vietnam 1955 election

Colonel Edward Lansdale suggested that Diem should provide two ballot papers, red for Diem and green for Bao Dai. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. command reported a victorious conclusion of the battle. Found insideMass Mobilization in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, 1945–1960 explores the way the exigencies of war, the dreams of Marxist-Leninist ideology, and the pressures of the Cold War environment combined with pride and patriotism to drive ... In return, communist insurgents also assassinated hundreds of South Vietnamese officials. [1][32] The violations were particularly flagrant in central Vietnam,[52] a region over which another of Diệm's younger brothers, Ngô Đình Cẩn, ruled. Found inside – Page 161... not enter into the questions concerning the position of the regrouping demarcation line and date for unification election in Vietnam referred to by Eden ... A study of American involvement in Vietnam, from French domination to the final withdrawal of American forces, discusses the historical background, politics, military campaigns, participants, and consequences of American involvement Ngo Dinh Diem, Vietnamese political leader who served as president of South Vietnam from 1955 until his assassination. Chester Ovnand became the first Americans killed in the opening stages of the Vietnam . In July 1955, Diem rejected the national election, claiming South Vietnam was not bound by the Geneva Accords. A few days after the election, on October 26, 1955, Diem established South Vietnam as a separate country formally known as the Republic of Vietnam. Reports of violence and intimidation were widespread. "[18], The staging of the election was subsidised by foreign funding. nine more battalions of troops and supporting units to Indochina, increasing This put the French on the horns of a dilemma. Ngo Dinh Diem on national elections (1955) On July 16th 1955, South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem explained to his people why he had rejected the Geneva Accords and national elections: "Countrymen, The National Government has emphasised time and time again the price it has paid for the defence of the unity of the country and of true democracy. The United States supported a military government in the South and the decision of its leader, Ngo Dinh Diem, to prevent free elections, which might result in the unification of the country under . Found inside – Page 12Ngo Dinh Diem Unlike the majority of Vietnamese , Ngo Dinh Diem was ... In October , 1955 , Dinh Diem was elected president of South Vietnam in elections ... [18] Senator Mike Mansfield (D-MT) claimed the referendum "was a reflection of their [the Vietnamese people's] search for a leader who would respond to their needs ... they sensed that Diệm could provide that kind of leadership. 4. [29] Nevertheless, U.S. officials in Vietnam were pleased with the referendum, as they saw it as an opportunity to strengthen South Vietnam and avoid defeat to the communists, as they saw a republican model as being more robust. Nixon's opponent, George McGovern, campaigned on a platform of withdrawal from Vietnam. [16], Buoyed by his successes, and fueled by increased hatred of both the French and Bảo Đại after their attempts to prevent him from dismantling the Bình Xuyên,[17] Diệm became more confident as he went about consolidating his hold on power. [18], The referendum was widely condemned for being fraudulent. By the time I entered the Presidency the French nation had become weary of The deadline for the consultations in July 1955, and the date set for elections in July 1956, passed without further international action to implement those provisions of the Geneva Settlement. [52] Historian and writer Jessica Chapman said "Even Diệm apologists like Anthony Trawick Bouscaren and American CIA officer Edward Lansdale concur with the prime minister's harshest critics on the conclusion that the South Vietnamese government was either incapable of or unwilling to hold a truly free, representative plebiscite". Found inside – Page 249“President Ngo Seeks Re-Election,” Vietnam Press (Evening), February 7, 1961, ... Vietnamese Minister of State until May 1955 and was a former commander of ... [24] In announcing the referendum, Diệm portrayed his decision as being motivated by a love of democracy and popular discontent with the rule of Bảo Đại. This was a time in history when France, along with other old colonial powers, The Vietnam War. by the Vietnamese Chief of State, Bao Dai, who, while nominally the head of Civilians were free to move to whichever zone they preferred. In 1955, the Prime Minister of South Vietnam Ngô Đình Diệm faced a severe challenge to his rule over South Vietnam from the Bình Xuyên criminal gang and the Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo religious sects. As a result, the referendum itself was within the law. In Vietnam, red is associated with good luck and prosperity, whereas green is often associated with a cuckold and bad luck. The 1955 State of Vietnam Referendum was proposed as a means to determine the future of the country one way or another, but in reality was just a thinly veiled power struggle between former emperor . The Geneva Conference of 1954 was held in 1954. Instead of using it purely to explain the democratic process, the campaign was used to extol Diệm and his allies. Over the next several months he formed a permanent National Assembly to serve as the country's main legislative body. The country was crippled by economic, political and social problems, which the discredited and badly organised government couldn't cope with. [45] Newspapers in the Midwest hailed Diệm's win as a triumph for democracy and extolled the new president as a champion of democracy. [27], U.S. diplomats were concerned that the move would be seen as a power grab, as Diệm was organising and driving an electoral process in which he was a candidate. The following day, he denounced "the police methods" of Diệm's "dictatorship" and warned the Vietnamese populace "against a regime that was bound to lead them to ruin, famine, and war". origins, were fighting on the side of slavery. On November 20, French He refused to carry out elections mandated by the Geneva Accords of 1954, ruled autocratically, and showed preference to fellow Roman Catholics in an overwhelmingly Buddhist country. "[25] The day before the poll, Diệm said: "This 23 October, for the first time in our country's history, our men and women will exercise one of many basic civil rights of a democracy, the right to vote. [3], On 11 October 1954, the border was closed by the International Control Commission, after a period of 300 days during which free passage between both halves of Vietnam had been allowed. Still, the Vietnamese National Army was not in full control of southern Vietnam; the Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo religious sects ran their own administrations in the countryside supported by private armies, while the Bình Xuyên organised crime syndicate controlled the streets of Saigon. Fall stated that "there is not the slightest doubt that this plebiscite was only a shade more fraudulent than most electoral tests under a dictatorship". [54], Diệm's regime had announced that 5,335,668 people were eligible to vote, but when the results were declared, there were 5,784,752 ballots. [33] Police went from door to door, explaining the consequences of failing to vote. Bảo Đại had little confidence in him and gave him meagre support—the pair had clashed in the past, with Diệm resigning as Bảo Đại's Interior Minister two decades earlier, believing the head of state to be weak and ineffective. They criticised him as being too soft in his dealings with French colonial authorities, and for serving as the head of state of the Empire of Vietnam, a puppet regime set up by Imperial Japan after they invaded during World War II. Diem "wins" 98.2 percent of the vote. Eisenhower created an American Vietnam, and his successors would wage a bitter - and failed - war to keep it. During 1955-1956, North Vietnam concentrated on political struggle, still recovering from the war with the French and influenced by the Soviet Union, then in a period of peaceful coexistence with the West under General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev. The cover art contrasts the beauty of Vietnam as a country with the violence. [51] The ballot claimed that a vote for Diệm would be a vote for democracy, stating "I depose Bảo Đại and recognise Ngô Đình Diệm as Head of State, charged with the commission of setting up a democratic regime. 1961. But Frenchmen, initially told that they were fighting "[60] However, the paper also obligingly claimed the poll a "sound democratic procedure" and a "public tribute to a strong-willed leader". [23][28] Ambassador G. Frederick Reinhardt informed Washington that Diệm had no intention of allowing a level playing field for the opposition, and that the foreign press had already made much of Diệm's democratic pronouncements being a facade. View Vietnam War Notes - Answers.pdf from US HISTORY WORLD HIST at York College of Pennsylvania. [61], Diệm's victory was seen as a blow to French stature in Vietnam, as the former colonial power had helped to set up Bảo Đại's State of Vietnam in 1949. The United States feared that Ho Chi Minh would win the national election, and thus helped the authoritarian Ngô Đình Diệm to take power in the South. The U.S. opposes the unifying elections, fearing a likely victory by Ho Chi Minh. Defenders of Diệm claim this was due to recently arrived, mostly Catholic, refugees from North Vietnam who voted without being enrolled, rather than large-scale ballot stuffing. Found inside – Page 330Election of 1955 In 1954 the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration supported Catholic anti-Communist Ngo Dinh Diem's efforts in establishing a pro–U.S. ... Divided Vietnam: Status Quo Accepted. During the 300 days, Diệm and U.S. CIA adviser Colonel Edward Lansdale staged a campaign to convince people to move to South Vietnam. The U.S. government was heartened by Diệm's apparent ability to negate communist and other opposition. The Bình Xuyên was an armed, organised crime empire that controlled much of Saigon with a 40,000 strong private army, while the Vietminh still controlled much of the rural area. Communists now were able to spare greatly increased quantities of materiel in In Our Vietnam, Langguth takes us inside the waffling and deceitful White Houses of Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon; documents the ineptness and corruption of our South Vietnamese allies; and recounts the bravery of soldiers on both sides of ... Found inside – Page 1583The Government of Vietnam did not sign the agreement. The final declaration of the Geneva conference (21 July 1954) declared that general elections should ... It was contested by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm, who proposed a republic, and former emperor Bảo Đại, who had abdicated in 1945 and at the time of the referendum held the title of head of state. His family was a very strong catholic family and he attended a French Catholic school. More advisers were being sent in and the Chinese [20] This was echoed by the Saigon press, which ran articles assailing communist elections as shambolic, rigged, and meaningless;[20] at the time, the northern half of Vietnam had a greater population than the south. He stifled this support by ordering the police to arrest 1,200 people for political reasons in the week leading up to the vote. [49] Another Hòa Hảo rebel leader, General Trần Văn Soái, assailed Diệm's undemocratic regime and declared the referendum illegal. On this day in 1959, Maj. Dale Ruis and Master Sgt. He ordered the Bình Xuyên to relinquish control of the National Police and submit to his command by integrating into the VNA or disbanding, threatening to crush them if they refused. of the Associated States from France. Reinhardt cabled Washington, saying that the "referendum proved [a] resounding success for [the] Diem government". [1][32] French newspapers claimed that only half of the registered voters in Saigon had actually voted, and that the rest had boycotted the election,[56] implying that more than 60% of the votes in the capital were not authentic. : 515 Vietnamization, 1969-1972 Nuclear threats and diplomacy. Bảo Đại accused Diệm of trying to foment conflict between the French and the Americans. [18] He accused Diệm's poll of being "a governmental activity which conforms neither to the profound sentiment of the Vietnamese people nor to the common cause of peace". [55] Diệm's government claimed his candidacy had been endorsed by the mother of Bảo Đại, although Diệm had ordered the military to confiscate her family's property and evict her from the land. Found inside – Page 11... of the 1954 Geneva Conference regarding Vietnam , general elections should be ... general election were to commence a year earlier , from 20 July 1955. the most part by native troops. When a child of Afghan refugees wins election to Congress sometime in the future, we will know American hope is still alive. Vietnam was a major political issue during the United States presidential election in 1968. [18] In addition, Bảo Đại's portrait showed him to appear dazed and bloated, while Diệm and those surrounding him were smiling and appeared to be energetic. He repeatedly said that the creation of a legislature and a constitution for his new state would follow the referendum. View Full Article in Timesmachine », See the article in its original context from. During the Vietnam War era, between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 27 million. [62] Archives of policy discussions show that the Americans were concerned more about the negative image created by Diem's autocratic and antidemocratic style among the international community, rather than its possible effects on national cohesion. [28] The Department of State agreed and opted to avoid trumpeting the referendum as an exercise in democracy for fear of attracting negative reactions to their foreign policy. the size of the French Expeditionary Forces in that region to 250,000. would end the war successfully. HISTORICAL. But Premier Diem refused to talk . the conflict was coming to be recognized as having global significance, but Found inside – Page 107He announced an October 1955 election, with voters choosing between himself and Bao Dai as Vietnam's head of state. He then put his brother in charge of the ... (Eisenhower was, indeed, asked if using atomic weapons on China was an option. [32][33] In particular, the blonde hair referred to Bảo Đại's purported penchant for European mistresses with whom he liaised on the French Riviera. [32][33][34] Vietnam's monarchic tradition was built on Confucianism and the emperor's Mandate of Heaven, and Diệm's campaign claimed Bảo Đại had lost this mandate through his debauched lifestyle. The forces of the French Union fighting in Vietnam comprised approximately Colonel Edward Lansdale, a US officer who had a close relationship with Diem, suggested Diem supply red ballots for himself, and green for Bao Dai. during the build-up phase. [19], On 7 July 1955, the first anniversary of his installation as prime minister, Diệm announced that a national referendum would be held to determine the future of the country. Lansdale . "[20], Diệm contended that the Communists would never allow free elections in the north, so therefore South Vietnam must strike out on its own and establish a separate, non-Communist state. Interestingly, a total of 605,000 votes are cast despite there being only 405,000 registered voters. The book provides many insights into the overthrow of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963 and demonstrates that the coup negated the South Vietnamese government's tremendous, and hitherto unappreciated, military and political ... Name: _ Date: _ The Vietnam War (November 1955-April 1975 - Lasts 19 years, 5 months, 4 weeks, and 1 the war, and their government-at least in official circles, if not publicly-was Found inside – Page 1587Ngo Dinh Diem became Prime Minister of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) in 1954 and President in 1955. Elections were never held. accrue to the good of France. The splitting of Vietnam along the 17th parallel by the 1954 Geneva Conference was intended as a temporary measure, with elections planned in 1955 to reunify the country. (National Archives) Ngo Dinh Diem, prime minister under Bao Dai since July 1954, is elected president of South Vietnam. This place was later to become a household Overt Red Chinese aggression was not anticipated--that diem is established as leader through meddling with election results . few cases-its colonies. was almost impossible to make the average Vietnamese peasant realize that the September 3, 1955, Page 14 Buy Reprints. Drawn from the months July 1964 to July1965, these transcripts cover arguably the most . 1955: Vietnamese Prime Minister Wins Referendum, More Votes Cast than There Are Voters. 4. Emboldened by his success, Diệm began to plot Bảo Đại's downfall. President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam arrives at the 1962 National Day parade in Saigon. Sovereignty was presumed to rest solely upon the people, with Bảo Đại being a mere conduit. 2. Oct 1955. events: 1. diem's referendum over South vietnam . . [48] The Vietnamese Socialist Party, which was affiliated to the Hòa Hảo, claimed Diệm had "bribed the world of laborers and young students to petition in support of Diem's rise to chief-of-state and to petition in favor of deposing Bao Dai", using the American election funding. French Union could then lure them into open battle, they might be able to knock 200,000 French and 200,000 natives from the Associated States of Indochina. Patriotic Frenchmen fighting there naturally expected to see their sacrifices Full text is unavailable for this digitized archive article. In October, 1955, the South Vietnamese people were asked to choose between Bo Dai, the former Emperor of Vietnam, and Diem for the leadership of the country. User account menu. First Americans killed in the Vietnam War, July 8, 1959. [33] Posters and effigies associating Bảo Đại with a pig's head were disseminated,[18] while a prominent newspaper composed and encouraged the people to sing insulting songs about Bảo Đại. [30], Having declared his disdain for the 1956 reunification elections, Diệm saw the referendum as the first step in creating a long-term state to rule over South Vietnam. Union forces moved west from the Red River Delta in Tonkin and occupied an area During the referendum, Nhu's staff told voters to throw away the green ballots. The event also gave Diệm an opportunity to boost his prestige by defeating Bảo Đại in a head-to-head contest. His support base was to use this as a means of justifying the deposal of Bảo Đại, citing past decisions that according to them, were pro-communist. Lansdale hoped that the Vietnamese belief that red signified good luck . For the South Vietnam election of October 1955, who was on the ballot, running against Diem? After a decisive . Although only 25 percent of the military force in the combat zones were draftees, the system of conscription caused many young American men to volunteer for the armed forces in order to have more of a . No answer text provided. Vietnam War Timeline. The Headline read "The hour is late, the odds are long." Diem was America's hope to bring legitimate rule to South Vietnam following the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu. CONGRESSMEN The Geneva Accords stated that Vietnam was to become an independent nation. On 15 June, Diệm had the Council of the Royal Family at Huế declare that Bảo Đại be stripped of his powers, and that he, Diệm, be made president. https://www.nytimes.com/1955/09/03/archives/elections-in-vietnam.html. [31] After elaborating on the powers of the head of state, the pamphlet went on to champion Diệm as an anti-communist who could defend people's freedom, while explaining why Bảo Đại was unfit to lead, saying that he did not have respect among the international community. promising eventual self-rule and even independence to Indochina. In this book, it claims that "Life magazine" in 1957 published a report that American advisors suggested to Diem how he should rig the . U.S. officials thought that a fair election would have seen Diệm poll between 60% and 70% of the vote. [49], "Staging Democracy: South Vietnam's 1955 Referendum to Depose Bao Dai", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1955_State_of_Vietnam_referendum&oldid=1042664241, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 6 September 2021, at 04:19. He carried 41 states and received nearly 58 percent of the popular vote. [33] The slogans exhorted the populace to vote for the prime minister because "To vote for the revolutionary man Ngo Dinh Diem is to build a society of welfare and justice". Found inside – Page 13170Nguyen Van occasions in 1955 and 1956 ( and later ) Pre 1966 , Chapter 18 . ... “ FREE ELECTIONS " IN VIETNAM today just what it was in April and has been ... Found insideDiem was a Roman Catholic with diplomatic support from the United States and was elected in 1955 with 98.2% of the vote in South Vietnam in an election that ... Diệm's Vietnamese National Army (VNA) was led by General Nguyễn Văn Hinh, a French citizen who loathed and frequently disobeyed him. In Vietnam the message was squelched by the Diem regime, and Diem moved quickly to have himself elected president in Bao Dai's place through a referendum in the South. "[33] Aside from referring to his opulent lifestyle, other slogans such as "Bao Dai, puppet king selling his country", and "Bao Dai, master keeper of gambling dens and brothels",[34] referred to his alleged softness towards the communists. The war was officially fought between South Vietnam and North Vietnam, and several other countries were also . The 1955 State of Vietnam referendum determined the future form of government of the State of Vietnam, the nation that was to become the Republic of Vietnam (widely known as South Vietnam). This book examines expectations that elections will lead to counterinsurgency success through close analysis of four cases where governments were supported by the United States: Vietnam, El Salvador, Iraq, and Afghanistan. January 1961 - Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pledges support for "wars of national liberation" throughout the world. Verifying weird source on rigged elections in Vietnam 1956. [60] The French media and diplomatic corps viewed the result as a humiliation. Vietnam War-Era Vets To Be Honored At Temecula Ceremony - Temecula, CA - Applications for the pinning recognition are open to veterans with 1955-1975 service. America Commits 1961 - 1964. The prime minister tallied 605,025 votes in Saigon, although only 450,000 voters were registered in the capital. Found inside – Page 193Elections ( National ) , Republic of Vietnam : 1955 , 1967 , 1971 rity agencies reveals an ethnocentric pattern that combined desire for true reform and ... January 1961 - Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pledges support for "wars of national liberation" throughout the world. [21], On 18 October, he made the token gesture of formally dismissing Diệm. When President Nixon was running for the re-election in 1972, the States was embroiled in the lengthy, bloody and unpopular Vietnam War (1955-1975) and deeply divided internally. confusing. [58] In some districts of the Mekong Delta, overwhelming tallies for Diệm in excess of 90% of the registered voters were recorded,[59] even though the Hòa Hảo warlord Ba Cụt and his army had prevented voting. [61] An official congratulatory statement from the department said "The Department of State is gratified that according to reports the referendum was conducted in such an orderly and efficient manner and that the people of Viet-Nam have made their choice unmistakably clear ... we look forward to a continuation of the friendly relations between the Government of Viet-Nam and the United States. This was a reference to the head of state's reputation for opulence, gambling and womanising. In this new book, Seth Jacobs traces the history of American support for Diem from his first appearance in Washington as a penniless expatriate in 1950 to his murder by South Vietnamese soldiers on the outskirts of Saigon in 1963. [1] According to historian Jessica Chapman, it was a choice between "the country's obsolete emperor and its far-from-popular prime minister, Ngo Dinh Diem". Found inside – Page 2404UNIFICATION OF VIET - NAM THROUGH FREE ELECTIONS : Statement by the Secretary ... OF VIETNAM : Statement by the Department of State , October 26 , 1955 3 On ... [53] Cẩn was based in the former imperial capital city of Huế, home of the Nguyễn Dynasty and a source of support for Bảo Đại. Found inside – Page 116Elections in the Republic of Vietnam (1955, 1967, 1971)—Elections in the Republic of Vietnam were held to attempt to legitimize government power, ... [41] It summarized the scandalous depictions of the head of state made by Thoi Dai in the preceding weeks and was published on 19 October, four days before the referendum. Bao Dai. These included pornographic cartoons of the head of state and unverified rumours claiming he was illegitimate and linking him to various mistresses. Vietnam's Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau was also present at the unveiling that took place at the Kautilya Marg Park. Diệm's tally also exceeded the registration numbers in other districts. Initially their troops had been sent to preserve the Today is National Vietnam War Veteran's Day, set on March 29th because in 1973 it was the last day American combat troops were in the Republic of Vietnam. The United States government and a combination of American Roman Catholic charities contributed US$2 million each. The radio was used to verbally abuse Bảo Đại, who was accused of treason and corruption in these broadcasts. Bảo Đại sold the operating license of the national police to the Bình Xuyên, effectively putting administrative control of the police in the hands of a crime syndicate. Beginning in 1955, he used ARVN troops to reverse Communist land redistribution in South Vietnam and return landholdings to the previous owners. Under such harsh political climate, a forceful presidential campaign was thought to help the president have an easier election than in 1968. In the conference, the countries decided for Vietnam to have Elections to reunite the country after fighting the French, when their country was artificially split up in the French-Indochina War. Posted by 5 minutes ago. already earmarked, another $385 million to be available by the end of that calendar against the Communist forces in central Vietnam, and on November 7 the French The referendum was the last phase in the power struggle between Bảo Đại and his prime minister. The prime minister cited a plethora of petitions from various social, religious, and political groups calling on him to stage a plebiscite to remove Bảo Đại, claiming he was motivated by these "legitimate and democratic" sentiments. [23], The logistics of the referendum were organised and supervised by Diệm's brother and confidant, Nhu, who was the leader of the family's secret Cần Lao party, which supplied the Ngôs' electoral base. On election day, Eisenhower won an even more impressive victory than he had four years earlier. [18] Bảo Đại's relatives condemned him for abdicating as head of state, and for his links with France and the Bình Xuyên. had an election been held, Ho Chi Minh would have been elected Premier. The campaign was particularly focused on Vietnam's Catholics, who were to provide Diệm's power base in his later years, with the use of the slogan "God has gone south". 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Douglas Pike Photo Collection, the Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech Univ. than 1968. Diệm proclaimed himself president of South Vietnamese Army to 300,000 during the,. Max Boot & # x27 ; s largest social reading and publishing.! U.S. confidence and control of the state of Vietnam ( ROV ) body should vietnam 1955 election... However, the referendum was widely marred by electoral fraud simply go in order to expand knowledge.
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