Two Vietnams and two leaders

• In 1954, most non-communists with leadership qualities had been killed by the French or VM, or had become politically inactive. Diem was appointed in a leadership vacuum.
• Diem rejected Geneva’s nationwide elections as he knew Ho would win. Turned to the US for support who pledged their aid.
• The Eisenhower admin urged Diem to implement land reform, but MAAG’s military solutions dominated US assistance to Diem.
• Washington nearly withdrew support for Diem but were encouraged by his demonstration of political skill when outmanoeuvring Bao Dai and other opponents in spring 1955.
• Oct 1955 - Diem held an election in SV. Those voting for Bao Dai were punished and Diem claimed 98.2% of the vote, rejecting US advice that 60-70% was more credible.
• American increasing aid for Diem:

  • hundreds of millions of dollars
  • advice on politics, land reform and covert operations against the VM
  • transportation of around a million mostly middle-class, educated and Catholic Vietnamese from the N to the S
• Diem’s family dominated government. His brother Ngo Dinh Nhu and wife Madame Nhu wielded considerable power.
• Diem’s unpopularity:

  • Favoured catholic wealthy landowners
  • promised land reform programme but was uncommitted - in Long An, fewer than 1000 of 35,000 tenants received property
  • angered peasants by demanding payment for land VM had previously given them for free
  • disliked meeting his people
• Failings of NV regime:

  • liquidated thousands of landlords, opponents and even loyal VM by mistake
  • when the PAVN put down a revolt in 1956, 6000 peasants were killed or deported
• Public support for Ho:

  • regime appeared egalitarian and free from foreign domination
  • many southerners remained quietly loyal after 1954 division
• Ho discouraged southern supporters from attacking Diem’s regime from 1955-59 as he wanted to be seen abiding by Geneva.
• Hanoi’s conservatism after Geneva gave Diem the chance to arrest and execute many southern communist activists, whose numbers dropped from 10,000 in 1955 to 2000 in 1959.
• Diem’s persecution of southern communists after Geneva forced them into open revolt. By 1960, Hanoi had decided to support liberation of the South.
• The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a supply route going south from NV through Cambodia and Laos to SV, over which men and supplies could be transported.
• From 1960, Southern supporters of Ho called themselves the National Liberation Front(NLF), but Diem called them the Viet Cong(VC). The NLF organised itself into the People’s Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF).
• Diem responded to rising disruption cause by the NLF by relocating peasants to agrovilles - army-protected villages. Peasants hated forced, expensive removals from their homes, lands and sacred ancestral tombs.
• 1960 - the US ambassador recommended Diem introduce social and political reform as opposed to military force, but MAAG disagreed.
• Eisenhower had given Diem around $7 billion by 1961.
• Even Diem’s own ARVN unsuccessfully rebelled against him in 1960.