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South Vietnam: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Foundations And Partition —
South Vietnam.
~7 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
In September 1945, communist-led Viet Minh forces seized power in Hanoi and proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This event triggered a struggle over the destiny of post-colonial Indochina that would last three decades. By March 1945, Japanese occupation had ended, but French colonial authority returned to the South with British support. The 16th parallel was established following the Potsdam Conference to divide military zones between Chinese Nationalist forces in the North and British forces in the South. During the summer of 1946, the Viet Minh colluded with French forces to eliminate nationalist rivals, undermining broader resistance capabilities. The First Indochina War began on the 19th of December 1946 when French forces reasserted control over Hanoi and other cities. Anti-communist nationalists like Ngô Đình Diệm chose an uneasy neutrality during these early years. In June 1954, former emperor Bảo Đại returned from exile to lead the State of Vietnam. The Geneva Conference divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel north, pending supervised elections in 1956. At least 500,000 Catholics sailed south through Operation Passage to Freedom, driven by fears of religious persecution. About 200,000 Buddhists moved south along with minority groups including 20,000 rural Chinese Nùng. These refugees became a significant factor shaping anticommunist critique in South Vietnam. The State of Vietnam withdrew from the French Union on the 20th of July 1954.
Diem Era And Insurgency
Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem announced in July 1955 that South Vietnam would not participate in the elections specified in the Geneva Accords. He held a referendum on the 23rd of October 1955 to determine the future of the country, asking voters to approve a republic and remove Bảo Đại as head of state. The poll was supervised by his younger brother, Ngô Đình Nhu. Diệm received 98 percent of the votes, though in many districts there were more votes cast than registered voters. In Saigon, for instance, he was credited with 133% of the vote. On the 26th of October 1955, Diệm declared himself president of the newly proclaimed Republic of Vietnam. By 1960, land reform had stalled because many of his biggest supporters were large landowners. A 1961 US intelligence estimate reported that one-half of the entire rural region south and southwest of Saigon was under considerable Communist control. The Việt Cộng's strength encircled Saigon and began moving closer into the city. North Vietnam intensified its war efforts in 1962 by infiltrating military personnel and materiel. Beijing backed Hanoi's escalation by providing the Viet Cong with vital small arms and heavier weaponry. The government launched an anti-communist denunciation campaign called Tố Cộng against the Việt Cộng and military campaigns against three powerful groups: the Cao Đài, Hòa Hảo, and Bình Xuyên organized crime syndicate. Their combined military strength amounted to approximately 350,000 fighters.
Military Coups And Chaos
The Huế Phật Đản shootings occurred on the 8th of May 1963, leading to a Buddhist crisis that provoked protests and civil resistance across South Vietnam. Special Forces raided Buddhist temples nationwide, leaving a death toll estimated in the hundreds. Diệm was overthrown in a coup on the 1st of November 1963 with tacit approval from the United States. General Dương Văn Minh became president but was ousted in January 1964 by General Nguyễn Khánh. Phan Khắc Sửu was named head of state while power remained with a junta of generals led by Khánh. The Gulf of Tonkin incident took place on the 2nd of August 1964, causing a dramatic increase in direct American participation with nearly 200,000 troops deployed by year end. Coup attempts followed in September and February 1965, resulting in Air Marshal Nguyễn Cao Kỳ becoming prime minister and General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu becoming nominal head of state. Kỳ consolidated control of the government and ruled with an iron fist until late 1967. In early 1966, protesters influenced by popular Buddhist monk Thích Trí Quang attempted an uprising in Da Nang. The uprising failed, and Ky's repressive stance toward Buddhists continued. Multiple coups and changes of government occurred between 1963 and 1965, creating political instability throughout the region.
American Escalation And Tet
President Lyndon B. Johnson decided to send large numbers of combat troops in 1965 after promising not to do so during the 1964 election campaign. Fighting peaked during the Tet Offensive of February 1968 when over a million South Vietnamese soldiers, 500,000 U.S. soldiers, and 100,000 soldiers from allied nations like South Korea, Australia, and Thailand were present in South Vietnam. The People's Army of Vietnam and Việt Cộng broke the traditional truce accompanying the Tết holiday on the 31st of January 1968. By bringing the war to South Vietnam's cities, the offensive demonstrated the continued strength of communist forces despite being militarily disastrous. It marked a turning point in US support for the government in South Vietnam. Richard Nixon introduced a policy of Vietnamization to reduce US combat involvement and began negotiations with North Vietnam. Thiệu used the aftermath of the Tet Offensive to sideline Kỳ, his chief rival. In April, July 1970, US and South Vietnamese forces launched attacks on PAVN/VC bases in Cambodia. South Vietnam invaded North Vietnamese bases in Laos in February/March 1971 but was defeated by the PAVN. A conventional invasion from North Vietnam began in late March 1972 and was finally repulsed by October with massive US air support.
Vietnamization And Collapse
The Paris Peace Accords signed on the 27th of January 1973 allowed US military forces to withdraw from South Vietnam at the end of March 1973 while PAVN forces remained in place. On the 4th of June 1973, the US Senate passed the Case-Church Amendment to prohibit intervention if the communist side violated the ceasefire. The oil price shock of October 1973 caused significant damage to the South Vietnamese economy. An American businessman living in Saigon stated after the oil shock that attempting to make money in South Vietnam was like making love to a corpse. By August 1974, Nixon had resigned due to Watergate, and Congress reduced assistance from $1 billion annually to $700 million. In December 1974, the PAVN launched an invasion at Phuoc Long to test South Vietnamese combat strength. With no US military assistance forthcoming, ARVN were unable to hold and the PAVN captured many districts around the provincial capital. President Thiệu abandoned Phuoc Long in early January 1975. In 1975, the PAVN launched an offensive at Ban Me Thuot in the Central Highlands as part of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign. As the military situation deteriorated, ARVN troops began deserting. By early April, the PAVN had overrun almost three-fifths of the South. Thiệu requested aid from US President Gerald Ford but the US Senate would not release extra money. Thiệu resigned on the 21st of April 1975 and fled to Taiwan. General Dương Văn Minh unconditionally surrendered Saigon and the rest of South Vietnam to North Vietnam on the 30th of April 1975.
Economic Development And Aid
South Vietnam maintained a capitalist free-market economy with ties to the West throughout its existence. Electrical production increased fourteen-fold between 1954 and 1973 while industrial output rose by an average of 6.9 percent annually. During the same period, rice output increased by 203 percent and university students grew from 2,000 to 90,000. US aid peaked at $2.3 billion in 1973 before dropping to $1.1 billion in 1974. Inflation rose to 200 percent as the country suffered economic shock from decreased American aid and the October 1973 oil price shock. A 2017 study found that South Vietnamese economic planners sought to model their economy on Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. The government established Air Vietnam as its national airline. Individual landholdings were limited to 15 hectares under the Land-to-the-Tiller program implemented starting the 26th of March 1970. The US provided $339 million of the program's $441 million cost. By 1976, unification followed by the imposition of North Vietnam's centrally planned economy ended the South's independent economic system.
Society And Demographics
In 1968, the population of South Vietnam was estimated to be 16,259,334 people. About one-fifth lived in areas controlled by Viet Cong forces between Quang Tri Province and the southern border. In 1970, approximately 90% of the population was Kinh (Viet) while 10% consisted of Hoa Chinese, Montagnard, French, Khmer, Cham, Eurasians and others. Vietnamese served as the official language spoken by the majority despite French maintaining strong presence in administration and education. Starting from 1955, the government carried out assimilation policies toward indigenous peoples including banning the Cham language in public schools. This resulted in increasing nationalism among the Cham and other indigenous groups. Some Cham joined the Viet Cong while others formed Front de Libération des Hauts Plateaux du Champa. By 1964, civil rights activists merged into FULRO which struggled against both governments until the late 1980s. There were about 4 million Confucians and up to 27% of the population were Buddhists of various schools. The Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo religions together had between 2.5 and 3 million followers. About 10% of the population identified as Catholic. Cultural life became increasingly Westernized for the emerging middle class and youth in major cities like Saigon during the 1960s.
When was South Vietnam established and when did it end?
South Vietnam existed from 1955 to 1975. The State of Vietnam withdrew from the French Union on the 20th of July 1954, and General Dương Văn Minh unconditionally surrendered Saigon and the rest of South Vietnam to North Vietnam on the 30th of April 1975.
Who led South Vietnam during its existence?
Ngô Đình Diệm declared himself president of the newly proclaimed Republic of Vietnam on the 26th of October 1955. Later leaders included General Dương Văn Minh who became president after Diệm was overthrown in a coup on the 1st of November 1963, Air Marshal Nguyễn Cao Kỳ who ruled until late 1967, and President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu who resigned on the 21st of April 1975.
What caused the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam in 1963?
The Huế Phật Đản shootings occurred on the 8th of May 1963, leading to a Buddhist crisis that provoked protests and civil resistance across South Vietnam. Special Forces raided Buddhist temples nationwide, leaving a death toll estimated in the hundreds.
How did the economy perform in South Vietnam between 1954 and 1973?
Electrical production increased fourteen-fold between 1954 and 1973 while industrial output rose by an average of 6.9 percent annually. Rice output increased by 203 percent and university students grew from 2,000 to 90,000 during the same period.
When did the Tet Offensive take place and what were its results?
The People's Army of Vietnam and Việt Cộng broke the traditional truce accompanying the Tết holiday on the 31st of January 1968. Fighting peaked during the Tet Offensive of February 1968 when over a million South Vietnamese soldiers, 500,000 U.S. soldiers, and 100,000 soldiers from allied nations like South Korea, Australia, and Thailand were present in South Vietnam.