Ngo Dinh Nhu and the “Strategic Hamlets” Policy in the South of Vietnam from 1961 to 1963

Abstract

Ngo Dinh Nhu was a Vietnamese politician during the Cold War. He is considered a great strategist of the Republic of Vietnam with the position of “political advisor” to President Ngo Dinh Diem. Since 1961, he has implemented the strategic hamlet policy in the South of Vietnam with support and aid from the US government and military. The strategic hamlet that Ngo Dinh Nhu established was actually part of the “special war” plan that the United States used in Vietnam. Strategic hamlet with a focus on defeating the communists in the South of Vietnam and building the rural economy. However, during its implementation, it encountered major barriers and contained many contradictions. This policy failed with the fall of Ngo Dinh Diem's regime in 1963. This study deals with Ngo Dinh Nhu and the strategic hamlet policy in South Vietnam during the period from 1961 to 1963, thereby clarifying his role in this policy.