Saigon in April 1975 signified the culmination of a war that had been in international headlines for decades. The Vietnamese victory against a succession of materially-superior enemies has often been attributed to the ability of the leadership ? a singularly cohesive group of men who had devoted their lives to one goal: an independent and unified Vietnam under a socialist system. The years since then, however, have not been peaceful. Barely three years after the re-unification of the North and South, Vietnam once again was sending its young men and women to another war ?this time in Cambodia. It was a surprising development considering that this neigh bouring country was thought to be an ally of the new Socialist Republic of Vietnam, given the rise of the Khmer Rouge many of whom had been trained and aided by Vietnam. Harsh international condemnation quickly cut off whatever aid, loans and investment Vietnam was receiving from the Western world. China decided to teach Vietnam a lesson by invading the country in December 1979, and Vietnam found itself fighting at its north ern border as well against its historical foe and recent wartime supporter. Meanwhile, the refugee exodus reached its height in 1979. The waves after waves of men, women and children in battered boats fleeing Vietnam and landing on the shores of the countries in the region were hardly a boost to Vietnam's tarnishing image both regionally and internationally. The economy, already on a backward slide by 1978, plunged further. Ex ternally and internally, Vietnam seemed to be heading for self-destruction, except for the fact that the Soviet Union became its most generous ally. It would seem that the leadership's wartime strategy, particularly its views
Publication Year: 1989
Publication Date: 1989-09-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 2
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