He took full power in 1955 after the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, and subsequently won an election that was likely rigged. A staunch anti-Communist and Catholic, his repressive policies against the country’s Buddhists led to the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc, which in turn led to the withdrawal of the support he had previously enjoyed from the Americans. What South Vietnamese leader was assassinated on November 2, 1963 after being deposed in a CIA-backed coup?
Ngo Dinh Diem