ABSTRACT
Soon after the Geneva Conference, DRV propaganda accused the US government of pushing “their lackeys to sabotage the Armistice Agreements.” 1 Pham Van Dong condemned “American imperialists” for “finding the way to cut the connections between North and South, to divide our country and turn Southern Vietnam into a US colony and military base.” 2 According to one historian, US financial support enabled Diem to establish his “one man democracy” as a proxy for genuine national elections in 1955 and 1956. 3 Such arguments cram the history of this crucial period into a US-Diem narrative that ignores international dimensions. The United States certainly did not apply pressure on Diem to respect the Geneva agreements, but in 1955 and 1956 neither the Soviet Union nor China offered strong support for Vietnam’s reunification either.
