The Vietnam War: History in an Hour

As well as opposition from the communists, several other groups – Buddhists, nationalists, religious sects, and intellectuals – coalesced under the broad banner of the National Liberation Front (NLF) in 1960. Although it was dismissed as a communist front by the US, who referred to it as the Viet Cong communist party, it illustrated the range of groups who refused to accept Diem as leader. As infiltration from the north continued apace, non-violent protests also increased in frequency. The critical moment came on 8 May 1963 when ARVN troops attacked demonstrators in Hue, killing nine monks. One month later, on 11 June, a Buddhist monk, Thich Quang set himself on fire in Saigon; the self-immolation was captured on film and broadcast around the world. The response of the regime was as predictable as it was callous. Ngo Dinh Nhu’s wife, Mme. Nhu described the scene as a barbeque in a television interview, and on 21 August, Diem used Special Forces to impose martial law and attack pagodas, the Buddist places of worship, throughout the country.

A day after the attacks, Henry Cabot Lodge arrived in Saigon as US Ambassador to Vietnam. He was quickly informed by ARVN officers of an impending coup against Diem and his family. While US pressure forced the officers to postpone their plan, President Kennedy’s criticism of Diem in his interview with Walter Cronkite on 2 September made it clear that the US was unlikely to support Diem’s authoritarian strategy in the long term.

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