NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Ngô Dình Diêm

Ngô Đình Diệm (approximately pronounced "Ngoh Din Yim") (January 3, 1901–November 2, 1963) was the first President of South Vietnam (1955-63). from PBS.org File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Vietnamese alphabet (quốc ngữ or national script) is the current writing system for the national language of Vietnam. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... National motto: ??? Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area - Total - % water 173,809km² N/A population - Total - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Rise to power

Diệm was born in Huế, the original capital of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam. The Ngô family is a Catholic noble family in Vietnam. He was a civil servant in the government of Emperor Bảo Đại before World War II but resigned after accusing the Emperor of being a "tool" of the French. He was a strong nationalist and anti-Communist; his elder brother (Đình Thuc) was archbishop of Huế. Huế is a city in Vietnam. ... . The Nguyễn Dynasty was a line of rulers of Vietnam in the 19th century to mid-20th century. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... An early portrait of Emperor Bao Dai Bảo Đại (保大) (October 22, 1913–July 30, 1997) was the last Emperor of Vietnam, the 13th and last Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Quote: -Albert Einstein Nationalism is an ethno-political ideology that sustains the concept of a nation-identity for an exclusive group of people. ... Anti-communism is opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either a theoretical or practical level. ... Archbishop Peter Martin Ngo Dinh Thuc (October 6, 1897 - December 13, 1984), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Hué, Vietnam, was born in Hué, on October 6, 1897, of Catholic parents. ...

In 1945 he was imprisoned and exiled to China following conflicts with anti-French Communist forces that were gaining power in Vietnam. After his release, he refused to join in the brief post-war government of Hồ Chí Minh and went into exile in the USA. He returned to be appointed Prime Minister of South Vietnam by Emperor Bảo Đại in 1954 following the French withdrawal. He rejected the Geneva Accord (which called for unification and elections in 1956); on October 26, 1955, in a disputed nationwide referendum, the people voted to remove the Emperor Bảo Đại as head of state and elect Diệm the first President of the Republic of Vietnam. 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Communism - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... . Hồ Chí Minh Hồ Chí Minh (Chữ Nôm:胡志明) (May 19, 1890 – September 2, 1969) was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman, who later became Prime Minister (1954) and President (1954 - 1969) of North Vietnam. ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Geneva Conference (April 26 - July 21, 1954) was a conference between many countries that agreed to restore peace in Indochina and Korea. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

When the referendum was held, Diệm's troops guarded the polls and those who attempted to vote for the Emperor were assaulted. Diệm's detractors say that the fraud was obvious. In Saigon, for example, Diệm claimed more votes than there were registered voters in the entire area. Emperor Bảo Đại was forced to abdicate rather than divide the country further and issued one last appeal for the country to unite under a democratic government. Diệm's American advisors were frustrated by this, as no one believed the long-absent former monarch could have posed much of a popular threat from his chateaux in France. Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam and, as Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn), was the capital of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1976. ... Democracy is a form of government under which the power to alter the laws and structures of government lies, ultimately, with the citizenry. ...

His rule was firm, puritanical and nepotistic. His most trusted official was his brother Ngô Đình Nhu, leader of the primary pro-Diệm political party. His brother's wife Madame Nhu was South Vietnam's First Lady and she led the way in Diệm's programs to reform Saigon society according to his own Catholic values. Brothels and opium dens were closed, divorce and abortion made illegal and adultery laws were strengthened. Diệm also won a street war with the forces of the gangster Le Van Vien, the notorious ruler of the Cholon brothels and gambling houses who had enjoyed special favors under the French and Bảo Đại. Ngô Đình Diệm was also passionately anti-Communist and many attribute rising sympathy for the NVA-backed National Liberation Front (more commonly known as the Viet Cong) to his rule. The Puritans were members of a group of radical Protestants which developed in England after the Reformation. ... Nepotism means favoring relatives because of their relationship rather than because of their abilities. ... Ngo Dinh Nhu Ngo Dinh Nhu was born in Vietnam, he was the younger brother and chief political advisor of South Vietnams first President Ngo Dinh Diem and their brother Bishop Thuc of Hue. ... Madame Nhu Madame Nhu (born 1924 in Hanoi, Vietnam), also known as Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu and born Tran Le Xuan, was the granddaughter of Emperor Dong Khanh. ... A First Lady is the female spouse of an elected male head of state such as a President, Prime Minister, Premier or Governor. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... Opium is a narcotic drug which is obtained from the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy . ... Le Van Vien (aka Bai Vien) was born in Vietnam. ... NVA is a three-letter abbreviation for North Vietnamese Army Nationale Volksarmee, the National Peoples Army of the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, Belgian political party. ... National Liberation Front (NLF) flag The National Front for the Liberation of Southern Vietnam (Vietnamese Mặt Trận Giải Phóng Miền Nam Việt Nam), also known as the National Liberation Front (NLF) and as Front National de Liberté (FNL), was the primary rebel organization fighting the Colonialist French regime under Diem... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ...

A member of the Catholic Vietnamese minority, Diem pursued pro-Catholic policies that antagonized Buddhist groups to the extent that Buddhist activists staged mass protests (and even self-immolations) and which triggered several coups attempts, the final one resulting in Diem's own execution. Viewed as a dictator by his opponents domestically and abroad, who blame Diem for a nepotistic and hardline desire to maintain power which led his country into a dangerous relationship with the United States, and to a ruinous civil war, Diem nonetheless has his proponents who credit him with resisting a duplicitous enemy pursuing a relentless insurgency campaign actively supported and encouraged by the Soviet Union with the complicity of Communist China, while taking the steps necessary (although often deeply unpopular domestically or repugnant to international sensibilities) to maintain domestic order during wartime. Immolation is destruction by fire, that is, burning something to destroy it. ...

U.S. ties

Diệm forged a relationship with the United States for support, while retaining policies toward the Buddhist majority which were criticized as hostile and biased in favor of the minority Roman Catholic population (of which Diệm was a member). The United States supported Diệm out of concern that the North's Communist influence, growing more popular, would permeate South Vietnam. Furthermore, the U.S. government worried that corruption in a democratic referendum would inevitably lead to the installation of a Communist government. Claims of corruption were merely political rhetoric, however. Hồ Chí Minh and his communist policies were popular, and Diệm was not. Eisenhower himself commented that given a democratic election, a socialist government would no doubt win. The United States feared the will of the Vietnamese majority, and given these fears, the U.S. continued to provide Diệm with support, in spite of his weak rule and unpopularity. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was founded by Ho Chi Minh and was recognized by China and the USSR in 1950. ...

Diệm's acquiescence to large-scale support by the United States ensured his political dominance, but also rendered his government subordinate to U.S. decision-making.

Diệm's ineffective land reforms are thought to have contributed to increasing popular support in the South for Hồ Chí Minh and his "reforms" in the North. Diệm also abused his power to support minority Catholics. The enforcement of his Catholic "moral values" was often unpopular and the Buddhist community resented the favoritism he showed to his fellow Catholics. While the U.S. had supported Diệm's rise to power, it grew frustrated by his desire for independence from U.S. command. The nominal U.S. support he retained was based on a situational allegiance only, and the U.S. grew increasingly wary of Diệm's ineffectiveness as President, just as Diệm and his family circle grew increasingly wary of U.S. intentions. Land reform (also agrarian reform) is the government-initiated or government-backed transfer of ownership of (or tenure in) agricultural land. ...

U.S. strategists had originally hoped that Diệm could be the charismatic equivalent of Hồ Chí Minh, and thus be a popular and viable counterweight to Hồ Chí Minh's popularity. As Diệm showed to be unsuited to role the U.S. had written for him, the opinions of these strategists began to change in the 1960s. U.S. planners complained, claiming to be annoyed that Diệm had not implemented land reforms to compete with the highly popular Communist program, and further claimed that the nepotism and corruption in his government was hurting the Southern cause. The word charisma (from the Greek word charis) or gift, is often used in this form to describe an ability to charm or influence people. ... Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ...

Coup and assassination

When the regime turned on a protest by Buddhist monks in June 1963, the U.S. stopped giving aid. A small number of monks had immolated themselves in public protest, and the U.S. grew intensely annoyed with Diệm's unpopular public image. In their defense, Diệm and Nhu claimed that the Communists had infiltrated the Buddhist groups, and that their crackdown was in accordance with the agreed-upon anti-Communist policy. Madame Nhu infamously referred to the incident as a 'barbequeing'. 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Immolation is destruction by fire, that is, burning something to destroy it. ... Madame Nhu Madame Nhu (born 1924 in Hanoi, Vietnam), also known as Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu and born Tran Le Xuan, was the granddaughter of Emperor Dong Khanh. ...

U.S. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge refused to meet with Diệm and began to encourage ARVN Generals led by General Duong Van Minh that overthrew the government and ordered Captain Nhung to execute President Diệm, his younger brother Ngô Đình Nhu, on November 1, 1963. Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. ... The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was a military component of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam (commonly known as South Vietnam). ... Dương Văn Minh (February 16, 1916–August 5, 2001), known popularly as Big Minh, led the South Vietnamese army under Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem. ... Ngo Dinh Nhu Ngo Dinh Nhu was born in Vietnam, he was the younger brother and chief political advisor of South Vietnams first President Ngo Dinh Diem and their brother Bishop Thuc of Hue. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The U.S leadership had publicly expressed shock and disappointment that Diệm had been killed, but records show that they made no attempts to dissuade the plotters from such an action, and were not surprised with the coup. It could be said that America's reticence to intervene in the coup gave lie to the idea that the U.S. was wantonly propping up such 'puppet regimes'.

At the time of the coup d'etat Madame Nhu was in Beverly Hills, California with her daughter, Le Thuy, for a trip to the United States and Italy, where she intended to expose a scheming President John F. Kennedy and the CIA to the American public. A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... Madame Nhu Madame Nhu (born 1924 in Hanoi, Vietnam), also known as Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu and born Tran Le Xuan, was the granddaughter of Emperor Dong Khanh. ... Order: 35th President Vice President: Lyndon B. Johnson Term of office: January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963 Preceded by: Dwight D. Eisenhower Succeeded by: Lyndon B. Johnson Date of birth: May 29, 1917 Place of birth: Brookline, Massachusetts Date of death: November 22, 1963 Place of death: Dallas, Texas First... CIA, see CIA (disambiguation). ...

When Madame Nhu learned of the coup d'etat she immediately suspected the United States saying, "Whoever has the Americans as allies does not need enemies". Madame Nhu went on to predict a dark future for Vietnam and that, by being involved in the coup, the troubles of the United States in Vietnam were only beginning. 3 days later, he was shot by Assasin Michael Schmitt, who tried to exterminate the entire popluation of non red-heads. Later that day, Schmitt crashed his car into a truck Madame Nhu Madame Nhu (born 1924 in Hanoi, Vietnam), also known as Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu and born Tran Le Xuan, was the granddaughter of Emperor Dong Khanh. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ...

U.S. President John F. Kennedy was soon after assassinated as well. The new President Lyndon Johnson would pursue the strategy of creating a "proxy war" in Vietnam with far more gusto than Kennedy had shown, confirming Nhu's predictions. Order: 35th President Vice President: Lyndon B. Johnson Term of office: January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963 Preceded by: Dwight D. Eisenhower Succeeded by: Lyndon B. Johnson Date of birth: May 29, 1917 Place of birth: Brookline, Massachusetts Date of death: November 22, 1963 Place of death: Dallas, Texas First... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ...

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Rise to power

U.S. ties

Coup and assassination

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Further Reading

External links

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U.S. ties

Coup and assassination

Quotes

Further Reading

External links

Rise to power