Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem was born in 1901 in an aristocratic Roman Catholic family that was closely connected with the leadership of South Vietnam. Until 1933, he served for the French colony leaded by Bao Dai. During the World War II, he was against both the communist liberation movements and the French oppression. In 1945, he refused to work at the government of Ho Chi Minh. He spent many years in exile, while he built up his political connections to obtain the support of the USA. After the defeat of the French in South Vietnam, he was the prime minister in 1954 and in 1955.
In 1956, he won the presidential election with a majority of 90%. With American assist, he managed to prevent the referendum about the union of Vietnam that was decreed by the Geneva Agreement. Its result was obvious, Ho Chi Minh would have won the election and would have become the president. In the following 7 years, he was the leader of a corrupt, oppressing regime. The communist, supported by the North, rose up. His reaction was cruel reprisal, he even banned the Buddhism. The pursuit of Buddhist monks made his reputation worse abroad. This resulted a discontent that the American removed him by a coup d'état. His car was stopped and he was forced to get out. Then the hooligans assassinated him.