Final answer:
The Viet Cong was a guerrilla force that gained significant support in South Vietnam and was backed by North Vietnam, not the United States, which supported South Vietnam in an attempt to prevent the spread of communism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Viet Cong, or VC, was a guerrilla force that gained strength as insurgents in the Vietnamese countryside, opposing the South Vietnamese government and receiving support from North Vietnam and its allies, like the Soviet Union. The United States, on the other hand, did not provide financial backing to the Viet Cong; instead, the U.S. supported South Vietnam as part of their policy of containment to prevent the spread of communism. The Viet Cong did not earn little support in South Vietnam; in fact, they capitalized on popular resentment towards the South Vietnamese government and adopted guerrilla warfare tactics that proved very challenging for U.S. troops. Despite the United States and their allies' efforts, the South Vietnamese government was often viewed as inefficient and corrupt, which did not help in gaining the 'hearts and minds' of the Vietnamese people. Ultimately, the Viet Cong played a significant role in the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops and the reunification of Vietnam under North Vietnamese control in 1975.