Which South Vietnamese leader (1954-1963) was supported by the United States but overthrown and killed in a coup in 1963?

• A. Ho Chi Minh
• B. Ngo Dinh Diem
• C. Dien Bien Phu
• D. Nguyen Cao Ky

Answer: (B)

The core idea is how the United States backed a South Vietnamese leader to counter communism, but internal flaws in his regime and rising opposition led to a coup in 1963. Ngo Dinh Diem was the leader from 1954 until his assassination in 1963, chosen by U.S. policymakers as the anti-Communist anchor in the South. He ruled with centralized authority, suppressed political dissent, and relied on his family network, which bred corruption and alienated many South Vietnamese. The Buddhist crisis in 1963 intensified domestic dissatisfaction and drew international criticism, including concerns within the United States about the regime’s legitimacy and stability. Facing untenable conditions, U.S. officials and South Vietnamese military leaders supported a coup to remove Diem. In November 1963, Diem and his brother were killed, and the regime he headed collapsed. Ho Chi Minh led the communist government in North Vietnam, not the South; Dien Bien Phu was a pivotal battle, not a leader; Nguyen Cao Ky emerged as a later South Vietnamese figure and did not die in 1963.