Diem and Nhu seemed to desire to present Lodge with a fait accompli regarding the Buddhists upon his arrival in Saigon. Ambassador Lodge was sending home his CIA station chief. Back at the embassy Lodge confronted Harkins over his intervention with the South Vietnamese officer (Document 22). C. protect Western oil interests. On November 1 we have the PICL which shows the coup underway (Document 25). 24, f.: Meetings on Vietnam, August-November 1963.. TWO LETTERS TO NGO DINH DIEM EISENHOWER'S LETTER TO NGO DINH DIEM October 23, 1954 (Department of State Bulletin, November 15, 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. President Eisenhower then reminded Diem that his territory is protected by SEATO. From that point on, the U.S. embassy and Saigon station became even more active as observers of South Vietnamese coup preparations. The inauguration speech of Duong Van Minh (April 1975) It hopes that such aid, combined with your own continuing efforts, will contribute effectively toward an independent Viet-Nam endowed with a strong government. Here we step back to take a broader view, not just focusing on the events of August but on the full panoply. I have been unable to find the claimed McCone quote in any contemporary record. Nhu spoke out in response to signals that the U.S. planned to cut foreign aid, dismissing the speculation by saying that South Vietnam had sufficient reserves to operate for twenty years. The implications of the agreement concerning Viet-Nam have caused grave concern regarding the future of a country temporarily divided by an artificial military grouping, weakened by a long and exhausting war and faced with enemies without and by their subversive collaborators within. I am glad that the United States is able to assist in this humanitarian effort. 204, f.: Vietnam: Subjects: Top Secret Cables (Tab C) 10/3-10/27/63.. Here we present Roger Hilsmans record of that meeting from State Department files (Document 24). While Minh said he did not expect U.S. support for a coup, he wanted to ensure that no effort would be made to thwart a change in government. President Eisenhower's letter to South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem promising aid against the North, October 1954. View Full Article in Timesmachine , See the article in its original context from. agreement concerning Viet-Nam have caused grave concern regarding the future That post included a selection of essential documents, including the CIA briefing where the agencys director, John McCone, informed the president of the initial approaches by South Vietnamese plotters to CIA officers. The implications of the agreement concerning Viet-Nam have caused grave concern regarding the future Ngo Dinh Diem addresses a joint session of the US Congress (1957) His methods and policies, particularly his persecution of South Vietnam's Buddhist population, were divisive and controversial. mi nm sau tnh hay m (BS Nguyn Tin Cnh ), CS Compare this with Document 11 here, and with Items 9 (audio), 10 and 11 in E-book 302. Our additional records do not change the impression we expressed in 2009 that Nolting had essentially gone native (Documents 9, 10). Lodge warned how difficult it could be to control such an event, noting that Madame Nhus mother believed that she, along with Diem and Nhu, were all going to be assassinated., LBJ Library: Ball Papers, b.7, f.: Vietnam I (1/15/62-10/4/63.. purposes and personal use. Lodge spoke with Harkins on the afternoon on October 23. b mt c tit l sau 40 nm (T Gn) developments in Viet-Nam, particularly since the conclusion of the conference at Geneva. 05/09/2018 12:04 AM EDT. JFKL: Roger Hilsman Papers, b. 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. The Archive is indebted to Dr. Roland Popp, researcher at the Swiss Military Academy ETH Zurich, for Documents 9 and 11. Bn to maintain in the event such aid were supplied. 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. Dim received a glowing welcome and was heaped with praise as a leader of a "free country" in the midst of the Cold War. Tng - Bn c n cn (T Gn) Contrary to fears expressed at the October 29 White House meeting, when the coup began on November 1, President Diem and his forces were fairly quickly corralled in the Gia Long Palace. Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. President Dwight Eisenhower: Letter to Ngo Dinh Diem (October 23, 1954) 241 National Security Action Memorandum No. aggression through military means. He had returned to consult with JFK about the coup, learned while en route that Kennedy had been killed, and instead briefed LBJ while still in his EOB office (along with Dean Rusk, Robert McNamara, and George Ball). The citizens of America saw this, not as an opportunity, but as a danger to their precious country. The receptions during the visit were in large part organized by the American . more pictures and Modern History Sourcebook. A Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative was approached during the time of U.S. 4th of July festivities by South Vietnamese military officers who wanted U.S. support for a coup detat that might overthrow Diem (2003 E-book, document 1). Letter from President Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem, President of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam, October 23, 1954. On October 24 (Document 23) Conein met again with Don, who confirmed that Harkins had admitted his error in seeming to oppose a coup. Following the Geneva Convention, President Eisenhower and the United States supported Ngo Dinh Diem. Ng nh Dim: Giai on cc k gy cn (HNT & TTN), TT 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. o chnh m st TT Ng nh Dim (Aladin Nguyen), Phng When South Vietnamese military officers renewed their contacts with CIA operatives in early October, the Vietnamese immediately raised the option of assassination. All Rights Reserved. We have been exploring ways and means to permit our aid to Viet-Nam to be more effective and to make a greater contribution to the welfare and stability of the Government of Viet-Nam. Nolting conceded that Nhualso a man of integrityhad become a liability, but he rejected the proposition the Vietnamese generals would carry out a coup. On the morning of October 24, Don saw Conein at Tan Son Nhut airport. Ambassador Frederick Nolting that he would make no such move against the Buddhists, Harriman and Ball were no longer sure of Diems intentions. nh Dim President, if I was manager of a baseball team, [and] I had one pitcher, Id keep him in the box whether he was a good pitcher or not. After Conein had provided assurance to Big Minh that the U.S. would not thwart a coup, General Tran Van Don asked Conein why General Paul Harkins, Commander, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), said the day before that it was the wrong time for a coup and that the planners should desist in their efforts. Bi The South Vietnamese demands for American support became more insistent in the second half of August, 1963, and the posting presented the National Security Council (NSC) and State Department records of a series of White House meetings and other U.S. deliberations over a coup in Saigon. Noam Chomsky on the meaning of Vietnam (1975), Richard Nixon unveils a policy of Vietnamisation (November 1969) Compare to Documents 18 and 19, and the audioclip in the E-book of November 5, 2003. The implications of the There were more contacts with the Vietnamese generals. glad that the United States is able to assist in this humanitarian effort. Hanoi Jane Fondas broadcast from North Vietnam (August 1972) At the same time, Nhu ordered soldiers to fire upon Americans and other foreigners involved in acts intended to be hostile toward South Vietnam. The War Powers Act curtails the presidents authority to wage war (November 1973) SOURCE: JFKL: JFKP: National Security File . The coup against Diem has been a much-debated passage in the history of the American war in Vietnam. Ng nh Dim: Giai on cc k gy cn (HNT & TTN) JFK Library: John Newman Papers, Notebook, August 24-31, 1963.. President Ford on Americas post-Vietnam recovery (April 1975). v cc ng bo nn nhn of State Bulletin (November 15, 1954), pp. [6] CIA Saigon cable 1385, October 3, 1963, ibid., p. 354. Th Ni Lng - Ch S Ng nh Dim (Trn Vit Yn), Vn The PICL of November 2 (Document 27) records that Diem and Nhu had been killed. 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. 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. McCone said he felt that Kennedy agreed. As we demonstrated in our 2009 E-book the reality was more complex. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and [6] Document 18 is the record of Coneins encounter with General Duong Van Minh on October 5. Vietnamese citizens away from areas which are passing under a de facto In Krulaks record of the same meeting (Document10), figures like Robert McNamara, George Ball, Averell Harriman were more forceful figures with the latter most going so far as to say that the U.S. will lose South Vietnam if there is not a successful coup to topple the Diem government. Ho Chi Minh appeals to the American people (May 1964) Ngo Dinh Nhu, brother of President Diem, and Madame Nhu. The ouster of Diem in a militarycoup that would have major implications for American policy and growing involvement in the country happened 57 years ago today. Some of these materials first appeared in earlier National Security Archive E-books and are added here to provide the larger context of events. Don was furious that a different, subordinate ARVN officer, talking of a different coup, had been discouraged by U.S. military group commander General Paul D. Harkins, while word of that had reached President Diem. The mention of assassination occurred at a key moment for the U.S. in Saigon. (BS Tn Tht Thin), Ngha December 11, 2009, The Last Brahmin: Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. and the Making of the Cold War George Ball argued that Nhu in the ascendant was impossible to live with, making the coup imperative, but the questions were mooted that day when the Vietnamese generals postponed their coup plot. Thomas L. Hughes Papers, Courtesy of Thomas Hughes. Permission is Desperate to save himself, amid the coup fighting, President Diem drafted a proclamation ordering the army to reject all but his own orders and summoning help from loyal forces outside Saigon (Document 26). B. hinder an alliance between Iranian and Vietnamese communists. The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham University. In reviewing the different ways to achieve a change in government, assassination, Minh said, was the easiest plan to accomplish although he disavowed any political ambitions himself. The agreement called for an election to reunify the two zones in 1956. disassembling Kennedy's firm but cautious action in the Cuban missile crisis resulted in the _________ of Russian missiles. 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) Letters from Eisenhower and Kennedy to Ngo Dinh Diem Eisenhower, Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem. The received history on this is that Hilsman, Harriman, and NSC staffer Michael Forrestal advocated going ahead with a coup, while other factions opposed it. (JFK Papers: NSF: Country File, b. state, capable of resisting attempted subversion or aggression through Kennedy became more specific when he said, The time may come, though, weve gotta just have to try to do something about Diem, and I think thats going to be an awfully critical period. While never directly speaking about a coup, Kennedy signaled that he was willing to accept regime change under certain circumstances. On this day in 1957, Ngo Dinh Diem, president of South Vietnam, addressed a joint meeting of Congress during a two-week visit to the United States. Assassination Records Review Board release, document 157-10014-10227. American aid given directly to your Government can serve to assist Viet-Nam in its present 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. Kennedy pledges support for Diem, South Vietnam (December 1961) An American ally against communism in Asia, Diem embarked on a two-week visit to the United States. The National Security Archive documented this event in some detail in our 2003 electronic briefing book, where we presented the meeting agenda, a tape of the conversation, the NSC meeting record, and two draft cables to Saigon that the participants considered (2003 E-book, Documents 18, 19, 20, and 21 plus audio clip). Lodge told Diem that he knew little about Vietnam but hoped to advise him on American affairs. 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. Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem, President of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam, October 23, 1954 DEAR MR. with great interest the course of developments in Viet-Nam, particularly since the conclusion of the conference at Geneva. General Minh renewed the August call for an expression of U.S. support for a coup. Unless otherwise indicated Compare this to Items 6 (audio), 7 and 8 of E-book 302, December 11, 2009. They spoke with academic Vietnam experts, the CIA station chief, and President Diem. Presenting his credentials to Diem on August 26 (Document 8), Ambassador Lodge got 10 minutes to explain the role of public opinion in setting U.S. policy, advising that the Saigon leader release Buddhist prisoners, after which Diem minimized the importance of Buddhists, then treated him to a two-hour harangue on his family and South Vietnam as an underdeveloped country. Here we add Krulaks records on the other meetings (Documents 9, 11) and Bromley Smiths handwritten notes, from which he derived the records we had previously posted (Documents 10, 12). Reprinted from The Department of State Bulletin (November 15, 1954), pp. ngh sao v C TT Ng nh Dim? [8] This quote appears in the Church Committees interim report on Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders (p. 221), as well as the note card we present here, compiled by committee staffer Rhett Dawson on June 29, 1975. The implications of the agreement concerning Viet-Nam have caused grave concern regarding the future of a country temporarily divided by an artificial military grouping, weakened by a long and exhausting war and faced with enemies without and by their subversive collaborations within. for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the This website is created and maintained by Alpha History. Nhng Pham Van Dong on Geneva, Vietnamese independence (July 1954) HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. 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. to give assurances as to the standards of performance it would be able National Defense University: Maxwell D. Taylor Papers, Vietnam, Chapter XXIII, T-172-68. President Eisenhower complimented President Ngo Dinh Diem on the remarkable achievements of the Republic of Viet-Nam under the leadership of President Ngo Dinh Diem since he took office in July 1954. the future of a country temporarily divided by an artificial military grouping, weakened Diem agreed to the needed reforms stipulated as a precondition for receiving aid, but he never actually followed through on his promises. Photo undated(peacehistory-usfp.org). In a meeting between President Kennedy and his top advisors, even at that late hour they seemed divided over a possible coup. Bin Tnh Sng - (Hoi cm ca Trn khc Knh). For you, for President Eisenhower, and for the American people, the choice in Vietnam was whether to 'sink or swim with Ngo Dinh Diem.' A Strong Anti-Communist Leader in South Vietnam At Geneva, Ho Chi Minh agreed to stop fighting in part because he was sure he'd win an election in South Vietnam. Ngo Dinh Diem explains why he rejects national elections (July 1955) Edict of Emperor Minh Mang against Christians in Vietnam (1833) We have been exploring ways and means The experience of Americans in South Vietnam established that. We have been exploring ways and means to permit our aid to Viet-Nam to be more According to Coneins report to CIA Headquarters, he did not address Harkins comments but assured Don that Lodge would speak to Harkins. General Tran Van Don, one of the coup plotters and a point of contact for CIA operative Lucien Conein (generalhieu.com). At one point Ambassador Lodge personally assured General Tran Van Don that CIA operative Conein was speaking authoritatively for the U.S. The White Houses response to the Geneva declaration (July 1954) They emphasized, we believe that Vietnam is not faced with any serious shortage of effective non-Communist leadership. Thomas L. Hughes, INRs director, remains proud today of the list his experts assembled in 1963. The former ambassador argued that no one other than Diem could keep South Vietnam together. In turn, Conein challenged Don to produce proof that the coup group was actually authentic. John F. Kennedy addresses the UN on Vietnam (September 1961) Anonymous poem about French oppression in Vietnam (1900) Central Intelligence Agency: Center for the Study of Intelligence, 2000 (declassified February 19, 2009), p. 195. mi nm ngm ngi (Trng Phu' Th) Just as Kennedy ended the August round of coup talks, State Department official Paul Kattenburg, who had known Diem for a decade, had his own experience (Document 14). In an extraordinary series of notes made by Diem during the coup from his bunker under Gia Long Palace, discovered by Luke Nichter in November 2016 at National Archives II in Ho Chi Minh City, Diem struggled to regain control. the Fordham University Center An American press report on the Binh Xuyen (April 1955) Eisenhowers letter of support to Ngo Dinh Diem (October 1954) Luke A. Nichter, For more information, contact Subscribers may view the full text of this article in its original form through TimesMachine. While Diem had not yet surrendered, the coup plotters planned to set up a civilian government as soon as the coup was over. the institutional owner, and is not liable as the result of any legal action. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational Nhus attempts to fend off criticism or ingratiate himself with Washington failed. Eisenhower made it clear to Diem that U.S. aid to his government during. Conscription of Vietnamese peasants for service in World War I (1916) Plus, we've got an entire learning guide devoted to this document. [2] Rufus Phillips, Why Vietnam Still Matters: An Eyewitness Account of Lessons Not Learned. We have since continued to collect material, and Luke Nichters presentation of the Kennedy-Lodge tape from mid-August offers a good opportunity to revisit the coup. Vice PresidentJohnson,Ngo Dinh Diem,and Ambassador Frederick Nolting in South Vietnam's Presidential Palace in 1961(Wikipedia). Kahin donation, The following day, Hughes wrote to Secretary of State Dean Rusk on the subject of Nhu. domain and copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in modern Nhu ordered that ARVN soldiers be instructed to open fire on any foreigners involved in provocative acts., American officials differed on who might follow Diem and Nhu in leading Saigon. A Viet Cong member reflects on its approach to war (1985) at home and abroad and discourage any who might wish to impose a foreign This shows that Nhu, even when calm, as Richardson observes, obsessed with Buddhists spreading propaganda and hiding communist agents among their monks at some of the most important pagodas. Nhu was killed along with his brother onNovember 2, 1963. It hopes that such aid, combined with your own continuing efforts, will The online tool for teaching with documents, from the National Archives, Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 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. The coup would take place in a window of late October-early November. If you would like to contribute or suggest a document for inclusion here, please, Vietnam War memory quiz events 1946-1964, Vietnam War memory quiz events 1965-1975, Vietnam War memory quiz terms and concepts (I), Vietnam War memory quiz terms and concepts (II), Edict of Emperor Minh Mang against Christians in Vietnam (1833), The suicide note of Hanoi governor Hoang Dieu (1882), Augustine Heard, an American traveller, reports on Indochina (1886), Anonymous poem about French oppression in Vietnam (1900), Phan Boi Chau on Vietnams awakening (1914), Conscription of Vietnamese peasants for service in World War I (1916), Ho Chi Minh seeks Vietnamese independence in Paris (1919), Ho Chi Minh condemns French imperialism (1920), Ho Chi Minh on founding the Inodchinese Communist Party (1930), A report into French atrocities in Vietnam (1933), Ho Chi Minh recalls his conversion to Leninism (1967), Ho Chi Minh calls for unity against the French (February 1930), Viet Minh call to arms against the Japanese (March 1945), Ho Chi Minhs declaration of independence (September 1945), The US recognises self-governing Vietnam (February 1950), Final declaration of the Geneva Conference on Indochina (July 1954), Pham Van Dong on Geneva, Vietnamese independence (July 1954), The White Houses response to the Geneva declaration (July 1954), Eisenhowers 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), US security briefings on Ngo Dinh Diem and his regime (1958-1960), Ngo Dinh Diem decrees the death sentence (May 1959), The Caravelle Manifesto criticises Diem and his regime (April 1960), Eisenhower praises the progress in South Vietnam (October 1960), John F. Kennedys inauguration speech (January 1961), John F. Kennedy addresses the UN on Vietnam (September 1961), Rusk, McNamara urge US involvement in Vietnam (November 1961), General Taylors recommendations for Vietnam (November 1961), Kennedy pledges support for Diem, South Vietnam (December 1961), Kennedy responds to a question on Vietnam (February 1962), Program of the National Liberation Front or Viet Cong (1962), A US report on the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam (July 1963), Cable 243 discusses the removal of Ngo Dinh Diem (August 1963), McNamara and Taylors report on South Vietnam (October 1963), NSC memorandum on US policy in South Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh appeals to the American people (May 1964), The US Congress Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (August 1964), US Senate debate on the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (August 1964), McGeorge Bundy memo on attacking North Vietnam (February 1965), Johnson justifies involvement in Vietnam (April 1965), Robert McNamara proposes increases in US troops (July 1965), A CIA report on Viet Cong weaknesses and vulnerabilities (July 1965), A US report on Soviet aid to North Vietnam (November 1965), US MACV memo on winning the Vietnam War (September 1965), Le Duan reminds agents in the South of tactics (November 1965), General Vo Nguyen Giap on why the US will lose in Vietnam (1966), Lyndon Johnson on the political aims of the Vietnam War (June 1966), A Viet Cong guerrilla tells of the Tet offensive (1968), An Australian press report on the Tet offensive (February 1968), A US reporter discusses South Vietnamese military weaknesses (1973), A US general reflects on US, North Vietnamese tactics (1984), A Viet Cong member reflects on its approach to war (1985), Robert McNamara reflects on Americas failures in Vietnam (1995), A journalist reports on the fragging of US officers (January 1972), Ridenhour letter to Congress exposing My Lai (March 1969), Quotations about the massacre at My Lai hamlet (1968), Seymour Hersh breaks the story of the My Lai killings (1969), PFC Meadlo on his role in the killings at My Lai (November 1969), Cross examination of Lieutenant William Calley (1970), Cross examination of Captain Ernest Medina (1970), Muhammad Ali explains his refusal to fight in Vietnam (March 1967), Martin Luther Kings Beyond Vietnam speech (April 1967), An American draft-dodger explains his actions (1967), Robert F. Kennedys Kansas State University speech (March 1968), John Kerry anti-war testimony to the US Senate (April 1971), Hanoi Jane Fondas broadcast from North Vietnam (August 1972), Noam Chomsky on the meaning of Vietnam (1975), Richard Nixon unveils a policy of Vietnamisation (November 1969), A broadcast by Viet Cong propagandist Hanoi Hannah (April 1970), Nixon announces deployment of US troops in Cambodia (April 1970), North Vietnamese peace proposal (June 1971), US news report on the Paris peace agreement (January 1973), Excerpts from the Paris Peace Accords (January 1973), The War Powers Act curtails the presidents authority to wage war (November 1973), A US intelligence briefing on the situation in Vietnam (August 1974), South Vietnams president Nguyen Van Thieu resigns (April 1975), The inauguration speech of Duong Van Minh (April 1975), US news report on the imminent fall of Saigon (April 1975), President Ford on Americas post-Vietnam recovery (April 1975). 204, f.: Vietnam Subjects: Top Secret Cables (Tab C) 10/3-10/27/63.. In addition, Minh said it was vital that American foreign aid would continue to flow after a coup. Phan Boi Chau on Vietnams awakening (1914) Martin Luther Kings Beyond Vietnam speech (April 1967) Kennedy responds to a question on Vietnam (February 1962) Newly appointed U.S. Internet But it was too late. 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. CIA operative Lucien Conein, who was a liaison to the generals leading up to the coup, in an undated photo from the 1960s (Credit: William J.
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