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Kennedy is committed
to a more aggressive stance in the Cold War: big nuclear buildup
and developing capacity to fight in wars of national liberation
Bay pf Pigs. Vienna Conference, and Berlin Crisis prompt efforts
to demonstrate U.S. credibility
October 1961 - Taylor-Rostow report on Vietnam
November 1961 - Kennedy commits U.S. troops as advisors to South
Vietnam
November 1961 - November 1963: 16,000 U.S. troops go to Vietnam
Diem government consistently alienates much of the population:
coup attempts in 1960 and 1962
The Vietnam War - a conflict between the NVA-supported NLF (Viet
Cong) and the GVN army supported by U.S. advisors and money -
goes badly
Diem alienates the Buddhists with strongly pro-Catholic policies;
prompts demonstrations in the spring of 1963 when Diem's brother
(a Catholic Archbishop) forbade Buddhist religious ceremonies
More demonstrations resulted in police raids on pagodas and this
results in self-immolation of monks
U.S. government attempts to pressure Diem to negotiate and relent;
this failed repeatedly
When contacted by SVN generals about support for a coup, Kennedy
gives his approval
November 1, 1963 - Diem and family are overthrown and killed
The hope is that political stability can be restored and the
war fought to a success
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