The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam

by Max Boot

General Duong Van Minh (“Big Minh”), the head of the 22-member Military Revolutionary Committee, would become president of South Vietnam. Nguyen Ngoc Tho, Diem’s vice president, would serve as prime minister to give a patina of civilian legitimacy to the arrangement. But generals would occupy all of the key posts. These military men were utterly unschooled in governance, suspicious of one another, and deeply insecure. They immediately unleashed a reign of terror against officials who had served Diem. Most of the 42 province and 253 district chiefs, including officials known for being especially effective in fighting the Communists, were replaced, often by men who did not know the areas they were assigned to govern. Dreams that South Vietnam would become a more liberal place were shattered as the new military dictators imposed strict censorship, shut down newspapers, and arrested anyone suspected of disloyalty. Martial law would be invoked far more often after Diem’s demise than it had been while he was still in charge. Within weeks, thousands of students were marching in protests and more Buddhist monks than ever were immolating themselves in public. After years of nation building, South Vietnam was