Cauldron of Resistance: Ngo Dinh Diem, the United States, and 1950s Southern Vietnam

by Jessica M. Chapman

Overview

In 1955, Ngo Dinh Diem organized an election to depose chief-of-state Bao Dai, after which he proclaimed himself the first president of the newly created Republic of Vietnam. The United States sanctioned the results of this election, which was widely condemned as fraudulent, and provided substantial economic aid and advice to the RVN. Because of this, Diem is often viewed as a mere puppet of the United States, in service of its Cold War geopolitical strategy. That narrative, Jessica M. Chapman contends in Cauldron of Resistance, grossly oversimplifies the complexity of South Vietnam's domestic politics and, indeed, Diem's own political savvy.

Based on extensive work in Vietnamese, French, and American archives, Chapman offers a detailed account of three crucial years, 1953–1956, during which a new Vietnamese political order was established in the south. It is, in large part, a history of Diem's political ascent as he managed to subdue the former Emperor Bao Dai, the armed Hoa Hao and Cao Dai religious organizations, and the Binh Xuyen crime organization. It is also an unparalleled account of these same outcast political powers, forces that would reemerge as destabilizing political and military actors in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Chapman shows Diem to be an engaged leader whose personalist ideology influenced his vision for the new South Vietnamese state, but also shaped the policies that would spell his demise. Washington's support for Diem because of his staunch anticommunism encouraged him to employ oppressive measures to suppress dissent, thereby contributing to the alienation of his constituency, and helped inspire the organized opposition to his government that would emerge by the late 1950s and eventually lead to the Vietnam War.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501725104
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	04/15/2018
Series:	The United States in the World
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	294
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jessica M. Chapman is Assistant Professor of History at Williams College.

Table of Contents

Introduction1. Anticolonialism in Vietnam's Wild South2. The Crucible of Southern Vietnamese Nationalism and America's Cold War3. "Sink or Swim with Ngo Dinh Diem"4. The "Sect" Crisis of 1955 and America’s Miracle Man in Vietnam5. Destroying the Sources of Demoralization: Ngo Dinh Diem’s National Revolution6. A Different Democracy: South Vietnam’s Referendum to Depose Bao Dai7. The Making of a Revolution in South VietnamConclusionAppendix: Select Vietnamese Names with Diacritics
Notes
Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

Marilyn Young

Jessica M. Chapman's Cauldron of Resistance is a major addition to the growing literature on the complexities of Southern Vietnam in the 1950s. In more detail than any account I've yet read, Chapman offers an indispensable analysis of the daily politics of Southern Vietnam, illuminating as she goes the policies of both Vietnam and the United States and does so in an accessible style that is a pleasure to read.

Christopher Goscha

Cauldron of Resistance is an important piece of scholarship that contributes to our understanding of the Vietnam war in general and of the interface between American policies on the one hand and the internal dynamics of South Vietnamese politics on the other. Jessica M. Chapman argues in favor of factoring in local Vietnamese noncommunist politics when we consider Ngo Dinh Diem's remarkable and surprising rise to power between 1953 and 1956.

Jayne Werner

Chapman's book has the merit of bringing attention, again, to a little known chapter of the beginning of the U.S. war in Vietnam and focusing on local politics as a determining aspect of the success or failure of U.S. objectives. A case study such as this can shed light on the whole enterprise.

David Anderson

Meticulously researched in Vietnamese, French, and English sources, this previously untold story of the multisided political tug-of-war in South Vietnam is essential reading to complete the history of why the American-backed Ngo Dinh Diem government failed to achieve legitimacy with the people of the south. Moving beyond other studies that focus on leaders in Saigon, Hanoi, and Washington, Jessica M. Chapman brings Diem's opponents in the Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, and Binh Xuyen out of the shadows and into the light of historical significance where they belong.

Mark Atwood Lawrence

Drawing on remarkable linguistic skills and pioneering work in Vietnamese archives, Jessica M. Chapman paints an unprecedentedly rich portrait of South Vietnam in the 1950s, challenging many long-entrenched assumptions about the origins of America's war in Indochina. Cauldron of Resistance is required reading for any serious student of the war.

From the Publisher

"Jessica Chapman has produced an excellent study—the best to my knowledge—of the political situation in South Vietnam during the early years of Ngo Dinh Diem's rule in Saigon....The book offers truly valuable insights on the consolidation of Diem's powerbut its real strength lies in Chapman's assessment of the groups and individuals that initially contested his power. Chapman masterfully relates the place of the Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, and Binh Xuyen factions and of SOVN General Nguyen Van Hinh in preand post-1954 southern political affairs, with an accent on the relationship they shared with the French before Vietnam's partition and with one another afterward." —Pierre Asselin, Journal of Cold War Studies (Spring 2014)

Lien-Hang Nguyen

Jessica M. Chapman elegantly delves into South Vietnamese society to write a deep history of a complex period on the eve of American intervention. While other histories of the war focus on leaders located in Washington, Hanoi, and Saigon, Chapman explores lesser known, yet equally critical, actors located in the 'wild' south who continued to play important roles in the ensuing war.

Andrew Preston

In this deeply researched and compelling book, Jessica M. Chapman skillfully blends two of the most exciting recent developments in international history: religion and the use of Vietnamese sources. In shining a fascinating new light on Diem and the so-called 'sects,' she completely turns much of the conventional wisdom about South Vietnam's state-building project on its head. Cauldron of Resistance is a brilliant book that is highly recommended for anyone interested in either religion and international history or the origins of America's disastrous intervention in Vietnam.

Scott Laderman

For decades Ngo Dinh Diem has occupied the center of South Vietnamese political life in studies of early American involvement in Vietnam. What has been missing is a detailed examination of the politico-religious milieu in which Diem fought to pursue his nationalist vision. Jessica M. Chapman has masterfully filled that gap. Drawing on Vietnamese, French, and American sources, Cauldron of Resistance is an engagingly written, deeply insightful, and frankly necessary contribution to our understanding of the Vietnam War.

Editorial Reviews

Skillfully argued, Cauldron of Resistance marks an impressive advancement in the study of Ngo Dinh Diem and the Republic of Vietnam. All readers will find Chapman's work informative. Historians in particular will appreciate the author's recreation of the political landscape of southern Vietnam during the formative years of Diem's rise to power. All libraries are incomplete without this book.

H-War

Chapman delivers a nuanced yet accessible analysis of the political scene in 1950s-era southern Vietnam. This book will be of interest to those who wish to learn more about the origins of US involvement in Vietnam prior to the war. Readers will gain an understanding not only of Ngo Dinh Diem, but also of the other major noncommunist politico-religious groups struggling for power.... Summing Up: Highly recommended.

-- "Choice"

Skillfully argued, Cauldron of Resistance marks an impressive advancement in the study of Ngo Dinh Diem and the Republic of Vietnam. All readers will find Chapman's work informative. Historians in particular will appreciate the author's recreation of the political landscape of southern Vietnam during the formative years of Diem's rise to power. All libraries are incomplete without this book.

-- "H-War"

While many aspects of the Vietnam War remain controversial, there is consensus that the United States intervened in Vietnam without much understanding of its enemy or ally. This gap in knowledge of Vietnam and its players, particularly of the noncommunist side, also exists in the historiograhy. Fortunately, scholars are beginning to address this gap. Jessica M. Chapman's solidly researched monograph makes a valuable contribution to this endeavor. Drawing from archives in the United States, France, and Vietnam, the book provides a detailed narrative of the complex and tumultuous political situation in southern Vietnam (1953-1956), a decade before American intervention.... This is an excellent book that provides insight into the history of Vietnam and its war. I highly recommend its use in upper-level and graduate classes on the war.

-- "Journal of American History"

From the Publisher

"Chapman delivers a nuanced yet accessible analysis of the political scene in 1950s-era southern Vietnam. This book will be of interest to those who wish to learn more about the origins of US involvement in Vietnam prior to the war. Readers will gain an understanding not only of Ngo Dinh Diem, but also of the other major noncommunist politico-religious groups struggling for power.... Summing Up: Highly recommended."

Choice

"Meticulously researched in Vietnamese, French, and English sources, this previously untold story of the multisided political tug-of-war in South Vietnam is essential reading to complete the history of why the American-backed Ngo Dinh Diem government failed to achieve legitimacy with the people of the south. Moving beyond other studies that focus on leaders in Saigon, Hanoi, and Washington, Jessica M. Chapman brings Diem's opponents in the Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, and Binh Xuyen out of the shadows and into the light of historical significance where they belong."

David Anderson

"Jessica M. Chapman's Cauldron of Resistance is a major addition to the growing literature on the complexities of Southern Vietnam in the 1950s. In more detail than any account I've yet read, Chapman offers an indispensable analysis of the daily politics of Southern Vietnam, illuminating as she goes the policies of both Vietnam and the United States and does so in an accessible style that is a pleasure to read."

Marilyn Young

"Jessica M. Chapman elegantly delves into South Vietnamese society to write a deep history of a complex period on the eve of American intervention. While other histories of the war focus on leaders located in Washington, Hanoi, and Saigon, Chapman explores lesser known, yet equally critical, actors located in the 'wild' south who continued to play important roles in the ensuing war."

Lien-Hang Nguyen

"In this deeply researched and compelling book, Jessica M. Chapman skillfully blends two of the most exciting recent developments in international history: religion and the use of Vietnamese sources. In shining a fascinating new light on Diem and the so-called 'sects,' she completely turns much of the conventional wisdom about South Vietnam's state-building project on its head. Cauldron of Resistance is a brilliant book that is highly recommended for anyone interested in either religion and international history or the origins of America's disastrous intervention in Vietnam."

Andrew Preston

"For decades Ngo Dinh Diem has occupied the center of South Vietnamese political life in studies of early American involvement in Vietnam. What has been missing is a detailed examination of the politico-religious milieu in which Diem fought to pursue his nationalist vision. Jessica M. Chapman has masterfully filled that gap. Drawing on Vietnamese, French, and American sources, Cauldron of Resistance is an engagingly written, deeply insightful, and frankly necessary contribution to our understanding of the Vietnam War."

Scott Laderman

"Drawing on remarkable linguistic skills and pioneering work in Vietnamese archives, Jessica M. Chapman paints an unprecedentedly rich portrait of South Vietnam in the 1950s, challenging many long-entrenched assumptions about the origins of America's war in Indochina. Cauldron of Resistance is required reading for any serious student of the war."

Mark Atwood Lawrence

"Chapman's book has the merit of bringing attention, again, to a little known chapter of the beginning of the U.S. war in Vietnam and focusing on local politics as a determining aspect of the success or failure of U.S. objectives. A case study such as this can shed light on the whole enterprise."

Jayne Werner

"Cauldron of Resistance is an important piece of scholarship that contributes to our understanding of the Vietnam war in general and of the interface between American policies on the one hand and the internal dynamics of South Vietnamese politics on the other. Jessica M. Chapman argues in favor of factoring in local Vietnamese noncommunist politics when we consider Ngo Dinh Diem's remarkable and surprising rise to power between 1953 and 1956."

Christopher Goscha

"While many aspects of the Vietnam War remain controversial, there is consensus that the United States intervened in Vietnam without much understanding of its enemy or ally. This gap in knowledge of Vietnam and its players, particularly of the noncommunist side, also exists in the historiograhy. Fortunately, scholars are beginning to address this gap. Jessica M. Chapman's solidly researched monograph makes a valuable contribution to this endeavor. Drawing from archives in the United States, France, and Vietnam, the book provides a detailed narrative of the complex and tumultuous political situation in southern Vietnam (1953–1956), a decade before American intervention.... This is an excellent book that provides insight into the history of Vietnam and its war. I highly recommend its use in upper-level and graduate classes on the war."

Journal of American History - Van Nguyen-Marshall

"Skillfully argued, Cauldron of Resistance marks an impressive advancement in the study of Ngo Dinh Diem and the Republic of Vietnam. All readers will find Chapman's work informative. Historians in particular will appreciate the author's recreation of the political landscape of southern Vietnam during the formative years of Diem’s rise to power. All libraries are incomplete without this book."

H-War - Robert Thompson

While many aspects of the Vietnam War remain controversial, there is consensus that the United States intervened in Vietnam without much understanding of its enemy or ally. This gap in knowledge of Vietnam and its players, particularly of the noncommunist side, also exists in the historiograhy. Fortunately, scholars are beginning to address this gap. Jessica M. Chapman's solidly researched monograph makes a valuable contribution to this endeavor. Drawing from archives in the United States, France, and Vietnam, the book provides a detailed narrative of the complex and tumultuous political situation in southern Vietnam (1953–1956), a decade before American intervention.... This is an excellent book that provides insight into the history of Vietnam and its war. I highly recommend its use in upper-level and graduate classes on the war.

Journal of American History