-America’s Mandarin- 1954-1963

I. Background Information A. The Geneva agreement proposed a temporary division of Vietnam; North and South 1. Countrywide elections were to be held in 1956 a. Those elections never took place B. The US viewed the more than likely victory of Ho Chi Minh as a threat to the west 1. Legacy of USSR and China

C. After the Vietminh’s victory at Dienbienphu many North Vietnamese Catholics, and those loyal to the French, moved south 1. Some South Vietnamese objected to the refugees 2. Washington benefited from it, using it as propaganda 3. CIA specialists encouraged the migration from the north

II. Ngo Dinh Diem A. Diem was appointed by Bao Dai, who was very unpopular, and had few allies 1. He was Catholic and went to a New Jersey seminary in the early 1950’s B. Diem inherited a mess from the French 1. No government structure, no military, and a lot of division 2. South Vietnam was restless and many groups planned to challenge Diem

C. Diem’s palace was attacked by a private army 1. If Diem could not consolidate his power, he would lose American support D. Preside Dwight Eisenhower dispatched a special envoy which was instructed to train an army to protect Diem 1. It was under the Eisenhower administration that the US made a commitment to Diem and thus to South Vietnam

E. Diem survived this first attack, which made him stubborn and unwilling to compromise on any issue 1. He was reluctant to build popularity with the peasants 2. Diem was resistant to the nationwide elections and the US supported him on this a. The nationwide elections that were supposed to be held in 1956 never took place

F. South Vietnam relied almost totally on American aid 1. Diem welcomed the weapons and the money, but did not welcome American advice

G. The senior officers of the South Vietnamese army wanted to oust Diem 1. They asked for American support in their efforts 2. US officials asked Diem to get rid of his brother Nhu 3. If he did not do that, they would approve of the coup against him a. Diem refused as Buddhists continued to protest against his government *September 2nd, 1963 - John F. Kennedy on Diem’s government: “It’s their war, it’s up to them to win it…The government has lost touch with the people….With changes in policy and personnel, they can succeed.”

H. Henry Cabot Lodge – ambassador to Saigon – gave the generals the green light to go through with the coup 1. On November 2nd 1963, the coup began, resulting in both Diem and his brother Nhu being assassinated

III. The Role of John F. Kennedy: A. Eisenhower endorsed the Domino Theory 1. “The French are blocking the spread of communism” B. Kennedy was embarrassed by the Bay of Pigs just months into office and he was soon being pressed on the issue of Vietnam 1. Kennedy became determined to see victory in Vietnam after a number of early set-backs – The Bay of Pigs and Berlin wall

C. US Special Forces were to train Vietnamese Special Forces to act as guerillas and disrupt the Vietcong supply lines

IV. The Emergence of the Vietcong: A. There was repression in the south among those who fought against the French and supported Ho Chi Minh 1. Diem used a variety of tactics to eliminate his enemies

B. In 1960 the National Liberation Front – or Vietcong – was formed 1. They sought liberation from Diem and the American presence in Vietnam 2. The Soviet premier encouraged these nationalist movements

C. Vietcong influence in the countryside was growing 1. US and South Vietnamese officials decided that the best way to reduce the Vietcong influence was to keep them separated from the peasants

2. Strategic hamlets were small, structured, fortified villages that were designed to keep the peasants away from the Vietcong a. The peasants hated them and they became targets for Vietcong attacks

V. The World Cannot Ignore A. In the spring of 1963, Vietnam becomes an international crisis due to Buddhist demonstrations 1. Self-immolation was the method some Buddhist monks used to protest Diem and his regime 2. Diem did not take them seriously at first

B. Protests against Diem exploded 1. More groups joined the Buddhists and they learned to use the American press for political purposes

*September 2nd, 1963 - John F. Kennedy on Diem’s government: “It’s their war, it’s up to them to win it…The government has lost touch with the people….With changes in policy and personnel, they can succeed.”