Nguyen Chanh Thi
| Nguyễn Chánh Thi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 February 1923 Huế, Annam, French Indochina (now Central Vietnam). |
| Died | 23 June 2007 (aged 84) Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
 French Union State of Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam
|
| Service/branch |
French Union Forces (1940–49), Vietnamese National Army (1949–54), Army of the Republic of Vietnam (1954–66) |
| Years of service | 1940–66 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant General
|
| Commands held |
Airborne Brigade (1955–60) 1st Division (1964) I Corps (1964–66) |
| Battles/wars |
Battle of Saigon (1955) 1960 South Vietnamese coup attempt 1964 South Vietnamese coup September 1964 South Vietnamese coup attempt February 1965 South Vietnamese coup attempt Buddhist Uprising |
Nguyễn Chánh Thi ([ŋwiɜŋ˨˦ c̻ɐn˦ˀ˥ tʰɪj˧˥]; 23 February 1923 – 23 June 2007) was an officer in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). He is best known for being involved in frequent coups in the 1960s and wielding substantial influence as a key member of various juntas that ruled South Vietnam from 1964 until 1966, when he was overpowered by Vietnam Air Force chief and Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ in a power struggle and exiled to the United States. Known for his flamboyant style and hostility to U.S. advice, Thi’s ouster was supported by the American leadership, who backed Kỳ's pro-U.S. regime. Thi joined the French Army at the age of 17 and was captured by Japan after they invaded French Indochina during World War II. After several months he escaped. He later transferred to the Vietnamese National Army of the French-backed State of Vietnam, which, in October 1955, became the ARVN and Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), respectively. A paratrooper, he fought for then-Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm against the Bình Xuyên organized crime syndicate in the 1955 Battle for Saigon. Impressed by Thi's performance, Diệm referred to him as "my son" and put him in command of the Airborne Brigade.
In November 1960, Thi led the paratroopers in a coup against Diệm, citing political interference in the military. The rebels gained the upper hand but Thi was reluctant to push for a complete victory, and the coup was defeated after Diệm falsely promised to make reforms in order to buy time for loyalists to rescue him. Thi fled into exile in Cambodia, but returned after Diệm was deposed and executed in November 1963. He became the deputy commander of I Corps under Nguyễn Khánh, and helped his superior to overthrow Diệm's subjugators three months later. Thi became the commander of the 1st Division, before taking control of I Corps later in the year.
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