Ngo Dinh Nhu explained to U.S. officials the series of events that led to the pagoda raids and the declaration of martial law. But within hours he would be deposed and 24 hours later summarily executed by the military. The Henry G. Sanders Web Site -- Vietnam On the morning of October 24, Don saw Conein at Tan Son Nhut airport. National Security Archive: George McT. The Government of the United States expects that this aid will be met by performance on the part of the Government of Viet-Nam in undertaking needed reforms. agreement concerning Viet-Nam have caused grave concern regarding the future [5] But almost simultaneously in Saigon, the CIA electrified Washington when operative Lucien Conein ran into General Tran Van Don at the airport and the two held a meeting that night where the ARVN officer affirmed that the generals now had a specific plan, and Don got Conein to agree to meet the top plotter several days later. Lodge told Diem that he knew little about Vietnam but hoped to advise him on American affairs. Washington, D.C., 20037, Phone: 202/994-7000 University Press of Kansas, 2009 Central Intelligence Agency: Center for the Study of Intelligence, 2000 (declassified February 19, 2009), p. 195. The mention of assassination occurred at a key moment for the U.S. in Saigon. Ng nh Dim: Th thch u tin (HNT & TTN), TT At the State Department, W. Averell Harriman and George Ball agreed that Lodge ought to delay his arrival in Saigon until the situation had calmed somewhat (Document 4). Diem's anti-communism attracted the Americans. From: President Eisenhower To: Ngo Dinh Diem Date: October 23, 1954 Dear Mr. President: I have been following with great interest the course of developments in Vietnam, particularly since the conclusion of the conference at Geneva. Please visit and sign our JFK Library: Roger Hilsman Papers: Country File, b. Reprinted from . the Fordham University Center The War Powers Act curtails the presidents authority to wage war (November 1973) The implications of the agreement concerning . Chun Tng L Cross examination of Captain Ernest Medina (1970), Muhammad Ali explains his refusal to fight in Vietnam (March 1967) [2] Rufus Phillips, Why Vietnam Still Matters: An Eyewitness Account of Lessons Not Learned. We strive for accuracy and fairness. vn hai cu tng Khim v Xun As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Episodes 1-4 | National Archives 1) how does this document President Dwight Eisenhower: Letter to By Tillman Durdinspecial To the New York Times. It contains 186,751 words in 265 pages and was updated last on March 27th, 2022. Oval Office, August 15, 1963 (Photo: Abbie Rowe; JFK Library,AR8072-A). President Eisenhower: Letter to Ngo Dinh Diem October 23, 1954 [At this Site] Beginning US "humanitarian" aid. Letter From Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem - The Vietnam War A Letter From Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem October 23, 1954 Dear Mr. President, I have been following with great interest the course of developments in Vietnam, particularly since the conclusion of the conference at Geneva. The coup would take place in a window of late October-early November. I am, accordingly, instructing the American Ambassador to Viet-Nam to examine with you in your capacity as Chief of Government, how an intelligent program of American aid given directly to your government can serve to assist Viet-Nam in its present hour of trial, provided that your Government is prepared to give assurances as to the standards of performance it would be able to maintain in the event such aid were supplied. Even now the views of Kennedy and some of his top aides about the advisability of a coup specifically have been shrouded by an incomplete documentary record that has led scholars to focus more on the attitudes of subordinates. This collection of Vietnam War documents has been selected and compiled by Alpha History authors. President Kennedy decided to replace his ambassador to Saigon, Frederick E. Nolting, and appointed Henry Cabot Lodge to that position. 239-240 and 291-292. The assistant chief, left to comment on General Minhs options, advised Washington not to dismiss the assassination too quickly, as the other possibilities basically meant civil war. the source. "I was shocked by the death of Ngo Dinh Diem. I am, accordingly, instructing the American Ambassador to Viet-Nam to examine [1] Thomas L. Hughes, telephone interview, September 12, 2020. PFC Meadlo on his role in the killings at My Lai (November 1969) No Primary Source. Ngo Dinh Nhu, brother of President Diem, and Madame Nhu. European and World history. of American aid given directly to your Government can serve to assist Viet-Nam The purpose of this offer is to assist the Government of Viet-Nam in developing and While Lodge was still in transit to Vietnam, Diem declared martial law and his military forces raided the Buddhist pagodas that were believed to be sheltering those behind the latest anti-government protests. Nhu was killed along with his brother onNovember 2, 1963. The purpose of this offer is to assist the Government of Viet-Nam in developing and maintaining a strong, viable state, capable of resisting attempted subversion or aggression through military means. I am, accordingly, instructing the American Ambassador to Viet-Nam to examine with you in your capacity as Chief of Government, bow an intelligent program of American aid given directly to your Government can serve to assist Viet-Nam in its present hour of trial, provided that your Government is prepared to give assurances as to the standards of performance it would be able to maintain in the event such aid were supplied. Ho Chi Minh condemns French imperialism (1920) Martin Luther Kings Beyond Vietnam speech (April 1967) General Taylors recommendations for Vietnam (November 1961) by a long and exhausting war and faced with enemies without and by their subversive New York: The New Press, 2017 Letters to Diem - wwhsenglish.pbworks.com While the forces at the disposal of the coup plotters remained inferior to those commanded by Diem and Nhu, if the U.S. were to back a coup attempt it was important that it was successful. A broadcast by Viet Cong propagandist Hanoi Hannah (April 1970) people, so enlightened in purpose and effective in performance, that it will be respected I am Vn Hng, History of Strategic Kennedy said his two top officials in Saigon should build up the coup forces, since at present it did not look as though they could successfully topple Diem. ISBN: 978-0-7006-1690-9, Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War, 1945-1975 General Vo Nguyen Giap on why the US will lose in Vietnam (1966) Here we step back to take a broader view, not just focusing on the events of August but on the full panoply. When, that May, Ngo Dinh Diems government got into a political confrontation with Vietnamese Buddhists, American frustration increased. Compared to other versions of Memoranda of Conversation of an August 27 meeting between Kennedy and his aides following William Colbys briefing, this rendition by Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Victor Krulak on behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff illuminates new details. The Vietnam War Primary Sources - Shmoop for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2008, pp. A report into French atrocities in Vietnam (1933) [4] Accounts of the CIA meetings with General Khiem on September 16 (CIA Saigon cable 0940) and 26 (Saigon cable 1222) appear in FRUS, IV, pp. Le Duan: The path of revolution in the South (1956) University Press of Kansas, 2009 That was the climate in which ARVN General Tran Thien Khiem asked CIA for a meeting. Excerpts from the Paris Peace Accords (January 1973) Cross examination of Lieutenant William Calley (1970) CIA Saigon Station Chief John Richardson met with Ngo Dinh Nhu for a conversation that focused primarily on the evolving Buddhist crisis. v. t. e. Ng nh Dim, the President of South Vietnam, made a state visit to the United States, the main ally of his government, in 1957. John F. Kennedy addresses the UN on Vietnam (September 1961) of a country temporarily divided by an artificial military grouping, weakened LBJ Library: Bromley K. Smith Papers, b. While the details of their deaths were inconclusive, the mood in Saigon was jubilant. Eisenhower believed "losing" South Vietnam to communism would be a strategic, economic, and humanitarian disaster. These materials reveal that Lodge already held nuanced views on the situation in South Vietnam and had already met with South Vietnamese representatives in the U.S., who happened to be the parents of Ngo Dinh Nhus wife. Nhu suggested that he was not a central figure in the actions undertaken against the Buddhists, although he was in support of them. Ngo Dinh Diem addresses a joint session of the US Congress (1957) President Eisenhower authorized CIA agents to undermine Mohammad Mossadegh's political power to Select one: A. apply the domino theory to the Middle East. A US report on the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam (July 1963) Similarly, Alleged Assassination Plots quotes two CIA cables sent to Saigon, respectively, on October 5 and 6, of which only the latter message seems to exist in the public domain (DIR 73661, here presented as Document 19). Press Release of Letter from President Dwight Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955-1957, Vietnam, Volume I Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research Thomas L. Hughes made notes of White House conversations with National Security Council staff member Michael Forrestal and Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman during August 24-28, 1963, which he referred to as coup planning week. Vietnam took up most of the discussions, including criticism of Nhus explanation for the series of events that led to the pagoda raids which Forrestal said was what he wanted us to hear. They agreed that the Diem government could not survive another 12 months. Compare this with Document 10 here, and Items 9 (audio), 10 and 11 of E-book 302. Plus, we've got an entire learning guide devoted to this document. several hundred thousand loyal Vietnamese citizens away from areas which are passing under Ngo Dinh Diem - Vietnam War Step-by-step explanation Tng Thng Technical Directorate, VN Coastal Raiders C. protect Western oil interests. a de facto rule and political ideology which they abhor, are being fulfilled. The purpose of this offer is to assist the Government of Viet-Nam in developing and maintaining a strong, viable state, capable of resisting attempted subversion or aggression through military means. Dim received a glowing welcome and was heaped with praise as a leader of a "free country" in the midst of the Cold War. There were more contacts with the Vietnamese generals. Content created by Alpha History may not be copied, republished or redistributed without our express permission. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. held his first meeting with South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem on August 26. He represented the Pagoda Raids as some sort of victory for Diem, absolved Nhu of responsibility for them, pictured Diem as a man of integrity who had tried to carry out all the promises he had made to the United States, and framed Vietnamese Buddhism as manipulated by Cambodia. We have been exploring ways and means View Full Article in Timesmachine , See the article in its original context from. Eisenhower's Letter of Support to Ngo Dinh Diem, October 23, 1954 - The So he pledged support to an emerging leaderNgo Dinh Diema devout Catholic and fervent anti-French, anti-Communist nationalist. Today's posting also features a dramatic handwritten proclamation on November 1, 1963, from the doomed Diem demanding thatthe South Vietnamese Army follow his orders. So he pledged support to an emerging leaderNgo Dinh Diema devout Catholic and fervent anti-French, anti-Communist nationalist. At one point Ambassador Lodge personally assured General Tran Van Don that CIA operative Conein was speaking authoritatively for the U.S. copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in modern European and World history. The Government of the United States expects that this President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam Addressed a Joint Meeting of Diem and Nhu seemed to desire to present Lodge with a fait accompli regarding the Buddhists upon his arrival in Saigon. This website is created and maintained by Alpha History. I am glad that the United States is able to assist in this humanitarian effort. aggression through military means. B. hinder an alliance between Iranian and Vietnamese communists. Kattenburg got the impression the man had a growing neurosis. JFK Papers: NSF: Country File, b. Some of these materials first appeared in earlier National Security Archive E-books and are added here to provide the larger context of events. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1991, p. 212 (hereafter cited as FRUS with page number). The Archive built an E-book around those audiotapes, too, starting with DepTel 243 and then permitting the reader/listener to make extensive comparisons, by pairing the White House tapes with the NSC and State Department memoranda recording those same conversations. Nixon announces deployment of US troops in Cambodia (April 1970) Ho Chi Minh seeks Vietnamese independence in Paris (1919) Through September and October, even as Washington sought to make its point by considering evacuation of U.S. nationals, withdrawals of American troops, and halting CIA aid to South Vietnamese Special Forces, President Kennedy tried to understand the situation better. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961-1963, v. IV: Vietnam, August-December 1963. Harriman again said that the U.S. would lose South Vietnam if the coup fails, which was necessary because the political situation was bound to disintegrate further under Diem. More than on earlier occasions, he recorded, Diem talked largely to himself. The Saigon potentate defended his stance in the Buddhist crisis, and defended his brothers Nhu and Thuc, the archbishop of Hue, whose antics had touched off the crisis. New documents and extracts will be added regularly. Nhu claimed that Ngo Dinh Diem himself approved the pagoda raids against the Buddhists in response to demands made by South Vietnamese army officers for Diem to deal with recent political agitation in Saigon. Rusk said that a cable should be sent to Lodge to assess the proposed coup and whether the U.S. should try to more actively exert influence. Primary Source. General Tran Van Don, one of the coup plotters and a point of contact for CIA operative Lucien Conein (generalhieu.com). Diem Betrayed - Anti-Diem Propaganda leaflets - Psywarrior Your recent requests for aid to assist in the formidable project of the movement of several hundred thousand loyal Vietnamese citizens away from areas which are passing under a de facto rule and political ideology which they abhor, are being fulfilled. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. The implications of the agreement concerning Vietnam have caused grave concern regarding the future of the country temporarily . t. e. Ng nh Dim ( / djm / [1] or / zim /; [2] Vietnamese: [ n jm] ( listen); 3 January 1901 - 2 November 1963) was a South Vietnamese politician who was the final prime minister of the State of Vietnam (1954-1955), and then served as the first president of South Vietnam ( Republic of Vietnam) from 1955 until he . In a meeting with Nhu, some officers went so far as to express interest in taking part in a coup. Kattenburg reported he was hardly able to speak more than once or twice in what was primarily a one-sided monologue by Diem who said he was ready to die even while vigorously defending the policies of his government over the previous months. Instead, JFK spoke not of opposing a coup, but of not conducting one just because the New York Times was pushing italmost a repeat of what he had expressed to Lodge in their meeting 10 days earlier (Document 3). The Internet Lodge began with a summary of his conversation the night before with Than Thi Nam Tran, wife of Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Tran Van Chuong, and mother of Madame Nhu. When South Vietnamese military officers renewed their contacts with CIA operatives in early October, the Vietnamese immediately raised the option of assassination. The CIA learned of a talk he had had with ARVN commanders in the Saigon area where Nhu asserted that a cutoff of foreign aid would not be a problem because South Vietnam had enough foreign currency reserves to continue for 20 years. Author Luke A. Nichter found the document in the Vietnamese archives. (BS Tn Tht Thin) Eisenhower's letter of support to Ngo Dinh Diem (October 1954) An American press report on the Binh Xuyen (April 1955) Ngo Dinh Diem explains why he rejects national elections (July 1955) Le Duan: 'The path of revolution in the South' (1956) Ngo Dinh Diem addresses a joint session of the US Congress (1957) Robert F. Kennedys Kansas State University speech (March 1968) Since then, however, some officers turned against the movement once the political aims of some Buddhist leaders became more apparent, blaming the Diem government for being ineffective in dealing with the problem. Your recent requests for aid to assist All Rights Reserved. 4, f.: Vietnam 9/119/20/63 [II]. Years later, when the Church Committee was investigating the CIA (in 1975), McCone quoted himself telling John F. Kennedy, in precise words that he remembered very clearly, Mr. The American government viewed South Vietnam's situation as a cry for The National Security Archive is committed to digital accessibility. How the USA got involved in Vietnam - BBC Bitesize An American ally against communism in Asia, Diem embarked on a two-week visit to the United States. Viet-Nam endowed with a strong government. While Colby emphasized that Saigon had stabilized, Kennedy asked numerous questions about the likelihood of success should the disaffected generals move forward with a coup attempt. Ho Chi Minh on founding the Inodchinese Communist Party (1930) Government of Viet-Nam. Letter from President Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem, President of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam, October 23, 1954 DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I have been following with great interest the course of developments in Viet-Nam, particularly since the conclusion of the conference at Geneva. Tng nim C There was still time to pull back. Nhu claimed he was prepared to join them which could have been an effort to unmask the coup plotters and their grievances rather than a genuine statement of support. Here we supplement the 2003 coverage with some new evidence. and political ideology which they abhor, are being fulfilled. Ng nh Dim: Th thch u tin (HNT & TTN) President Eisenhower: Letter to Ngo Dinh Diem, October 23, 1954 - Sites A Christian Vietnamese named Ngo Dinh Diem had been in the United States between 1950 and 1954, and there he had met Cardinal Francis Spellman and Senator John F. Kennedy. A US report on Soviet aid to North Vietnam (November 1965), US MACV memo on winning the Vietnam War (September 1965) So did South Vietnamese. Tucked away in Roger Hilsmans papers, a portion of which were deposited later at the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library, was a CIA-created timetable of Agency contacts with South Vietnamese generals from August 23 through October 23. Assassination Records Review Board release, document 157-10014-10227. The Diem Coup After 50 Years John F. Kennedy and South Vietnam, 1963 The Caravelle Manifesto criticises Diem and his regime (April 1960) TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Ng nh Dim: Giai on cc k gy cn (HNT & TTN) Lodge was the first diplomat to meet with LBJ as president. President Dwight Eisenhower: Letter to Ngo Dinh Diem (October 23, 1954) 241 National Security Action Memorandum No. 328 (April 6, 1965) 242 Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense: Excerpt from Memorandum for President Lyndon Johnson (April 21, 1965) 244 Ho Chi Minn: Letter to Lyndon Johnson (February 15, 1967) 245 198, f.: Vietnam 8/21-8/30/63.. They spoke with academic Vietnam experts, the CIA station chief, and President Diem. guestbook to civilians murdered in Hue City in 1968. Diem said that the Buddhist uprising had been resolved. Statement on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities. Such a government would, I hope, be so responsive to the nationalist aspirations of its A CIA report on Viet Cong weaknesses and vulnerabilities (July 1965) In a follow-up meeting the next day, another briefing by William Colby summarized the scene in Saigon. The former ambassador argued that no one other than Diem could keep South Vietnam together. South Vietnams president Nguyen Van Thieu resigns (April 1975) Kennedy did a lot of agreeing, letting Lodge talk, but the two concurred the press in Saigon posed a problem, JFK expressed the sense that something would have to be done about Diem, but he didnt want to be driven to that by the press, and he was not yet certain who, other than Diem, the U.S. could support in Saigon. Lodge had an active role in disentangling one of the most important obstacles to the coup when the South Vietnamese were moving into position. Luke A. Nichter, For more information, contact It was noted that in less than three years a chaotic situation resulting from years of war had been changed into one of progress and stability. Other History Sourcebooks: African | East Asian | Indian | Islamic |Jewish | Lesbian and Gay | Science | Women's | Global, Letter to Ngo Dinh Diem, October 23, 1954, Letter from President Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem, President of the Council of August deliberations had the effect of enabling top U.S. officials to rehearse all the arguments for and against a coup, but they left Washington with its policy problemthe intractability of Saigon leaders closed off the potential for progress in Vietnam. Among the items we present here are the audio and transcript of the president instructing his ambassador; notes taken during the key week by Thomas L. Hughes, director of the State Departments Bureau of Intelligence and Research; the handwritten notes on White House meetings by NSC staff deputy Bromley K. Smith; a wider selection of meeting notes from General Krulak; the CIA summary of meetings between its officers and the Vietnamese generals; a selection of CIA field reports, including the early October Vietnamese mention of assassination and the CIA reaction to that; and several items from the immediate period of the coup and assassination, including a desperate appeal for aid from President Diem even as the coup against him was underway. subversive collaborators within. Step-by-step explanation As discussed in the chapter titled "The United States and Vietnam" by Anderson, the letter written by President Dwight Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem on October 23, 1954 provides evidence to support the notion that the United States' link with Vietnam changed through time. Silence from the Vietnamese generals made Washington officials wary of getting too far ahead of Saigon politics. JFKL: Roger Hilsman Papers, b. In one case we also had a record made by a senior Pentagon participant, Major General Victor Krulak. honor the ARVN Heoes. Description: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles (from left) greet South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem at Washington National Airport. Robert McNamara proposes increases in US troops (July 1965) Letter from President Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem, President of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam, October 23, 1954. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The implications of the agreement concerning Viet-Nam have caused grave concern regarding the future It hopes that such aid, combined with your contribution to the welfare and stability of the Government of Viet-Nam. permission is granted for commercial use of the Sourcebook. Kennedy and Lodge discussed the kinds of challenges Lodge was likely to face upon arrival, and how he proposed to deal with the Diem government. Ng nh Dim: Ti thit min Nam (HNT & TTN), Vng ideology on your free people. o chnh m st TT Ng nh Dim (Aladin Nguyen), Phng JFKPapers: NSF: Country File: b. [7] This advice outraged CIA Director McCone and Far East operations chief Colby. Eisenhower supports Ngo Dien Diem Rufus Phillips describes one White House meeting around this time that ended in complete pandemonium. According to recollections by DCI John McCone, made in the course of interviews conducted by the Church Committee in 1975, he met with President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy on or around October 5 after Conein reported that Big Minh discussed a possible assassination plan. While in support themselves, Lodge and Harkins did not feel as though U.S. support had gone so far that the only option was to have a coup. Lodge left for Saigon, planning to stop in Hawaii and Japan on his way to receive various briefings and touch base with senior U.S. officials. Newly arrived U.S. Nguyn Vn Thiu 35+ YEARS OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACTION, FOIA Advisory Committee Oversight Reports, The Diem Coup After 50 Years John F. Kennedy and South Vietnam, 1963, Kennedy Considered Supporting Coup in South Vietnam, August 1963, The Last Brahmin: Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. and the Making of the Cold War, William Colby and the CIA: The Secret Wars of a Controversial Spymaster, Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War, 1945-1975, The Ghosts of Langley: Into the CIA's Heart of Darkness. the Government of Viet-Nam in developing and maintaining a strong, viable For his part, Nhu also came off as more and more ominous (Document 15). Johnson justifies involvement in Vietnam (April 1965) Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: October 24. 735-736. who's Who in South Vietnam | American Experience | PBS The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham University. in the formidable project of the movement of several hundred thousand loyal News of ARVNs request for backing of a coup reached Kennedy as his presidents daily brief (then called the Presidents Intelligence Checklist, or PICL) was reporting that Ngo Dinh Nhu was indeed behind the Pagoda Raids, and that Nhu and Diem were issuing direct orders to military officers, leaving out the ARVN chain of command (Document 7).

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