▁contacts ▁with ▁the ▁commun ist - led ▁resistance ▁to ▁Japanese ▁occupation ▁forces ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁the ▁C IA ' s ▁first ▁annual ▁National ▁Int elligence ▁Est imate ▁on ▁Vietnam ▁reported ▁that ▁French ▁prospect s ▁may ▁" d eter ior ate ▁very ▁rapidly ". ▁After ▁French ▁withdraw al ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁C IA ▁officers ▁including ▁L t . ▁Col . ▁Edward ▁L ans dale ▁assist ed ▁the ▁new ▁President ▁N go ▁Din h ▁D iem ▁in ▁his ▁efforts ▁to ▁reconst itute ▁an ▁independent ▁government ▁in ▁the ▁south : ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁V iet ▁Nam . ▁ ▁Non eth eless , ▁C IA ▁reports ▁did ▁not ▁present ▁an ▁optim istic ▁app rais al ▁of ▁D iem ' s ▁future . ▁Many ▁of ▁its ▁anal yst s ▁rel uct antly ▁understood ▁that , ▁in ▁the ▁anti - colon ial ist ▁and ▁national ist ▁context ▁then ▁prev ail ing , ▁a ▁favor able ▁outcome ▁was ▁more ▁likely ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁commun ist ▁regime ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁under ▁its ▁long - term ▁party ▁leader ▁Ho ▁Chi ▁Min h , ▁who ▁was ▁widely ▁adm ired ▁as ▁a ▁Vietnam ese ▁patri ot . ▁A ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁C IA ▁qualified ly ▁stated ▁that ▁if ▁nation wide ▁elections ▁scheduled ▁for ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁by ▁the ▁recent ▁Gene va ▁Acc ords ▁were ▁held , ▁Ho ' s ▁party ▁" the ▁V iet ▁Min h ▁will ▁almost ▁certainly ▁win ." ▁Yet ▁that ▁election ▁was