e United States, the South refused to hold elections of any kind. It was inevitable that if the elections did take place, total control over Vietnam would land in the North or Communist hands(Harrison 54). After the Geneva Conference two political powers controlled all of Vietnam. In the North, Ho Chi Minh was the favorite of the Communist party. He held great political power and influence in both the North and the South. In the South, Ngo Dinh Diem was the leader of the capitalist party. His greatest asset was that he was supported by the United States(Harrison 109). Ho Chi Minh was not alone in the battle for control of Vietnam. He was backed by two Communist parties. The first which supplied him with advice, money, and access to weapons was China. The second party, the Soviet Union, was a great Communist power that was against the U.S. and was eager for Vietnam to Page 3 adapt to communism(Doyle 95). The political strategy of Minh was to gain as much control in the sout!
             h as he could. His first action was to send a message to the south of prosperity in the north. It brought many followers of Communism, but the capitalists and anti- communist farmers stayed in the south. His overall plan to take control over the south through politics was not as effective as he would have liked(Karnow 112). Ngo Dinh Diem was under great influence from the United States, who wanted Diem to lead the government in South Vietnam. In 1954, shortly after the Geneva Conference, Diem was appointed Prime Minister of Vietnam to defend against both Communists and the French. He was given total political control and military power in the south. The few communists that did not migrate to the North were either put in reeducation camps or killed. Many reeducation camps were established in the South to teach or brainwash the Southern beliefs to the Communists(Hearden 61). There were several main reasons for the United States government to continue helping Vietna...