President Dgo Dinh Diem and US Reaction (1955-1953)
Ngo Dinh Diem was a Roman Catholic who was elected president of South Vietnam in 1955 and remained president till his assassination in 1963. In 1945, the emperor of former Vietnam, Bao Dai decided to join forces with Ho Chi Minh, the president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Diem declined the emperor’s decision to work with Minh and decided to travel to Hue. Along the way, he was captured by Minh agents who took him to see Minh. Minh offered him a position in his government but, Diem objected. Diem eventually moved to the United States where he informed President John F. Kennedy that he opposed communism and that he would make a good leader for Vietnam. Thus, the United States insisted on making Diem a possible candidate who could not only run South Vietnam but, also prevent it from becoming communist.
In 1955, an election was arranged to determine who would rule South Vietnam, Emperor Bao Dai or Ngo Dinh Diem. Diem won the election but, soon after becoming president, the United States discovered that he was not the kind of person who would listen; he constantly rejected the United States’ advice and made decisions that upset the South Vietnamese people. Americans were upset with the way Diem was governing South Vietnam but, they felt like the only thing they could do was support him. Then, when it was time for the election of 1956, the one that was to determine the fate of Vietnam, he rejected it. He believed free voting did not exist in the North and that South Vietnam had not been invited to the Geneva Conference where the Geneva Accords was addressed. As a result, the election to reunify Vietnam was cancelled. Overtime, life in South Vietnam under President Diem only worsened. The United States concluded that South Vietnam being under the control of Diem was hopeless; it was corrupt, dictatorial, and hardly anyone in South Vietnam respected neither the government nor Diem. During his presidency, he even threw his political opponents into prison camps where they were later tortured and killed. Soon enough, by 1959, over half of the country was against him especially the Buddhists. Most of South Vietnam’s people were Buddhist and since Diem was Catholic, he never agreed with them on anything thus forcing the Buddhists to become oppressive. In time, the Buddhists were becoming angrier with Diem until it reached to the point to where they were forced to overthrow him. In 1963, a coup was sent to overthrow Diem but, he and his brother Nhu whom Diem depended on immensely found out and escaped. They managed to escape to the Cholon area of Saigon through a tunnel but, were discovered and assassinated in the rear of a personal carrier. Ultimately, Diem is significant because he led the Republic of South Vietnam but, ruined it in such a way that made everyone including the U.S to go against him.
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In 1955, an election was arranged to determine who would rule South Vietnam, Emperor Bao Dai or Ngo Dinh Diem. Diem won the election but, soon after becoming president, the United States discovered that he was not the kind of person who would listen; he constantly rejected the United States’ advice and made decisions that upset the South Vietnamese people. Americans were upset with the way Diem was governing South Vietnam but, they felt like the only thing they could do was support him. Then, when it was time for the election of 1956, the one that was to determine the fate of Vietnam, he rejected it. He believed free voting did not exist in the North and that South Vietnam had not been invited to the Geneva Conference where the Geneva Accords was addressed. As a result, the election to reunify Vietnam was cancelled. Overtime, life in South Vietnam under President Diem only worsened. The United States concluded that South Vietnam being under the control of Diem was hopeless; it was corrupt, dictatorial, and hardly anyone in South Vietnam respected neither the government nor Diem. During his presidency, he even threw his political opponents into prison camps where they were later tortured and killed. Soon enough, by 1959, over half of the country was against him especially the Buddhists. Most of South Vietnam’s people were Buddhist and since Diem was Catholic, he never agreed with them on anything thus forcing the Buddhists to become oppressive. In time, the Buddhists were becoming angrier with Diem until it reached to the point to where they were forced to overthrow him. In 1963, a coup was sent to overthrow Diem but, he and his brother Nhu whom Diem depended on immensely found out and escaped. They managed to escape to the Cholon area of Saigon through a tunnel but, were discovered and assassinated in the rear of a personal carrier. Ultimately, Diem is significant because he led the Republic of South Vietnam but, ruined it in such a way that made everyone including the U.S to go against him.
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