Diem was killed by a US-approved coup. That is, a cantankerous puppet with an independent power base was replaced with a more pliable puppet. Diem was heavily anti-communist, oppressed the Buddhists in favor of the Catholics, and collaborated with the Japanese occupation during WWII, so his death was no loss, but it did represent the US taking greater control of South Vietnam - it wasn't a communist victory.
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Diem was killed by a US-approved coup. That is, a cantankerous puppet with an independent power base was replaced with a more pliable puppet. Diem was heavily anti-communist, oppressed the Buddhists in favor of the Catholics, and collaborated with the Japanese occupation during WWII, so his death was no loss, but it did represent the US taking greater control of South Vietnam - it wasn't a communist victory.