Dissident South Vietnamese army officers attempt to overthrow General Nguyen Khan's government in Saigon, calling their movement the People's Council for the Salvation of the Nation. General Lam Van Phat, who had been dismissed as interior minister on September 3, and General Duong Van Duc, commander of 4th Corps, led the attempt. Government troops loyal to Khanh moved against the coup's main base near Tan Son Nhut, but the final blow to the coup came when Air Marshall Nguyen Cao Ky sent air force planes to fly over the insurgent generals' headquarters and threatened to bomb them if they did not surrender. This incident was part of the long-running political turbulence in South Vietnam that followed the assassination of former President Ngo Dinh Diem.
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Attempted coup against Khanh government fails
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
This Week in History, Sep 13 - Sep 19
- Sep 13, 1945
- British troops arrive to disarm the Japanese
- Sep 13, 1964
- Attempted coup against Khanh government fails
- Sep 13, 1968
- Large operation begins in the DMZ
- Sep 14, 1965
- South Vietnamese forces and U.S. advisers conduct parachute assault
- Sep 14, 1966
- Operation Attleboro is launched in War Zone C
- Sep 15, 1964
- NLF calls for general military offensive
- Sep 15, 1972
- South Vietnamese forces retake Quang Tri City
- Sep 16, 1960
- U.S. Ambassador in Saigon warns that situation is worsening
- Sep 16, 1969
- Nixon announces the withdrawal of a further 35,000 troops from Vietnam
- Sep 17, 1970
- PRG presents a new peace plan
- Sep 17, 1972
- Hanoi releases three POWs
- Sep 18, 1964
- North Vietnamese Army begins infiltration
- Sep 18, 1969
- "March Against Death" to be held in Washington
- Sep 19, 1966
- Pressure mounts against continued U.S. involvement in Vietnam
- Sep 19, 1969
- Nixon cancels draft calls for November and December
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