Strategic Hamlet Program

What was the Strategic Hamlet programme?

The Strategic Hamlet programme was an initiative introduced by Diem, supported by President Kennedy and the US government that saw around 5,000 new villages built in South Vietnam.

When was the Strategic Hamlet programme introduced?

The Strategic Hamlet programme began in March 1962.

Why was the Strategic Hamlet programme introduced?

There were 3 key reasons the programme was introduced.

• ❖ Diem was a very unpopular leader and it was an attempt to 'win the hearts and minds' of the South Vietnamese population.
• ❖ Diem portrayed it as a policy that helped the South Vietnamese people defend themselves against the Vietcong.
• ❖ The hidden reason for the programme was to stop the Vietcong using peasant villages for food and shelter. They also wanted to stop the Vietcong from gathering intelligence about the ARVN from the peasants.

How did the Strategic Hamlet programme work?

The programme worked by moving peasants away from their homes to new villages known as 'strategic hamlets'. These were surrounded by ditches and barbed wire. In just one year, between 1962 and 1963, two thirds of South Vietnamese people were forced to live in strategic hamlets.

How did the USA hope to gain support with the Strategic Hamlet programme?

It was hoped measures such as building new schools and hospitals, as part of the Strategic Hamlet programme, would build strong support for Diem.

Why did the Strategic Hamlet programme fail?

The Strategic Hamlet programme failed for 4 key reasons:

• ❖ The new villages needed inhabitants, so people were forced to move into them even if they didn't want to.
• ❖ Many villagers believed they should live where their ancestors were buried, so the move upset them for religious reasons.
• ❖ Other peasants did not want to have to travel further to reach their rice fields.
• ❖ Not enough food was provided by the government, which meant some of those in the new hamlets faced starvation.

What were the consequences of the Strategic Hamlet programme?

The Strategic Hamlet programme had two key consequences:

• ❖ The programme made people less likely to support Diem, not more. Membership of the National Liberation Front and the Vietcong increased by 300% in two years.
• ❖ Its failure led Kennedy to increase the USA's involvement in Vietnam, and he sent more military advisors to support Diem and the ARVN.

What was the role of the Strategic Hamlet programme in the Hearts and Minds initiative?

'Hearts and Minds' was an American pacification programme, designed to persuade the South Vietnamese to reject communism. The Strategic Hamlets Programme was one aspect of it.