page_title: 1958 in the Vietnam War
section_title: April
hierarchical_section_title: 1958 in the Vietnam War / April
caption_attribution_description: English: War Zones C, D, and the Iron Triangle were Viet Cong strongholds near Saigon
context_page_description: In 1958, the upswing in violence against the government of South Vietnam continued, much of which was committed by the communist-dominated insurgents now called the Viet Cong. In South Vietnam, President Ngo Dinh Diem appeared to be firmly in power, although many American officials expressed concern about the repressive nature of his regime. The United States continued to finance most of the budget of the government of South Vietnam. North Vietnam continued to campaign for reunification with the South while focusing on its internal economic development, but pressure from hard-pressed communists in the South was forcing the North to contemplate a more active military role in overthrowing the Diem government.
context_section_description: 18 April
  At a communist party meeting, Prime Minister of North Vietnam Phạm Văn Đồng stated the North should pursue reunification of Vietnam by peaceful means. The statement highlighted a dispute among North Vietnamese leaders.  Lê Duẩn and Lê Đức Thọ favored support for an insurgency in South Vietnam to unite the two Vietnams by force.
  30 April
  The CIA estimated that the Viet Cong numbered 1,700 armed men.
caption: War Zones C, D, and the Iron Triangle were Viet Cong strongholds near Saigon
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