eisenhower letter to ngo dinh diem

Johnson justifies involvement in Vietnam (April 1965) nhng n anh ln (Nguyn Tng Phong), Nhng Ngha a leaflet calling for the people to rise up against the oppressor Diem; A letter to the Vietnamese Army telling them that Diem is just carrying on French colonialism; a 41-page document alleging Diem crimes against the people; and a leaflet that said "For the past eight years our land . He also wanted to see something on Lodge actually talking with Diem. Ng nh Dim: Ti thit min Nam (HNT & TTN), Ci John F. Kennedy Library: JFK Papers: National Security File; Country File, b. to permit our aid to Viet-Nam to be more effective and to make a greater 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 the source. Kennedy's views on removing Diem become more explicit in a tape recording of his meeting with newly-appointed Ambassador to Saigon Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., in mid-August 1963, just before Lodge set out for Saigon. So he pledged support to an emerging leaderNgo Dinh Diema devout Catholic and fervent anti-French, anti-Communist nationalist. Author Luke A. Nichter found the document in the Vietnamese archives. The purpose of this offer is to assist US Senate debate on the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (August 1964) US news report on the imminent fall of Saigon (April 1975) President Eisenhower authorized CIA agents to undermine Mohammad Mossadegh's political power to Select one: A. apply the domino theory to the Middle East. 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. Diem made conflicting claims that the Buddhists were being stirred up by communist cadres and that the crisis was entirely solved. A US report on Soviet aid to North Vietnam (November 1965), US MACV memo on winning the Vietnam War (September 1965) people, so enlightened in purpose and effective in performance, that it will be respected The Vietnam War Primary Sources - Shmoop [8] McCone ordered Saigon station to drop the suggestion, and the next day Colby reinforced that order with another (Document 19). 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. PDF Chapter 3 'Sink or Swim, with Ngo Dinh Diem' - University of Houston 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. Eisenhowers letter of support to Ngo Dinh Diem (October 1954) Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955-1957, Vietnam, Volume I Government Printing Office 1991). Eisenhower's Letter of Support to Ngo Dinh Diem, October 23, 1954 - The One of themthe easiest, Minh saidwas to assassinate two of Diems brothers while keeping Diem himself as a figurehead. Photo undated(peacehistory-usfp.org). several hundred thousand loyal Vietnamese citizens away from areas which are passing under President Eisenhower's letter to South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem promising aid against the North, October 1954. In our 2003 and 2009 postings, and the 2013 update, the story of what Kennedy and his officials actually decided about the Saigon coup in August was at the heart of our inquiry. 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. 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. McCone shot back that the best line was no line. In addition, Minh said it was vital that American foreign aid would continue to flow after a coup. SOURCE: JFKL: JFKP: National Security File . Robert McNamara proposes increases in US troops (July 1965) Viet Minh call to arms against the Japanese (March 1945) 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). I am glad that the United States is able to assist in this humanitarian effort. for Medieval Studies. If President Diem refused to jettison Nhu, then Diem would have to go as well. Kennedys associates concluded early on that Ngo Dinh Nhu had to go. Vice PresidentJohnson,Ngo Dinh Diem,and Ambassador Frederick Nolting in South Vietnam's Presidential Palace in 1961(Wikipedia). On this date, President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam addressed a Joint Meeting of Congress. 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. Such a government would, I hope, be so responsive to the nationalist aspirations of its to maintain in the event such aid were supplied. [9] Document number deleted, October 28, 1963, FRUS, v. IV, p. 449. Text of Eisenhower-Diem Statement - The New York Times Ho Chi Minh on founding the Inodchinese Communist Party (1930) 202-994-7000 ornsarchiv@gwu.edu. 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. A big issue, then and since, has been the so-called Hilsman Telegram, or, more formally, Department Telegram (DepTel) 243, which instructed U.S. It hopes that such aid, combined with your own continuing efforts, will of State Bulletin (November 15, 1954), pp. 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). mi nm sau tnh hay m (BS Nguyn Tin Cnh ), CS According to Coneins report to CIA Headquarters, he did not address Harkins comments but assured Don that Lodge would speak to Harkins. Here we supplement the 2003 coverage with some new evidence. ISBN:978-0-3002-1780-3, William Colby and the CIA: The Secret Wars of a Controversial Spymaster It hopes that such aid, combined with your ISBN:978-0-7006-1634-3, The Ghosts of Langley: Into the CIA's Heart of Darkness Compare this with Items 9 (audio), 10 and 11 of E-book 302, December 11, 2009. Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. SAIGON, Vietnam, Oct. 24 -- In a letter to Premier Ngo Dinh Diem, President Eisenhower has expressed the hope that "indispensable reforms" would be carried out by South Vietnam in connection with the receipt of United States aid. McCone said he felt that Kennedy agreed. Lodge had an active role in disentangling one of the most important obstacles to the coup when the South Vietnamese were moving into position. Diem Betrayed - Anti-Diem Propaganda leaflets - Psywarrior In one case we also had a record made by a senior Pentagon participant, Major General Victor Krulak. 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. Joint Statement Following Discussions With President Diem of Viet-Nam McCone said he discouraged Kennedy from supporting a coup unless a suitable replacement for Diem was identified. JFK Papers: NSF: Country File, b. Nolting conceded that Nhualso a man of integrityhad become a liability, but he rejected the proposition the Vietnamese generals would carry out a coup. Military opponents coalesced around General Maxwell D. Taylor, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and included General Krulak; while another center of opposition included CIA Director John McCone and his responsible division chief, William E. Colby. Nhng this page, Kattenburg got the impression the man had a growing neurosis. The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham University. Once American policymakers became aware that the coup plotters considered assassination a potential part of their plan they proceeded very carefully. Anonymous poem about French oppression in Vietnam (1900) nguyn vi C TT Ng nh Dim (Phan Thit) Hoa Tng Nh (Trng Ph Th) 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. Subscribers may view the full text of this article in its original form through TimesMachine. Ambassador Frederick Nolting that he would make no such move against the Buddhists, Harriman and Ball were no longer sure of Diems intentions. 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. Such a government would, I hope, Forrestal also commented, without further elaboration, that others had not been privy to the latest Lodge-JFK private communications. Ho Chi Minh condemns French imperialism (1920) New documents and extracts will be added regularly. Washington, DC, November 1, 2020President John F. Kennedy was more disposed to support the removal of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem in late 1963 than previously appeared to be the case, according to a recently released White House tape and transcript. Modern History Sourcebook, Fordham University Center 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. November 15, 1954, pp.735-736. Vietnam War: The Essential Reference Guide - Barnes & Noble Phan Boi Chau on Vietnams awakening (1914) @table of contents. Internet History Sourcebooks: Modern History - Fordham University domain and copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in modern 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. File : Ngo Dinh Diem at Washington - ARC 542189.jpg 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 The coup would take place in a window of late October-early November. 183-186. Eisenhower made it clear to Diem that U.S. aid to his government during Vietnams hour of trial was contingent upon his assurances of the standards of performance [he] would be able to maintain in the event such aid were supplied. Eisenhower called for land reform and a reduction of government corruption. National Defense University: Maxwell D. Taylor Papers, Vietnam series, Chapter XXIII, T-172-69. No Ngo Dinh Diem (1901-63) was the United States-backed leader of South Vietnam from 1954. Roger Hilsman-Michael Forrestal, Potential Kennedy-Diem Letter, September 12, 1963. Letter from President Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem, President of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam, October 23, 1954. 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. Ngo Dinh Diem - Wikipedia Ng nh Dim: Giai on cc k gy cn (HNT & TTN) Officials in Saigon, especially Conein, who acted as intermediary with the coup plotters, were instructed to listen to their plans but to avoid having any input or recommending any specific option especially regarding assassination. for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the 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. part 1, part 2, 735-736. 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. effective and to make a greater contribution to the welfare and stability of the JFK sent a succession of study groups to SaigonHuntington Sheldon of the CIA, Robert McNamara plus Maxwell Taylor, General Krulak plus Joseph Mendenhallall to report to him. Fordham University History Department, and the Fordham Center for Medieval Studies in embassy.[9]. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy to Ngo Dinh Diem. At the same time, there was a growing view within the South Vietnamese government that Nhu was disliked, hated, feared, or distrusted at all levels in the bureaucracy, the military establishment and urban elite circles., JFK Papers: NSF: Country File, b.200, f.: Vietnam 10/610/14/63, CIA Reports.. The experience of Americans in South Vietnam established that. The Henry G. Sanders Web Site -- Vietnam The National Security Archive is committed to digital accessibility. Some of these materials first appeared in earlier National Security Archive E-books and are added here to provide the larger context of events. At the same time, Nhu ordered soldiers to fire upon Americans and other foreigners involved in acts intended to be hostile toward South Vietnam. Reprinted from The Department of State Bulletin (November 15, 1954), pp. 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. Kennedy wanted Lodge to make a personal assessment. Plus, we've got an entire learning guide devoted to this document. The PICL of November 2 (Document 27) records that Diem and Nhu had been killed. A Viet Cong guerrilla tells of the Tet offensive (1968) The implication is that Mike [Forrestal] is.. D. inhibit the growth of radical Islam. EISENHOWER'S LETTER TO NGO DINH DIEM, October 23, 1954 ngh sao v C TT Ng nh Dim? nguyn vi C TT Ng nh Dim (Phan Thit), V articles will be added later. The agreement called for an election to reunify the two zones in 1956. 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). part3. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1991, p. 212 (hereafter cited as FRUS with page number). The Archive is indebted to Dr. Roland Popp, researcher at the Swiss Military Academy ETH Zurich, for Documents 9 and 11. John F. Kennedy notably remarked there was no point to a coup if it would not work. Kennedy reported that Lodge and Harkins said that the generals in Saigon did not seem very enthusiastic for a coup. Learn more on our privacy and legal page. 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). Ngo Dinh Nhu, brother of President Diem, and Madame Nhu. In 2009 the Kennedy Library made a release of the tapes that actually covered the White House conversations of late August. maintaining a strong, viable state, capable of resisting attempted subversion or 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. 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. Hanoi Jane Fondas broadcast from North Vietnam (August 1972) DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I have been following with great interest the course of The War Powers Act curtails the presidents authority to wage war (November 1973) 735-736. ISBN: 978-1-6209-7088-1, National Security Archive While Diem had not yet surrendered, the coup plotters planned to set up a civilian government as soon as the coup was over. hc t mt s tun tit (TS Lm L Trinh), Cu Ed. Gi nh Mnh (T Gn - Si Gn Nh), Bn Ho Chi Minh appeals to the American people (May 1964) civilians murdered in Hue City in 1968. 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. honor the ARVN Heoes. JFK Library: John Newman Papers, Notebook, August 24-31, 1963.. TT North Vietnamese peace proposal (June 1971) Nhu commented that the South Vietnamese military officers, many of whom were Buddhist themselves, started off in sympathy with the Buddhists following the uprising that occurred in Hue on May 8. Our additional records do not change the impression we expressed in 2009 that Nolting had essentially gone native (Documents 9, 10). Unless otherwise indicated Attorney General Kennedy said he did not think a coup made sense in terms of U.S. policy objectives, while Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara echoed concern about the effect a coup could have on war progress. Here we step back to take a broader view, not just focusing on the events of August but on the full panoply. Despite promising to establish a free, Western-style democratic republic, Diem's leadership was far from democratic. the Government of Viet-Nam in developing and maintaining a strong, viable 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. This supplemented the earlier electronic briefing book. The Documents The Final Declarations of the Geneva Conference July 21, 1954; The American Response to the Geneva Declarations July 21, 1954; Protocol to the SEATO Treaty September 8, 1954; Eisenhower's Letter of Support to Ngo Dinh Diem October 23, 1954; Excerpts from Law 10/59 May 6, 1959; Le Duan, "Duong Loi Cach Mang Mien Nam" [The Path of Revolution in the South], circa 1956 Tng Thng By the time John F. Kennedy was president, the situation seemed hopeful for a momentlong enough for JFK to think of Vietnam as a sort of laboratory where he could try out tactics and techniques. to give assurances as to the standards of performance it would be able Our mission is to engage, educate, and inspire all learners to discover and explore the records of the American people preserved by the National Archives. I am, accordingly, instructing the American Ambassador to Viet-Nam to examine 204, f.: Vietnam Subjects: Top Secret Cables (Tab C) 10/3-10/27/63.. 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. 336-346. He had no time to acclimate. Enter a date in the format M/D (e.g., 1/1), President Eisenhower pledges support to South Vietnam, How the Vietnam War Ratcheted Up Under 5 U.S. Presidents, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-president-pledges-support-to-south-vietnam, Richard Burton buys Elizabeth Taylor a diamond, President Truman declares war with Germany is officially over, Western Union completes the first transcontinental telegraph line, James Brown records breakthrough Live at the Apollo album, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid opens in wide release, Marv Albert faces sentencing in sexual assault case. 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. The Cold War (1945-1963): Eisenhower and the Cold War: 1954-1960 But within hours he would be deposed and 24 hours later summarily executed by the military. 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). A CIA report on Viet Cong weaknesses and vulnerabilities (July 1965) Kennedy was personally aware of the pro-Diem views of Frederick E. Nolting, Lodges predecessor as ambassador, strengthening the impression that he included Nolting in White House deliberationsand personally engaged him in colloquy about Saigon eventspartly to build a case that all sides in this debate had been heard. Ambassador Lodge was sending home his CIA station chief. Reprinted from 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. At this late date Bobby Kennedy still opposed the coup and Maxwell Taylor sided with him, while other officials looked ahead to the composition of a future Saigon government, or focused on tactics or the balance of forces on the coup and palace sides. . The Presidents Intelligence Checklist for August 24, 1963 concluded that Nhu is believed to be behind the recent antagonism against the Buddhists and the imposition of martial law in Saigon. Kahin donation, The following day, Hughes wrote to Secretary of State Dean Rusk on the subject of Nhu.

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