¶ … Vietnam fell to warfare and the world witnessed its upheaval, foreign powers wished to interfere. Most tried to set up some assembly of Vietnamese figures to inhibit a Communist victory. The foreign interference to generate a "third power" or "third political party" proved less substantial than previous efforts. This could be in part to the August Revolution of 1945. "Any such scheme was probably doomed from the time of the August Revolution of 1945" (D-60, 134).
There was however, a notable figure by the name of Ngo Dinh Diem who attempted to create and sustain an independent regime in South Vietnam. "Ngo Dinh Diem retained sufficient independence of Washington's wishes to invoke considerable displeasure, despite the public position that the Vietnamese leader was a thoroughly reliable ally and paragon of virtue (Reading 25)" (D-60, 135). Diem was perhaps the best chance foreign policymakers had at creating the third group that they wanted. Diem nevertheless was resistant to the advice given by the Americans.
Diem prohibited any guidance to initiate necessary reforms and expand the base of his regime. The unfortunate part to this refusal was Diem lack of evident supporters which were limited to his family and Northern Catholic refugees. During the summer of 1963, Diem went in two opposite directions with his plans. One of the two directions could have possibly alienated him permanently from Washington....
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