Kennedy

• • When Kennedy became President in 1961 he increased the number of advisors in the South by another 16,000 to train the ARVN to fight the 12,000 VC fighters who now controlled around half of South Vietnam
• • Kennedy wanted to hunt down the VC and destroy them, but also to gain the support of the local people
  • However, the ARVN were seen as part of Diem’s corrupt government
• • American attempts to train villagers to fight the VC failed because they didn’t speak Vietnamese and couldn’t stop the VC visiting villages at night when they had left
• Strategic Hamlet Program:

  • In 1962, the USA set up the Strategic Hamlet Program which built thousands of new villages guarded by the ARVN to prevent the VC recruiting villagers and getting supplies
  • They hoped this would earn support for Diem
• SHP failure:

  • Villagers were forced to move into the Strategic Hamlets and some new villages faced starvation as the government didn’t provide enough food
  • This made people even less likely to support Diem
• Overthrow of Diem:

  • In January 1963 the ARVN lost the Battle of Ap Bac, despite massive US military support, embarrassing for the US
  • In 1963 the USA had to accept Diem’s government was too unpopular to continue and they publicly announced they would no longer support him
  • He was soon then assassinated
• • Kennedy told advisors to follow counter-insurgency
  • counter-insurgency was fighting guerrillas using both military attacks and winning the support of the local population
  • he also wanted a policy of pacification
  • pacification is winning over the hearts and minds of the local population, so they do not support guerrilas