Republic of Vietnam

The République of Vietnam (or more commonly South-Vietnam ) is an old State having existed of 1955 to 1975, in the continuity of the State of Vietnam created by France in 1949. October 26th, 1955, the new president Ngô Dinh Diêm proclaims the Republic of Vietnam, during a coup d'etat disguised in referendum (faked, in addition).

Opposed to the Democratic republic of Vietnam (or North-Vietnam ) in the War of Vietnam, the Republic of Vietnam disappears after her unconditional capitulation on April 30th, 1975, its territories having been consequently absorbed by the victorious State to form current the Socialist République of Vietnam (or simply Vietnam ).

History

Genesis

1948

June 5th, 1948, the former emperor Bao Dai is brought back of exile of HongKong to form a government (factitious actually) of a Vietnam “independent” thus transforming a colonial war into civil war.

This masquerade does not mislead anybody, to begin with the emperor Bao Dai itself which, with size and smoothness, signs the free-Vietnamese agreements with his civic name “Vinh Thuy” engaging only itself as a citizen, and not with his dynastic name “Bao Dai” which would then have engaged all the country of which he was the sovereign.

From the strictly legal point of view, the “independent” State of Vietnam existed forever.

1949

This year is the turning point of the war of Indo-China. The arrival of Mao Zedong in Beijing offers a back-country to Vietnam hitherto insulated on the plans diplomatic and military and moves from Berlin to Beijing the communist threat felt by the United States. France concedes in the State of Vietnam the Foreign affairs and the creation of a “National army” under command French and acting like forces suppletive. The general Nguyen Van Hinh (Vietnamese, officer of the French air force) is not mistaken there when it is had a presentiment of for obtaining the post of head of staff. France recognizes also the independence of the Kampuchea and Laos.

1950

The United States recognizes the State of Vietnam, with the beginning of the Guerre of Korea, while many Western States still see it like a State marionette of the French. With the expertise acquired with the combat and the availability of heavy equipment in artillery and the truck for its heavy divisions in support with the regional and local troops, the popular army inflicts a series of routs to the French troops in the “high area” of CAD Bang and Lang Its. It is “battle of Roads colonial” which sows panic in the French staff in Indo-China and within the French government in Paris, which sends in Indo-China the general of Lattre de Tassigny to rectify the situation while being locked up in the Delta of the river Rouge and the big cities, in order to insulate the adversary which has then any latitude to operate and to take initiatives.

1954-1955

The whole finishes with the Bataille of Diên Biên Phu, which leads France, in July 1954, with the Accords of fine Geneva putting at the first Guerre of Indo-China of started independence in 1946. These agreements recognize the independence of Laos, Kampuchea and the temporary division of Vietnam in two zones of military regrouping (in North for the Armée popular Vietnamese - APVN - and in the South with the 17 {{E}} parallel). The French Task force in the Far East - CEFEO - completely withdraws in 1955 of old the French Indo-China (Kampuchea, Laos and Vietnam).

Parallel to the conference of Geneva in June 1954, the emperor Bao Dai, Head of the Vietnamese State of Saigon, recalls of the United States Ngô Dinh Diêm to make the Prime Minister of Vietnam of it. Diem very quickly cancels the Agreements of Geneva, alleging that the Vietnamese State of Saigon was not part. It is thus exempted to organize elections for the reunification of Vietnam (planned for 1956). After that, Ngô Dinh Diêm organizes a faked referendum (with more voice favorable than voters) and created the Republic of the Vietnam, from which he becomes the Head of State. Thus the emperor Bao Dai leaves rather discreetly, choosing abdication rather than to create more divisions in the country.

Diem then has the freehands to install its family dictatorship, anticommunist and anti-Buddhist, starting a policy of " consolidation": denunciation of Communists, favorisation of the catholic minority to the detriment of the great Buddhist majority,…

The mode of Diem (1955-1963)

The mode of Diem will last 8 years, of 1955 to 1963, which will constitute the " first phase" republic of Vietnam. Ngô Dinh Diem is presented like tyrannical and despotic, and its mode is authoritative and " familial". It controls the country with his brothers, placed at the stations - keys:

Ngô Dinh Nhu: chief of the Edge Lao, political party pro-Diem, opium addict and admiror of Hitler, modelling the methods of torture of the secret police of the Edge Lao to the image of the methods Nazis. Suspecté in corruption affairs.
Ngô Dinh Edge: governor of the imperial city E Huê, mingled with corruption affairs, of drug trafficking and suspecté to maintain a private army.
Ngô Dinh Luyen: ambassador in the United Kingdom while being in load of the Cham minority for the saber.
Ngô Dinh Thuc: archbishop roman catholic of Huê, but living with the Presidential palace of Saigon. Autorié to request " voluntary contributions in Eglise" near business men of Saigon, it uses its position to acquire urban farms, grounds and grounds with the profit of the Church.

His/her Nhu brother and his wife (the “First Lady” of South-Vietnam, Diem having remained unmarried), more known under the nickname of “Mrs Nhu” (by disrespectful derision and allusion to the “brothel-keeper”), carry out between 1955 and 1963 a reform of the company of Saigon to their manner and according to the integrist catholic values. Thus, the abortion and the divorce become illegal, the brothels are closed, just like smokings of opium. The laws concerning adultery are reinforced. Causing the anger of the local godfathers, the play is prohibited, just like the lust and smuggling. Diem gains a " war urbaine" against them and their private armies, and extends its influence on Saigon. The opposition to Diem grows: the first notable incidents, though of weak width, appear about 1957-1958 (revolts in the province of Quang Ngai, taken of a thousand of weapons by the men of the maquis).
The policy anticommunist of the government is very repressive: one speaks about many acts of torture and execution against " suspects communistes". A major act of dispute takes place in November 1960, when part of the army carried out by the Colonel Vuong Van Dong tries a coup d'etat against Diem by attacking the presidential palace. This test fails, but wakes up many initiatives against the authoritarian regime of Diem, in particular the coup d'etat of the generals.

Under the pressure of frameworks of the South, aimed successfully by the political police of Diem, the Central committee with Hanoi adopts a secret resolution authorizing the use of the force in the South. December 20th, 1960, the South-Vietnameses Communists create the National front for the release of Vietnam. In parallel, the American presence becomes visible: one counts in 1960 57 American bases, and the consellers military American help with the formation of ARVN.

The dispute increases, and criticisms fuse of all share: the United States starts to doubt the solidity of an increasingly unpopular mode, and emits weak protests; the population of the campaigns criticizes the bad Land reform (the latter especially profits with the land great landowners, often absent from their fields feeding anger of the peasants and in spite of the limits fixed by the government: it is enough to use the name of another member of its family to aggrandir her field. Moreover, the Catholic church and its 1.500km2 are exempted. Thus, only 13% of the grounds will be actually redistributed.) and turns to Viêtcong; the Buddhists more and more badly support the favoritism from which the Catholics profit (promotions in the army and the administration, ground attribution, financial aids at the catholic villages…) and persecutions of which they are victims. Viêtcong marks points, and soon the mode of Diem must react. That will pass by the plan of the " Stratégiques" hamlets; (as from 1961), by increasingly many military adviser sending to the head of the South Vietnamese troops and will emerge directly with the Guerre of Vietnam (thus the “ Military Aid Adviser Group ” - MAAG - the non-combatant ones transforms into “ Military Adviser Command Vietnam ” - MACV - combatants).

Under pressure of the United States, in 1962, Ngô Dinh Diem accepts agreements with Washington: plan of pacification, democratization and liberalization. It will not do anything of it. The situation even will worsen. In May 1963, in Huê, the Buddhists have prohibition to use Buddhist flags for the festivals of Vesak, the authorities pretexting the decision to control the use of non-governmental flags. Several days later, the Catholics can hoist religious flags. The Buddhists raise themselves, the governmental forces react by making 9 dead civilians. Diem will show Viêtcong and will say that the protesters are the person in charge of violence. the crisis intensifies, Diem ordering to stop all those which would be devoted to acts of civil disobedience. June 3rd, 1963, a walk of protest ends in a load of ARVN. June 11th, the bonze Thich Quang Duke immole by fire into full Saigon, sign of protest. The event, very mediatized, makes the round the world tour, and the Ngô family must face true a scandale.
In same time, Viêtcong gains its first battles (see Guerre of Vietnam). The situation is tended, and Washington becomes aware of the extreme unpopularity of Ngô Dinh Diem. The Americans make it clear that they would support the government resulting from the putsch if necessary. On the orders of the president Kennedy, the ambassador in Saigon Henry Cabot Lodge refuses a meeting with Diem and thus does not inform it that a coup d'etat is prepared by its generals, led by the general Duong Van Minh. November 2nd, Ngô Dinh Diem and of Ngô Dinh Nhu are carried out at the time of this coup d'etat. This regime change will correspond to a change of situation: the War of Vietnam intensifies and tends to s'" américaniser" , and the country will know political instability.

The " Second phase" (1963-1973)

After the assassination of Diem, on November 2nd, 1963, the country sinks in political instability: the new government of Duong Van Minh hesitates as for the policy to adopt, and is reversed on January 30th, 1964 by the general Nguyen Khanh. This last, expressing the same dictatorial tendencies that Diem, is isolated with the profit of a government not-soldier, reversed shortly after by two generals, Nguyen CAD Ky and Nguyen Chanh Thi. During the year 1964, the situation of the country is precarious: Saigon loses more and more authority in the campaigns, and the structures of the State crumble gradually. Apart from the urban areas, Viêtcong intensifies its influence, supplanting in certain fields the governmental administration. It is estimated that in 1964, the government of Saigon controls nothing any more but 34% of the population. It is as from this moment that American manpower will start to enlarge in a consequent way and that North-Vietnam will know the first bombardments (as from August, and limited).

In 1967, a certain stability returns to Saigon: the tandem Nguyen CAD Ky and Nguyen Van Thieu are in possession of the capacity since 1965. The CIA proposes a major action to rejoin the campaigns with the capacity, but she is listened very little (she recommends the transformation of the governmental system, based on cut town elites of the reality of the campaigns and corrupted, like ue new Land reform).

In 1968, the American intervention on the spot reaches the figure of 536.000 G.I (against 184.300 at the end of 1965 and 385.000 at the end of 1966) and 7 million tons of bombs were released, that is to say three times more than on all Europe during the Second world war. The Offensive of the Small fireclay cup led to several evolutions: on the one hand, it reinforces the determination of the government of Saigon to fight against the guerilla; in addition, it allows the opening of the conference of Paris and the result the Peace agreements of Paris in 1973. The withdrawal of the American troops begins at this time. From 536.000 American soldiers at the end of 1968, the task force passes to 475.000 in 1969,235 000 in 1970,157 000 in 1971 and 24.000 in 1972. The American withdrawal is mitigated by important supplies of weapons the mode of Saigon on behalf of Washington, which will appear insufficient for Saigon.

The fall (1973-1975)

The American support in South-Vietnam quickly will decrease. It will be limited to the presence of some military advisers and several agents of the CIA; several American ships cross along the coasts of South-Vietnam. In response with the penetration of 35.000 North-Vietnameses in the south of the 17°parallèle, mid-April 1973, Nixon will order some bombardments on Laos. But the American presidency is undermined by the scandal of the Watergate, and the answers to the violations of the cease-fire by Hanoi are too weak.

In 1975, the offensive of spring will put a term at the Republic of Vietnam. If Viêtcong were weakened considerably as from 1968 (Programme Phoenix and land reform just, withdrawing with the communist movement a share of legitimacy), it is mitigated by the increase in the North-Vietnamese forces (Let us recall that the Soviet Union intensifies its supplies of weapons with Hanoi as from 1973). March 5th, 1975, South-Vietnam is submerged by divisions of North. Hooted fall on March 25th, Da Nang on April 2nd. April 21st, president Thieu gives the capacity to his Vice-president, Tran Van Huong, and leaves the country, full with disappointments as for the promise of American assistance. Tran Van Huong will give the capacity to Duong Van Minh on April 28th. The ARVN, badly ordered, is unable to resist. April 30th, 1975, Saigon is taken. The afternoon, the voice of Minh called on the waves: " I declare that the government of Saigon is completely dissolved with all the niveaux".

In 1976, Vietnam is officially unified, and takes the name of “socialist République of Vietnam ". Saigon becomes " Ho Chi Minh ville" or in Vietnamese " Thanh Phô Ho Chi Minh".

Government in Exile

A government in exile of the republic of Vietnam, known as government in exile of free Vietnam, is based in the United States of America.

See too

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