You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
alternatehistory.com
Eisenhower and Dulles's state department backed Ngo Dinh Diem because they saw no alternative to communist rule in Vietnam. This was against advice of French and Joint Chiefs of Staff
How much did Eisenhower have room to maneuver? He was kicking Stevensons butt in 1955 presidential campaignt and Vietnam was a non issue. So if he decided and he couldn't succeed with Diem and certainly not without him, could he have pulled the plug in 1955? How about in the beginning of his second term?