ABSTRACT
This chapter gives an account of the political situation of that short period of three months: from November 1, 1963 to January 30, 1964. Lieutenant-General Dương Văn (Big) Minh, Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Council (MRC), designated Mr. Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ, former Vice-President under Ngô Đình Diệm’s regime, to form a new civilian government. The MRC also established the 60-member Council of Notables to advise the newly formed government and to draft a new constitution. In spite of the good-will of the MRC, several unfavorable factors, which included the hostility of a number of political parties, the boundless ambition of some MRC members, the unhappiness of the Americans with General Minh’s leadership, and the totally unexpected surge of the fear of neutralization of South Vietnam believed to be supported by the French government, were working behind the scene, and provided a perfect opportunity for Lieutenant-General Nguyễn Khánh to plan and execute his bloodless coup.
