Soviet Union: To what extent the Soviet
Union played in Vietnam may never be fully known. They most certainly acted
as instructors to the North Vietnamese Army and were highly useful in training
it's Anti-aircraft units. Many high level PAVN officers were schooled in
Moscow and spoke Russian. More info. on Soviet forces in Vietnam can befound:
here.
From 1954 to 1967; the Soviet Union spent a tad
under 1.9 Billion dollars. From then until the wars conclusion the
Soviets were sending $420 million annually. Most Soviet aid arrived
via port Haiphong which was unbombed by American forces until 1972.
Cambodia: The
government of Prince Sihanouk was officially "neutral" from the war's conception.
However; 1963 he severed relations with the RVN and in 1965 the US. During
the war Soviet war material was continually unloaded in Cambodia. Accounting
for 80% of the supplies in use by NLF/PAVN forces in the southern most
areas of the RVN. He also permitted vast hide-outs to be constructed on
the Cambodian border. Even a small section of the Ho Chi Minh Trail was
named after him. In 1970, his government collapsed and the Soviet Supply
line with it.
Indonesia: Out
of sheer spite to Malaysia; Sukarno welcomed a "permanent mission" from
the NLF. As a result the RVN severed all ties with Indonesia.
Algeria: Having
just concluded it's own colonial war with the French; showed it's support
for the communist bloc by accepting an NLF delegation as a "permanent mission"
PRC: The
largest player in communist efforts in South East Asia. Claims to have
had 350,000 personnel stationed in North Vietnam during the war. China
ofcourse maintains that these were all support personnel but; according
to Blackjack-33 some Chinese soldiers served as mercenaries in direct
ground combat. However; China's greatest help to the PAVN/NLF was in economic
and military aid. The exact total is hard to pin-point but; was the approxiamete
equivalent of 2 Billion US dollars. Chicom copies of Soviet
weapons were also contributed to the PAVN/NLF efforts
North Korea:
In a recent visit to Vietnam; the Foregin Affairs Minisier of North of
DPKR Korea acknowledged that North Korean pilots had been involved in the
war. He refused to disclose the number. While their he visited the graves
of some 14 North Korean pilots.
Sources: Area Handbook for South Vietnam(April 1967), Blackjack-33, Associated Press Newswire, Inside the the VC and NVA.