Journal 2: Compare 2 events: The fall of the Saigon government in 1975 and the Niger coup d'etat 2023

At 9:00 AM on April 30, 1975, precisely one hour after the departure of the last American helicopter
from the rooftop of the Embassy, a significant historical event occurred. The advancing liberating troops
made their way into Saigon from five different directions. The resolute military personnel advanced
expeditiously, facing a lack of structured opposition. At around 10:45 AM on April 30, the military forces
of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam successfully gained entry inside the Independence Palace, thereby
seizing control over the whole Saigon administration. Dương Văn Minh, who had acquired the
presidency on April 28, was driven to offer an unconditional surrender. At 11:30 AM on the same day, the
flag symbolizing the revolution was raised over the rooftop of the Independence Palace, signifying the
resounding success of the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign.

Since achieving independence, Niger has seen four coups d'état and several unsuccessful coup attempts.
Preceding the current coup on July 26, the latest political turmoil in Niger was in February 2010, resulting
in the removal of then-President Mamadou Tandja from power.

What were the factors that led to the collapse of the Saigon regime? What contributing circumstances
led to the political instability in Niger following a prolonged period of autonomy? Furthermore, how do
these two phenomena exhibit resonance? Let me now examine these concerns promptly, within the
boundaries of the subsequent discourse.

**Analytical Reflection on the Collapse of the Saigon Regime**

The underlying factors contributing to the downfall of the Saigon regime were multifaceted and intricate,
encompassing both internal and external dynamics. One pivotal factor directly impacting the regime's
demise was the cessation of American aid, a decisive blow dealt by the United States.

In support of this notion, Nguyen Phu Duc presents a compelling case, citing statistics regarding U.S.
military assistance to Saigon. For the financial years 1972-1973, the aid amounted to 1.614 billion
dollars, followed by 1.026 billion for 1973-1974 and a mere 700 million for 1974-1975—barely over half
the previous allocation; conversely, according to N.P. Duc, "Soviet assistance to Hanoi doubled after the
ceasefire, reaching 1.7 billion dollars in 1974, accompanied by military equipment from 2.8 million tons
in 1973, escalating to 3.5 million tons in 1974. The military situation in South Vietnam deteriorated
drastically."

It is widely argued that the just nature of the resistance was among the fundamental factors that
ensured victory for the Vietnamese people. In contrast, the lack of legitimacy and alignment with the
invading forces lay at the core of Saigon's failure.

However, pragmatic reality has shown that justice does not invariably guarantee triumph, nor does
injustice always lead to defeat; various other variables come into play. For instance, even though people
from all corners of Vietnam engaged in continuous uprisings, such as the Can Vuong Movement led by
Ton That Thuyet and King Ham Nghi, along with notable uprisings like the Ba Dinh Uprising (Thanh Hoa),
Bai Say Uprising (Hung Yen), Hương Khe Uprising (Ha Tinh), and spontaneous peasant struggles, these
were primarily self-initiated movements that lacked cohesive organization and unified leadership.

Consequently, they failed to mobilize, motivate, and effectively harness national strength. Despite being
the subject of fervent historical narratives, the late 19th-century resistance against the French under the
Nguyen dynasty "faded precisely due to a lack of capable leadership" (Pham, 1959, p. 15). Beyond the
era's objective circumstances, this emerges as the pivotal subjective factor, decisively reflecting the
Nguyen family's responsibility for the nation's loss—a profound lesson in the path to saving the country,
gathering the nation's heart, rekindling and amplifying the nation's love for its sacred homeland.

An extremely vital aspect of the struggle lay in the unity of purpose between leadership and the masses.
Each element within these two realms held significance, but the firm bond between them forged real
power, multiplying the nation's potential manifold. This proved to be the fundamental weakness of the
Saigon regime.

Upon inheriting the French mantle, the U.S. promptly installed Ngo Dinh Diem as Prime Minister, later
President, under the banner of "calling for national talent." Nevertheless, the blood-soaked memories of
past brutal massacres, protracted religious oppressions, and the despotic rule of the Diem family sowed
discontent and instability among the southern populace. Eventually, when the efficacy of this pawn
dwindled, the U.S. switched horses midstream, leading to the assassination of the Diem brothers. After
months of power struggles among generals, Nguyen Van Thieu, favored by the U.S., ascended to the
presidency. Thieu immediately opened the floodgates for an increasing influx of American troops into
the South. Whereas Diem's era saw a mere rise from 16,300 to 23,300 military advisors, Thieu's tenure
(from July 1965 to April 1969) witnessed a surge from 81,400 to 543,400 American troops (Tran, 2004).
The direct involvement of U.S. troops in combat spawned a litany of atrocities, exemplified by the
infamous My Lai massacre (March 18, 1968)—an unforgivable stain on humanity. Ongoing factional
rivalries plagued society, fostering widespread resentment toward the ruling machinery. Americans
observed, "The division persists like an epidemic, manifesting in political, military, and religious
sectors..."

Consequently, "the people of South Vietnam seemed increasingly akin to individuals afflicted with an
incurable ailment" (Le et al., 2010). Additionally, corruption, embezzlement, and nepotism flourished,
with officials siphoning off aid funds, military leaders utilizing their positions to protect illicit interests,
and economic conglomerates tightly intertwined with political power dictating the market and society.
Within Thieu's government, "agencies related to currency were primarily centers of privilege and
corruption that Thieu personally appointed" (author translation).

The U.S. abandonment of the Nguyen Van Thieu regime merely serves as a direct pretext. The
fundamental root of the Saigon regime's collapse emanated from the unjust nature of the war they
pursued—an engagement that opened the gates for a half-million U.S. troops to unleash devastation
upon their compatriots, ravaging the nation. Moreover, the decay of the governing apparatus, incapable
of winning hearts and minds, engendered deep-seated aversion and resentment throughout society. In
essence, those in power in Saigon had distanced themselves and even contradicted the nation's
interests.

In conclusion, the Saigon regime's collapse resulted from a complex interplay between external
pressures, internal weaknesses, and systemic injustices. The stark lessons from this chapter in history
underscore the imperative of just governance, national unity, and the unwavering bond between
leadership and the populace in pursuing a resilient and prosperous nation.

**Exploring the Causes of the Coup in Niger**

On July 26, 2023, soldiers from Niger's presidential guard apprehended President Mohamed Bazoum.
Brigadier General Amadou Abdramane declared via television the overthrow of the President, the
closure of national borders, the suspension of state institutions, the abolition of the constitution, and the
imposition of strict curfews under the establishment of a military government (AFP, 2023). This marks
the fifth military coup since Niger gained independence in 1960 (Al, 2023).

Since attaining independence from France in 1960, Niger has weathered four military coups. Political
analysts attribute these uprisings to economic inflation and government corruption. General Tiani
(2023), the leader of this coup, stated that they intended to stem the escalating decay in Niger. The
current government, he contends, has failed to implement effective policies to halt this deterioration,
potentially leading to the nation's downfall. He emphasized that this was the sole aim of this particular
coup.

Niger's political landscape is characterized by internal dissent, political instability, unexemplary

leadership, and deeply rooted ethnic factions. The ousted President was not of indigenous origin but
rather an Arab figure lacking societal prestige. His policies proved ineffective, worsening the nation's
condition and prompting the military to rise and overthrow him.

Since 1960, Niger's trajectory has followed a Western-style democracy with a pro-Western stance. While
the West offered some assistance, its engagement appeared more extractive than constructive, leaving
Niger in an improved yet not commensurate state of development.

Despite over six decades of independence, progress has been sluggish, falling short of the time and
effort invested by the government and the populace. The government made many promises but
encountered inertia, resulting in the nation's dependency on foreign aid. Foreign nations exploit mineral
resources at bargain prices.

Niger is a multi-ethnic country; its religion is Islam, within many factions. They lack the talented leaders
to move the country forward, and the leaders and government are highly corrupt. That leads to every
government that comes to power the military tries to overthrow it.

Niger's political system is afflicted with leadership ineffectuality. Citizens yearn for stability to engage in
livelihoods, yet leaders remain unresponsive.

Furthermore, heavy foreign aid has exacerbated societal tensions in Niger. Poor allocation and misuse of
these resources have led to mistrust in the government, deepening corruption.

Recently, Niger's military sensed foreign military dominance. Germany and the U.S. maintain logistical
and unmanned aerial vehicle bases (2019) to combat extremist jihadist groups in the southern regions,
opposing IS and Al-Qaeda affiliates. Hence, Niger's strategic value has turned it into a bulwark for foreign
military presence.

The rising presence of foreign troops in Niger has marginalized the national military. They perceive the
government's disregard for the domestic military and prioritization of foreign interests as reasons for the
coup.
Russia's private military company, Wagner, engaged in security contracts across the Sahel, achieving
rapid results. The belief that collaboration between the military and Wagner would expedite resolution,
bypassing the current government's ambiguity, has gained traction.

Hence, this incident underscores the need to balance developmental assistance with tackling latent
socio-economic challenges.

The similarities between the coup in Niger and the fall of the Saigon government in 1975 are as
follows:

1. **External Intervention (Western Influence):** One significant factor to consider in analyzing this
situation is the impact of external intervention, specifically Western influence. Both events were
characterized by the involvement of external actors, mainly Western nations. The United States had a
crucial influence on the demise of the Saigon regime. The coup in Niger was influenced by the
involvement and priorities of Western countries, namely Germany and the United States.

2. **Internal Divisions within the Leadership:** Both occurrences witnessed internal disagreements
among the governing elites. The eventual downfall of the Saigon administration can be attributed to
internal conflicts and a lack of coherent Leadership. Similarly, the presence of internal disputes within
Niger's political Leadership fostered a favorable climate for the occurrence of a coup.

3. **Misuse of Foreign Aid:**. Both the administration of Saigon and the Leadership of Niger
demonstrated mismanagement of foreign help, intensifying the suffering experienced by their respective
communities. In both instances, the insufficient distribution and usage of aid resources proved
ineffective in enhancing the living circumstances of the populace.

4. **Weak Leadership and Lack of Clear Development Path:** One of the critical issues that might hinder
organizational success is the need for a clear development path. Both scenarios were characterized by
ineffective Leadership and a need for more capacity to devise a feasible trajectory for progress. The
deficiencies in Leadership hindered the successful execution of efficient programs and plans to guide
their respective nations toward advancement.

5. **Ethnic and Religious Tensions Ignored:** Insufficient attention was given to addressing ethnic and
religious issues in both the Saigon and Niger examples, resulting in enduring societal differences. There
needed to be more complete measures to address these tensions, exacerbating social discontent and
political instability.

In brief, there are notable parallels between the coup in Niger and the collapse of the Saigon
administration. These similarities encompass the involvement of Western powers, internal leadership
fragmentation, mishandling of external assistance, inadequate Leadership, and the neglect of
fundamental ethnic and religious problems. The similarities highlight the intricate and diverse
characteristics of political upheavals and transitions in various countries and settings.

References

AFP, franceinfo avec. (2023, July 27). Niger : CE que l’on sait de la tentative de coup d’etat en
cours contre le président Mohamed Bazoum. Franceinfo.
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/afrique/niger/niger-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-la-tentative-de-
coup-d-etat-en-cours-contre-le-president-mohamed-bazoum_5973206.html

Al Jazeera. (2023, July 27). Timeline: A history of coups in Niger. News | Al Jazeera.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/27/timeline-a-history-of-coups-in-niger

Lê, M. H., Nguyễn, V. T., Nguyễn, Đ. L., & Trần, B. Đ. (2010). Đại Cương Lịch sử việt nam.
Giáo dục.

Pham, V. D. (1959). Chủ nghĩa yêu nước và chủ nghĩa xã hội, Publishing House Su that, p.15.

Trà̂ n, Q. C. (2004). Việt nam những sự kiện Lịch sử: 1945-1975. Nhà xuá̂ t bản Giáo dục.