Title of this Lecture America s Mandarin Does the

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

Diem’s Personality Stranger to Vietnamese

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- Anticommunist

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/ 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 commiesmany 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…

Over the Years Diem slowly alienated most major groups in Southern Vietnam ¡ ¡ ¡ Buddhistspersecuted majority under the French Persecuted under Diem’s nepotism 1963 - protest

• 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 after Geneva starts to build up in intensity -Understanding Names of Vietnamese Fighting Forces DMZ NVA, Vietminh, regular army ARVN or Republican Soldiers 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 l ¡ ¡ ¡ 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 Vietnam Name _______ Quiz to Follow Starr Reading 38 -40 2 pts each… ____/10 1. Diem’s religion ___________ 2. Group Diem defeated in street fighting in the southern capital __________________________ a. Vietcong (VC) c. Vietminh e. NLF b. armed gangsters (Binh Xuyen) d. Americans 3. 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 ballot b. 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 Vietnam Name _______________ Quiz to Follow Starr Reading 38 -40 2 pts each… ____/10 1. Diem’s religion ______ 2. Group Diem defeated in street fighting in the southern capital _____________ a. Vietcong (VC) c. Vietminh e. NLF b. armed gangsters (Binh Xuyen) d. Americans 3. 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 ballot b. 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? ___________________________