The Influence of the Catholic Church on the Eisenhower Administration's Decision to Directly Intervene in Vietnam
Abstract
After World War II, the United States struggled to counter communist expansion by establishing a world order that fostered capitalism. Key to success in the Asian-Pacific region was rebuilding the Japanese economy as a capitalist power. Toward that end, the United States indirectly supported the French during the First Indochina War to recolonize and take advantage of the area's raw materials. The French failed in that war and subsequently agreed in the Geneva Accords to partition the country with the goal of reunifying North and South Vietnam. The United States realized that the Viet Minh would eventually dominate and gain control of the country, providing a communist victory in the region. Unwilling to accept this, the United States pressured Emperor Bao Dai to install Ngo Dinh Diem as Premier of South Vietnam. This was based in part on Diem and his family's Catholic heritage, which led to pressure from leaders in the United States who were either Catholic or sympathetic to the Catholic Church. Ultimately, influence from the Vietnamese Catholic Church, the American Catholic Church, and the Vatican would become a factor in the foreign policy decisions of the Eisenhower Administration as they related to Vietnam. These decisions led to direct involvement in Vietnam, and eventually the Vietnam War.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 14, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA589877
Entities
People
- Jason A. Henderson
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College