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Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3 NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011 37 0355 FRENCH PREMIER FAURE STATED THAT FRANCE WOULD WITHDRAW THE EXPEDITIONAL CORPS AT THE DEMAND OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. CORPS STRENGTH HAD BEEN REDUCED SINCE OCTOBER 1954 FROM 175,000 TO 30,000. MOST WERE STATIONED AT CAP ST. JACQUES.

0355 DIEM SENT NGUYEN HUU CHAU TO PARIS TO ASK THAT AUTHORITY OVER ALL TROOPS IN VIETNAM INCLUDING FRENCH BE VESTED IN THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. FRENCH GOVERNMENT WOULD AGREE TO NOTHING BUT SEPARATE COMMANDS.

030155 DULLES VISITED SAIGON AS PART OF HIS TOUR OF THE FAR EAST AND CONFERRED WITH GENERAL ELY AND AMBASSADOR BONNET ON TROOP TRAINING BY THE U.S. THE FRENCH FEAR U.S. ENCROACHMENT.

030455 THE CAO DAI POPE ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION OF THE UNITED FRONT OF NATIONALIST FORCES. /JCS HIST.

030455 THE CAO DAI BEGAN A CIVIL WAR AND WERE JOINED BY THE HOA HAO AND BINH XUYEN.

030855 THE RELIGIOUS SECT REBELS STAGED UPRISINGS IN BALANG AND CAMAU PENINSULA. DIEM PLACED HIS PALACE UNDER HEAVY GUARD AND ORDERED THE VIETNAMESE TO DESTROY THE REBEL BANDS.

031155 THE U.S. FAVORED A MEETING OF DEPUTIES AT THE WORKING LEVEL TO CONSIDER A CUT IN FRENCH MILITARY FORCES AID THE FORMATION OF A MODERN VIETNAMESE DEFENSE FORCE RATHER THAN A THREE-MINISTER CONFERENCE AS THE FRENCH PROPOSED.

031255 DIEM SENT 40 INFANTRY BATTALIONS AGAINST BACUT'S FORCES IN THE THOTNO AREA AND REPORTED THAT THE BALANG AREA WAS UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTROL.

032155 UNITED FRONT RELEASED DECLARATION AND MOTION AGAINST DIEM. /JCS HIST.

032855 DIEM'S TROOPS OCCUPY CENTRAL POLICE HEADQUARTERS. /JCS HIST.

END OF MARCH 1955 GENERAL ELY, HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR FRANCE AND COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITIONARY CORPS, FEARING A CIVIL WAR WHICH WOULD ENDANGER FRENCH PROPERTY AID LIVES STEPPED IN TO STOP DIEM FROM CRUSHING THE BINH XUYEN. HE WAS NO FRIEND OF THE SECTS. /J.B. DRAGON.

032955 IN THE NAME OF THE NATIONAL FRONT OF THE SECTS AID OTHER DISSIDENT GROUPS THE BINH XUYEN, AFTER FIRST ISSUING AN ULTIMATUM, ATTACKED THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT BY FIRING AT THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE. THE NATIONAL ARMY REACTED VIGOROUSLY. THE FRENCH INTERFERREDINTERFERED [sic], AID WITH AMBASSADOR COLLINS' SUPPORT IMPOSED AN ARMISTICE ON THE GOVERNMENT. THE BINH XUYEN WERE IN CONTROL OF THE POLICE IN SAIGON. AN ARMED REVOLT WAS PRECIPITATED THAT ULTIMATELY SPREAD INTO LARGE-SCALE DISSIDENCE IN THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF ELEMENTS OF THE CAO DAI AID HOA HAO RELIGIOUS SECTS.

032955 BINH XUYEN ATTACKED POLICE HEADQUARTERS. /JCS HIST. AA