South Vietnam Research Paper

New Players and Next Conflict

1956 was the year that both Vietnams were supposed to vote on becoming one single nation or remain Independent. However, this vote had never happened since South Vietnam government led by Ngo Dinh Diem refused to take part. The United States, supported the South Vietnam government's decision since the U.S. was afraid that people who vote for becoming one single nation which would spread communism into the South. The United States began to escalate their involvement by sending military advisors to train the South Vietnamese army in combat tactics and weaponry. The escalation continued as the South Vietnamese army began to fight openly with Veit Minh who were breaking past the 17th parallel into South Vietnam. Viet Minh created a group called the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, consisting of South Vietnamese communist sympathizers. The NLF, also known as the Vietcong began to recruit locals and gain popularity. Both the Viet Minh and Vietcong used the same guerrilla warfare tactics that had

A month later the infamous Buddhist monk, Thích Quang Duc lit himself on fire and sat still as he burned himself to death as a way to protest the South Vietnamese government. Several other Buddhist monks mimicked the act which resulted in wide range media coverage that gave Americans an uneasy feeling about Vietnam. On November 1st, 1963 Ngo Dinh Diem had been assassinated by the South Vietnamese army in coop lead by military leaders of South Vietnam. 21 days later the United States President, John Kennedy was assassinated leaving Lyndon B Johnson the new President of United States. President Johnson knew that South Vietnamese could not withstand the Vietcong and it was only a matter of time before the full United State military would enter