Ngo Dinh Diem


Ngo Dinh Diem (1901-1963) was the first president of South Vietnam. He gained the presidency with the aid of US military forces.

Diem was born into a Roman Catholic family near the ancient imperial capital of Vietnam. His father was a government official for the emperor. Diem started his political career as an administrator for Emperor Bao Dai until 1933. He was appointed Prime Minister of the interior by Emperor Bao Dai but Diem refused and resigned.

During World War II, the Japanese gained control of Vietnam. But in 1945, the Vietminh and Ho Chi Minh defeated the Japanese to regain control. Diem was offered a place in Ho Chi Minh's communist government but he refused because he hated the idea of communism. Diem left the political stage for a period of time. During this period, he made friends and contracts with many countries, including the United States. The Eisenhower administration feared a Communist takeover of Southeast Asia and saw Diem as the sort of Vietnamese nationalist capable of countering the Communist Vietminh. However, the Eisenhower administration left out one important fact; Diem was unfamiliar to the people of Vietnam.

NGO DINH DIEM If Diem had not alienated himself from the peasants, which would have resulted in the decrease of Viet Congs, do think that the chances for the US to win the war would have been significantly higher? Yes No Undecided View Current Results

Vietnam eventually gained "independence" through the Geneva Accords. However, Vietnam was partitioned into two, the north and south. Ho Chi Minh took control of the north and Bao Dai retained control over the south. The U.S. supported Bao's government and insisted in placing Diem as the primer of South Vietnam.

The Geneva Accords called for a nationwide election in Vietnam for its ruler in 1956. However, the US feared that Ho Chi Minh would win the election. Therefore, the US supported Diem in refusing to hold the election and placed Diem as president.

The first action of Diem as president was returning land, that were given to the poor under the Vietminh, back to the wealthy landlord. In doing this, Diem lost the support of the peasants. Diem also setup a secret police force against anyone who was known to be Communist followers. Diem's government was filled with corruption.

Buddhist opposition to Diem's rule resulted in massive demonstrations. In May 1963, the South Vietnamese police killed nine Buddhists. A number of Buddhists monks protested. These demonstrations peaked when Thich Quang Duc suicides through self-immolation, shocking US citizens. This led a number of Buddhist monks to set themselves on fire in protest, which shocked the public in the United States. The Diem regime was revealed to the US public to be brutal and corrupt, contrary to what it had been portrayed. The Kennedy Administration viewed Diem as an embarrassment. When a group of ARVN generals made their wishes to stage a coup d'état against Diem known, Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge informed them the United States would not object. On November 2, 1963, in a suburb of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Diem was assassinated along with his brother Nhu while both attempted to flee.

Photos Courtesy of Vietnam Photos