April 1955: Diem’s army vs. Binh Xuyen mafia in 48 hours of street fighting. This battle determined whether South Vietnam would have a state at all—and established the violent pattern of Diem’s rule.
Cao Dai had 30,000 soldiers. Hoa Hao controlled the Mekong Delta. Binh Xuyen ran Saigon’s police. These were the ‘states within a state’ that made South Vietnamese state-building nearly impossible.
In 1954, Diem faced impossible odds—enemy generals, religious armies, and crime syndicates all aligned against him. This article dissects how he used divide and conquer to survive.
In late 1954, Diem seemed doomed. The sects had armies, the military plotted coups, and even Americans doubted him. How did this seemingly powerless leader survive?
In 1954, America chose Ngo Dinh Diem to lead South Vietnam. Why did Eisenhower make this choice? An analysis of the political calculations and state-building challenges in Cold War Southeast Asia.