Nguyen Khanh - Downfall

Downfall

Between January and February, Thảo began plotting against Khánh. Thảo consulted Kỳ, who wanted to seize power for himself before the plot, and exhorted him to join the coup, but Kỳ claimed he would remain neutral. Shortly before noon on 19 February, he used tanks and infantry to seize control of the military headquarters at Tân Sơn Nhứt, the post office and the radio station of Saigon. He surrounded Khánh's home, and Sửu's residence. When spotted by the press, he emerged from a tank to quip that the "operation is to expel Nguyên Khánh from the government". Thảo said he was going to bring Khiêm back from his post as Ambassador to the U.S., catching Khiêm, asleep in his Maryland home, off-guard. When informed of what was happening, Khiêm sent a cable pledging "total support" to the plot.

The country was still seeking stability, with Phan Huy Quát having been appointed prime minister just three days earlier. Khánh managed to escape and flee to Vũng Tàu. His plane lifted off from Tân Sơn Nhứt Air Base just as rebel tanks were rolling in, attempting to block the runway. Thảo made a radio announcement stating that the sole objective of his military operation was to get rid of Khánh, whom he described as a "dictator". Thảo did this in league with General Lâm Văn Phát, who was supposed to seize the Biên Hòa Air Base to prevent Kỳ from mobilising air power against them. Phát and others made pro-Diệm announcements, saying " ... was wrong in encouraging the coup against Diệm rather than correcting mistakes".

The attempt to seize Biên Hòa failed, and Kỳ circled Tân Sơn Nhứt, threatening to bomb the rebels. Most of the forces of the III and IV Corps surrounding the capital disliked both Khanh and the rebels, and took no action. At 20:00, Phát and Thảo met with Kỳ in a meeting organised by the Americans, and insisted that Khánh be removed from power. The coup collapsed when, around midnight, loyal ARVN forces swept into the city from the south and some loyal to Kỳ from Biên Hòa in the north. Whether the rebels were genuinely defeated or a deal was struck with Kỳ to end the revolt in exchange for Khánh's removal is disputed. Before fleeing, Thảo broadcast a message stating that the coup had been effective in removing Khánh. This was not the case, but the chaos led the Armed Forces Council to adopt a vote of no confidence in Khánh the following day. This motion was precipitated by Thi, who gained the support of Kỳ, and the final vote was unanimous. Kỳ assumed control of a junta that continued with Suu and Quat as a civilian front, although General Trần Văn Minh was the nominal head as Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Khánh was then north of Saigon, inspecting a display of captured communist weapons. When he heard what was happening, he refused to accept his fate and used his personal aircraft to fly to different provinces, trying to rally support, promising to promote those which would be natural allies, but received little support. Having ousted Khánh, the generals made a press conference in the afternoon, but claimed that no decision had been definitively made.

By the end of the evening, he was in Đà Lạt when his plane had no fuel left, and no pumps were open at the time, so he was marooned there for the night. Fearing a Khánh comeback, the AFC met again and unanimously resolved to make contingency plans to repel any counter-insurrection by Khánh. Westmoreland sent Colonel Wilson, Khánh's former confidant, to go to the military airport at Đà Lạt to convince the Vietnamese general to resign and allow a new military leadership to take the reins. Khánh finally agreed to leave if he was given a dignified send-off, so the other generals arranged a ceremony at Tan Son Nhut, where military bands serenaded him. He theatrically bent down and picked up some loose dirt before putting it in his pocket, saying that he was taking his beloved homeland with him. His enemies, the remaining Vietnamese officers and Taylor, all met him at the airport. He then left as Ambassador-at-Large, and was sent on a world tour, starting with a report at the United Nations in New York City.