Support for South Vietnam
The U.S. backed South Vietnam’s government against communist forces. Officials in Washington sent millions in aid to South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem starting in the 1950s. American military advisors trained South Vietnamese troops while economic support propped up the Saigon regime. Despite this assistance, Diem’s corruption and religious persecution of Buddhists undermined his legitimacy. His unpopular policies made American support increasingly problematic as the conflict intensified.
