Which statement best describes the relationship of the Provisional Revolutionary Government to the Viet Cong?

• A. It was the Viet Cong's political organization in the South seeking legitimacy and negotiations
• B. It was the North Vietnamese military command in Hanoi
• C. It was an international NGO allied with the U.S.
• D. It was a faction within the ARVN

Answer: (A)

The relationship being tested is the Viet Cong’s attempt to project political legitimacy in the South by organizing a separate government structure. The Provisional Revolutionary Government emerged as the political arm of the Viet Cong in South Vietnam, presenting itself as the legitimate government of the South and as a voice for negotiation with the United States and other parties. This move showed their strategy to gain diplomatic recognition and a seat at the peace talks, while still relying on North Vietnamese support for the military side of the effort. It wasn’t the North Vietnamese military command, nor an international NGO, nor a faction within the ARVN; it was a parallel political government meant to symbolize and advance the Viet Cong’s political objectives in the fight for unification under a communist framework.