1960 in the Vietnam War

1960 in the Vietnam War
← 1959 1961 →
A map of South Vietnam showing provincial boundaries and names and military zones (I, II, III and IV Corps).
Location Indochina
Belligerents
Anti-Communist forces:  South Vietnam  United States Kingdom of Laos	Communist forces:  North Vietnam Viet Cong Pathet Lao
Strength
US: 900[1]
Casualties and losses
US: 5 killed[2] South Vietnam: 2,223 killed	5,669 killed

In 1960, the oft-expressed optimism of the United States and the Government of South Vietnam that the Viet Cong (VC) were nearly defeated proved mistaken. Instead the VC became a growing threat and security forces attempted to cope with VC attacks, assassinations of local officials, and efforts to control villages and rural areas. Throughout the year, the U.S. struggled with the reality that much of the training it had provided to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) during the previous five years had not been relevant to combating an insurgency. The U.S. changed its policy to allow the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) to begin providing anti-guerrilla training to ARVN and the paramilitary Civil Guard.

President Ngô Đình Diệm of South Vietnam was faced with growing dissatisfaction with his government, culminating in a coup d'état attempt by military officers in November.

North Vietnam's support for the VC increased, and in December the National Liberation Front (NLF) was created to carry on the struggle. Ostensibly a coalition of anti-Diem organizations, the NLF was under the direct control of Communist Party of Vietnam.