Drawn Swords in a Distant Land

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"Drawn Swords" showcases the rise and fall of South Vietnam, emphasizing the South Vietnamese efforts to build and defend their nation alongside the pivotal policy decisions from Washington and Hanoi that shaped the war's trajectory. A significant historical gap exists in understanding the motivations and policies of the Saigon government, often obscured by ideological biases and misinformation. This work provides the South Vietnamese perspective, rectifying the historical narrative and offering a comprehensive overview of their successes and failures in the democratic experiment of the Republic of Vietnam. While many accounts focus on Ngo Dinh Diem's presidency, few explore the critical years that followed the coup, creating a substantial historical void. This publication delves into Nguyen Van Thieu's presidency, the American withdrawal, and the eventual collapse of the Second Republic. It uncovers new evidence regarding the near halt of the Diem coup, the political maneuvering that enabled Thieu's presidency over Nguyen Cao Ky, and clarifies the "Anna Chennault Affair," revealing Richard Nixon's lack of involvement in a plot to influence the 1968 election. Additionally, it unveils a previously unknown scheme involving France and one of Hanoi's allies aimed at preventing North Vietnam from overtaking Saigon during the war's final days, offering fresh insights into this tumultuous period.