Strategic Hamlet Program

The Strategic Hamlet Program was a counterinsurgency initiative implemented by the South Vietnamese government in the early 1960s, assisted by the United States, during the Vietnam War. Its goal was to isolate rural populations from the influence of the Viet Cong by relocating villagers into fortified hamlets. These hamlets were meant to provide security and promote government control. However, the program often faced resistance, with many villagers unwilling to move, and it ultimately failed to achieve its objectives, contributing to discontent and distrust among the rural population.