How did the Soviet Union's assistance to the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War effect the outcome of the war?

Answer 1

North Vietnam (as was North Korea during the Korean War) was a SURROGATE for the Soviet Union and Red (Communist) China, meaning that it was, "...acting for another". Instead of the Soviets and Red Chinese fighting against the US, the North Vietnamese (and the North Koreans before them) fought. But the North Vietnamese would have to use Soviet/Red Chinese weapons and equipment , since they didn't have any of their own. In return for receiving this war material, North Vietnam (as North Korea before them) would be another COMMUNIST country, another ally, to add to the Soviet/Red Chinese communist side of the COLD WAR. WHICH IS WHY THE UNITED STATES WENT TO VIETNAM TO FIGHT TO BEGIN WITH, TO STOP THE SPREAD OF COMMUNISM.

Part of the receiving of weapons and equipment was training on how to use them. In the late 1950's, North Vietnam sent groups of selected candidates to the Soviet Union and Red China to learn how to fly MIG jet fighters. They stayed in their host country for one or more years learning to become jet fighters. After they had become pilots, the Soviet Union and Communist China supplied the jet aircraft. The Soviet Union supplied mostly MIG-17's and MIG-21's. Red China supplied mostly J-6's (a Chinese version of the MIG-19). North Vietnamese student pilot's had to learn Russian so that they could communicate with their Russian instructors. The North Vietnamese Air Force was always small in numbers, never numbering more than 100 jet fighters. Pilot losses were high in both training and combat. (SEE: Mig-17 and Mig-19 Units of the Vietnam War, By Istvan Toperczer).

Soviet built Surface to Air Missiles (SAM's) were sent to North Vietnam along with Soviet technicians to over-see their operations. Unlike North KOREA before them, North Vietnam was SUSPICIOUS of foreign powers helping them, since they had only begun to recover from ousting the FRENCH only "FIVE YEARS" earlier. Consequently, the Soviet presence of technicians and advisers was highly restricted. North Vietnam was not allowing another foreign country to gain a foothold into their country again; even if that country was assisting them.

Weapons and equipment that were not sophisticated enough to require advisers/technicians, such as tanks, artillery, small arms (rifles, machinguns, etc.) where supplied in MASS NUMBERS. PT-76 tanks, AK-47 assault rifles, SKS semi-automatic rifle, land mines, and ammunition for those weapons were supplied on a routine basis.

The North Vietnamese utilized their SAM's and Air Force, and other anti-aircraft artillery (AAA guns) most efficiently, bring down approximately 2,000 US aircraft during the war. Their anti-aircraft defenses proved to be one of the most deadly in the history of modern warfare.