South Vietnams one priority was to stay out of communism that the North had fallen into. There were some people in the South that wanted communism but they were overpowered by the anti-communists.
South Vietnam Vs. United States
During the war, South Vietnam decided to take a step back and let the American troops lead the war and all the battles against the North. The Americans knew what they wanted to do and took over after that. The Americans just wanted to end communism while South Vietnam didn't want to be taken into communism. South Vietnam troops would leave before the battle so they would still get the benefits but the Americans would do everything for them.
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The ARVN viewed the Americans as generous, but also with an air of annoyance. They note that the biggest issue hindering the U.S. and their handling of the war was a lack of cultural awareness as well as arrogance. The South Vietnamese see this as a product of American ethnocentrism. One general notes how incidents relating to this cultural misunderstanding caused frustration and played into Communist hands.
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The South Vietnamese do mention some good things that the Americans did in their prosecution of the war. For instance, Lam Quang Thi credits the American officers serving as advisors with attempting to bridge the cultural gap and credits the American advisors with helping the ARVN to achieve many early victories. In addition, Ky notes that unlike in the cities, the Americans did not attempt to impose their ways on the villages and countryside. Overall, the ARVN assessment of the American role in the Vietnam War is fair, especially given the loss of their country after the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
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