Internet Exercise 1

The Decision to Back Ngo Dinh Diem

Please read President Dwight Eisenhower's 1954 letter to Ngo Dinh Diem:

Then read the following American appraisals of Diem during the Sect Crisis in the spring of 1955:

Next, read Secretary of State John Foster Dulles's praise for Diem before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1956:

Finally, read this excerpt of a 1960 NSC meeting at which the participants discussed Diem's mounting problems and his limitations as a leader:


1		For what purpose did President Eisenhower offer American aid to Diem's government? What conditions did the President attach?



2		During the National Security Council (NSC) discussion of the Sect Crisis, what shortcomings did Secretary of State John Foster Dulles identify in Diem's leadership? Why did Dulles announce at this meeting that he was putting American plans to replace Diem on hold?



3		What was General J. Lawton Collins's assessment of Diem? Did he share Dulles's belief that Diem might emerge "as a major hero?" Explain.



4		Contrast Secretary of State Dulles's appraisal of Diem during his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with Collins's earlier evaluation. What specific events led Dulles to become such a firm believer in Diem?



5		According to Robert Amory of the CIA, what problems did the Diem regime confront in 1960? What criticisms did Diem's political opponents make about his rule?



6		Compare Amory's 1960 report of Diem's governing ability with Dulles and Collins's appraisals in 1955. Should the U.S. government have been surprised by Diem's problems in 1960? Why or why not?

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