#2 Does "Strategic Hamlets" ring a bell?
The Strategic Hamlet Program, along with its predecessor, the Rural Community Development Program, played an important role in the shaping of events in South Vietnam during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Both of these programs attempted to separate rural peasants from Communist insurgents by creating "fortified villages". The program backfired drastically and ultimately led to a decrease in support for DiemÂ’s regime and an increase in sympathy for Communist efforts. |