IV.

Social and Political Turbulence in South Vietnam

In the face of the deteriorating situation, the United States restated its support for Saigon. In April 1961, a treaty of amity and economic relations was signed with South Vietnam, and in December, President John F. Kennedy pledged to help South Vietnam maintain its independence. Subsequently, US economic and military assistance to the Diem government increased significantly. In December 1961, the first US troops, consisting of 400 uniformed army personnel, arrived in Saigon in order to operate two helicopter companies; the United States proclaimed, however, that the troops were not combat units as such. A year later, US military strength in Vietnam stood at 11,200.

The Diem government, meanwhile, proved unable to defeat the Communists or to cope with growing unrest among South Vietnamese Buddhists and other religious groups. Anti-government agitation among the Buddhists was especially strong, with many burning themselves to death as a sign of protest. Still others were placed under arrest, the government charging that the Buddhist groups had become infiltrated by politically hostile individuals, including Communists. Although this contention was supported by outside observers, including a US fact-finding team, religious friction between the Buddhists and the Catholic-led government was at least as powerful a force as political conflict.

On November 1, 1963, the Diem regime was overthrown in a military coup. Diem and his brother and political adviser, Ngo Dinh Nhu, were executed. The circumstances surrounding the coup were not fully clear at the time. In the summer of 1971, however, with the publication by the US press of a secret Pentagon study of the war (see Controversy in the United States below), it was revealed that the coup had been known to be imminent and that the United States was prepared to support a successor government.

The government that replaced the Diem regime was a revolutionary council headed by Brigadier General Duong Van Minh. A series of other coups followed, and in the 18 months after Diem's overthrow South Vietnam had ten different governments. None of these proved capable of dealing effectively with the country's military situation. A military council under General Nguyen Van Thieu and General Nguyen Cao Ky was finally created in 1965, and it restored basic political order. Later, in September 1967, elections were held and Thieu became president of South Vietnam.