Author Description

The relationship between Saigon and Washington had been under strain in view of differences that existed in many key aspects of policy, and strategy, manifested at many levels of human interaction. The alliance had been in "trial and error" mode, in view of embarrassing gaffes and diplomatic bumps on the learning curve of both sides. The alliance had in fact been founded on the assumption that both sides share the same vital interest, an assumption correct on an abstract, conceptual level. In implementing the policy on a human level, however, the cultural complexity of various geographical areas in Vietnam proved overwhelming for State Department officials, especially at upper levels. On the other side, their Vietnamese counterparts encountered similar frustrations in dealing with their American partners. With great effort to overcome these obstacles, both sides in the alliance tried to smooth out differences and ameliorate the troubled relationship. Unfortunately, as will be shown in Chapter 1, political distractions in diplomatic relations caused multifaceted frictions, and eventual degeneration into a disastrous crisis, one that ruptured the first Republic and led to the death of President Ngô Đình Diệm and two of his brothers...