Title of this Lecture: America’s Mandarin

Does the title make sense?

Geneva Conference•Post Dien Bien Phu

•Two Groups won’t shake hands

•Decisions

•Ceasefire in ‘Nam

•Temporary split ‘til reunification referendum

•U.S. role at the conference?

•Commies North Capitalists South

•U.S. begins to support Diem

Stranger to Vietnamese

Diem’s Personality

Examples of Diem’s personality traits…

The French appointed Diem to be Interior Minister under Bao Dai before WWII. Diem quit after three months because he saw the government was a puppet gov’t.

Personality traits…Brave and Nationalist

Diem turned down an offer from Ho Chi Minh to have a high position in the Vietminh because he didn’t want to be a communist ‘stooge’ taking orders from Moscow or Beijing

Personality traits- Anti-communist

Rigged election…

Named Prime Minister by Bao Dai after the Geneva Conference

Less than two years later he held a referendum to remove Bao Dai and not to replace him. With American help he rigged the election…

Election dirty tricks…

Diem’s agents were at the polling places to intimidate voters

The ballots for Diem were red (good luck) and those for Bao Dai were green (bad luck)

Diem’s agents even threw away ballots for Bao

Dai

Result… Diem won by 98.2%. In some provinces he got

more votes than there were registered voters.

Personality Traits- Headstrong

Growing Hope in the U.S. that Diem may be able to build a viable state to rival Ho’s north

American support for Diem grew. He defeated a mafia-like gang that ran a drug and prostitution ring in Saigon (Binh Xuyen). The U.S. liked him because he was so fiercely anti-communist and he was Christian, like many in the U.S.

The U.S. started to supply him with money. The money went directly to Diem, and he used it to put the most loyal people into government positions.

Personality trait- Strong and Nepotistic

NGO DINH DIEM

Lyndon Johnson once compared Diem to Churchill. When later asked if he meant it, he said:

“Shit. Diem’s the only boy we got out there.”

=

An Important Side Issue Helped Diem and Americans Be Crafty

Land Reform

Land Reform- North v South

South/ Diem’s Reform Redistribute land to

loyalists Positive-Manages to

get his own friends in charge of many villages. Gets land to 10% of the peasants

Negative- Kills or imprisons commies- many without trials. Alienates peasants.

Land Reform- North v South

Ho’s Reform Redistribute land to

peasants Positive-Land given

to roughly 60% of the peasants

Negative- Those who are non-commies or those who resist giving up land are killed. Ho later apologizes for this brutal policy. Says it was a mistake.

Reunification Elections are Canceled by Diem (with U.S. backing)

U.S. and Diem use Ho’s violence in the north to argue that election wouldn’t be free and fair. Real reason?

Ho would probably win.

OOPS!

End of Part I of lecture

Here is the main question of the first part of this lecture. Support or defend one of the following statements.

1. The U.S., as a democratic and free nation, has the obligation to defend other nations’ right to free elections, even if we predict that the winner of the election will not be in our best interests.

Or

2. The U.S. has a right to defend its interests, and as a result, has the right to interfere in a country whose elections, although free, present a threat to our international interests.

Part II. Diem’s fall from grace…

Buddhists- persecuted majority under the French

Persecuted under Diem’s nepotism

1963- protest

Over the Years Diem slowly alienated most major groups in Southern Vietnam

•Money Given to Diem by the U.S.(billions) goes to buy loyalty for an unpopular gov’t rather than towards reforms… frustration among America’s government

Diem feels like he can be the puppet who pulls the strings…

-Fighting that lulled afterGeneva starts to build up inintensity-Understanding Names of Vietnamese Fighting Forces

NVA, Vietminh, regular army

ARVN or Republican Soldiers

DMZ

NLF, VC, Vietcong, Charlie

Strategic Hamlet Program

Diem’s forces endeavored to remove the "neutral" population from guerrilla contact by forcing them to live in basically a concentration camp

"Peasants resented working without pay to dig moats, implant bamboo stakes, and erect fences against an enemy that did not threaten them but directed its sights against government officials."

Diem Play!

Coup d’Diem

U.S. hints that it would welcome a change in leadership

Did it accept murder or simply replacement?

Defense of an empty palace

Diem is murdered in the end

Who has Diem’s blood on their hands?

After-Effects of the Coup d’Diem

Series of coups… 7 in the next year after Diem is gone

Carpe Diem…

After-Effects of the Coup d’Diem

•Many coups in a row… seven in the next year alone

•U.S. has blood on its hands

Hansen Name _____________

Vietnam Quiz to Follow Starr Reading 38-402 pts each… ____/10

1. Diem’s religion ___________2. Group Diem defeated in street fighting in the southern capital __________________________a. Vietcong (VC) c. Vietminh e. NLFb. armed gangsters (Binh Xuyen) d. Americans3. Diem defeated Bao Dai in elections that were notable because ____________________a. Diem, the winner, only received 30% of the vote c. Diem’s name wasn’t on the ballotb. Diem got an impossibly large percentage of the votes d. Diem was not a citizen of Vietnam 4. Diem __________________ (honored/rejected) the Vietnamese maxim that ‘the power of the emperor stops at the village gate.’ 5. Diem’s actions after being elected Prime Minister best demonstrate the following type of government (best answer only) a. mandarin (wise ruler) c. democrat (ruler who follows the will of the people) b. dictator (ruler by force) d. theocrat (religious leader)

Hansen Name ____________

Vietnam Quiz to Follow Starr Reading 38-402 pts each… ____/10

1. Diem’s religion ___________2. Group Diem defeated in street fighting in the southern capital __________________________a. Vietcong (VC) c. Vietminh e. NLFb. armed gangsters (Binh Xuyen) d. Americans3. Diem defeated Bao Dai in elections that were notable because ____________________a. Diem, the winner, only received 30% of the vote c. Diem’s name wasn’t on the ballotb. Diem got an impossibly large percentage of the votes d. Diem was not a citizen of Vietnam 4. Diem __________________ (honored/rejected) the Vietnamese maxim that ‘the power of the emperor stops at the village gate.’ 5. Diem’s actions after being elected Prime Minister best demonstrate the following type of government (best answer only) a. mandarin (wise ruler) c. democrat (ruler who follows the will of the people) b. dictator (ruler by force) d. theocrat (religious leader)

Hansen Name _______________

Vietnam Quiz to Follow Starr Reading 38-402 pts each… ____/10

1. Diem’s religion ___________2. Group Diem defeated in street fighting in the southern capital __________________________a. Vietcong (VC) c. Vietminh e. NLFb. armed gangsters (Binh Xuyen) d. Americans3. Diem defeated Bao Dai in elections that were notable because ____________________a. Diem, the winner, only received 30% of the vote c. Diem’s name wasn’t on the ballotb. Diem got an impossibly large percentage of the votes d. Diem was not a citizen of Vietnam 4. Diem __________________ (honored/rejected) the Vietnamese maxim that ‘the power of the emperor stops at the village gate.’ 5. Diem’s actions after being elected Prime Minister best demonstrate the following type of government (best answer only) a. mandarin (wise ruler) c. democrat (ruler who follows the will of the people) b. dictator (ruler by force) d. theocrat (religious leader)

Hansen Name ___________Vietnam

Lecture- Introduction to Ngo Dinh Diem (or…) • America’s Mandarin? _________________________________

___________________________________________________• Post Dien Bien Phu

– Two Groups won’t shake hands ________________________ _________________________________________________

– Decisions• ___________________in ‘Nam• Temporary split ‘til _____________________________

– U.S. role at the conference? __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________

– Commies ______– Capitalists _______– U.S. Begins tosupport ________

• Diem’s Personality Traits – ______________________________________– ______________________________________– ______________________________________– ______________________________________

• Examples of Diem’s Personality Traits– Bao Dai Example ___________________________________

_________________________________________________– Ho Chi Minh Example

________________________________ __________________________________________________

– Rigged Election Example _____________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

• Growing Hope in the U.S. that Diem may be able to ______________ _______________________________________________________

– American support for Diem grew. He defeated a _________________________________________________________________ (Binh Xuyen).

– The U.S. liked him because he was so fiercely ______________ and he was Christian, like many in the U.S.

– The U.S. started to supply him with money. The money went __________________________________ , and he used it to __________________________________________________________________________________________________.

– Personality trait- _________________________• An Important Side Issue Helped _____________________________

_______________________________________________________– Land Reform -

__________________________________________– South/ Diem’s Reform

• _______________________________________• Positive-Manages to get his

______________________________ ____________________________________________________. Gets land to ____________ of the peasants

• Negative- Kills or imprisons commies. Many are killed without _______. _____________________________.

– North/ Ho’s Reform• Redistribute land to peasants

• Positive-Land given to roughly ______ of the peasants

• Negative- Those who are non-commies or those who resist giving up land are ____. Ho later _______________________________ ____________________________________________________

• Reunification Elections are Canceled by Diem (_______________)– U.S. and Diem use Ho’s violence in the north to argue that election

wouldn’t be __________________. Real reason? ______________________________________________________