Nguyễn Khánh

Nguyễn Khánh was a South Vietnamese general who seized power in a January 1964 coup and served as head of state and prime minister during political turmoil.

Connect

Ngô Đình Diệm: Ngô Đình Diệm was South Vietnam’s first president, ruling from 1955 until his overthrow and death in 1963. Diệm’s overthrow created the power vacuum that Khánh exploited.
January 1964 South Vietnamese coup: The January 1964 South Vietnamese coup was a bloodless military seizure of power led by Nguyễn Khánh. It brought Khánh to power and removed the military council headed by Dương Văn Minh.
Trần Thiện Khiêm: Trần Thiện Khiêm was a South Vietnamese general and politician who served as prime minister and ambassador. Khiêm was a fellow general whose shifting alliances affected Khánh’s hold on power.
August 1964 South Vietnamese coup: The August 1964 South Vietnamese coup was Nguyễn Khánh’s failed attempt to consolidate power by reshuffling the military leadership. Its failure forced Khánh to compromise with rival officers.
1963 South Vietnamese coup: The 1963 South Vietnamese coup was a military overthrow that ended Ngô Đình Diệm’s presidency. The coup began the unstable military rule from which Khánh emerged.
Military Revolutionary Council: The Military Revolutionary Council was the junta that governed South Vietnam after the 1963 coup against Ngô Đình Diệm. Khánh replaced its leadership while retaining military rule.
Nguyễn Văn Thiệu: Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was a South Vietnamese general who became president in 1967 and led the country until 1975. Thiệu was among the military leaders who later helped displace Khánh.
South Vietnamese coup of December 1964: The December 1964 South Vietnamese coup was a power struggle in which military officers dissolved the civilian High National Council. The confrontation further weakened Khánh’s government and alienated the United States.
Dương Văn Minh: Dương Văn Minh was a South Vietnamese general who led the 1963 coup and briefly headed the government afterward. Khánh displaced Minh’s ruling military council in January 1964.
South Vietnamese military junta: A South Vietnamese military junta was a governing body led by military officers rather than elected civilian officials. Khánh’s government belonged to the succession of juntas that ruled after Diệm.