The International Socialist Solidarity: Berlin’s Assistance to Hanoi (1950–1975)

Alongside the Soviet Union and China, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in the spirit of socialist solidarity, substantially contributed to the international assistance for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) during the Vietnamese Anti-American War. Drawing on Vietnamese archival documents, this article examines another aspect of transnational outreach strategy by analyzing connections among minor players in the Cold War. The article explores the assistance from the GDR to the DRV during one of the most turbulent periods of twentieth-century Vietnamese history. Vietnamese resources reveal that the GDR’s aid mostly showcased the international socialist solidarity, and represented for the sympathy of the divided countries because of the Cold War. Not only DRV but also GDR benefited greatly from these aid initiatives. While Hanoi government mobilized GDR’s resources for North Vietnam’s unification, Berlin officials used their assistance to Hanoi as a way to enhance the GDR’s prestige and inspire East German people for their solidarity.