Editing Nguyễn Khánh (section)

==Việt Minh years==
In late 1945, Khánh finished his secondary studies and along with 20 fellow high school graduates left Saigon to join the communist-dominated [[Việt Minh]],<ref name=s228/> led by [[Hồ Chí Minh]], which sought to gain independence from French colonialism. The [[August Revolution]] had just occurred and Hồ had declared independence from France in the aftermath of World War II in September under the newly proclaimed [[Democratic Republic of Vietnam]]. In his early military years, Khánh came across many other young recruits who would rise up the ranks alongside him and variously become allies and bitter rivals.<ref name=s228/> One of Khánh's Việt Minh instructors was his future enemy [[Phạm Ngọc Thảo]], who later joined the anti-communist forces while remaining a Việt Minh agent.<ref name="searly">Shaplen, pp. 309–310.</ref><ref name="learly">Langguth, pp. 160–162.</ref><ref name=vd80/> Khánh's unit became the 410th Battalion and went on to fight near [[Cà Mau]], the southernmost part of Vietnam.<ref name=t44>Tang, p. 44.</ref> They started with only pieces of bamboo and had to capture or steal their weapons.<ref name=showdown/>

However, Khánh soon left Hồ's forces after 15 months. He claimed that he had left the Việt Minh because of its communist inclinations, but critics claimed that he was simply switching sides because the French-backed [[State of Vietnam]] offered him more opportunities for advancement and better pay.<ref name=kb>Karnow, pp. 354–355.</ref> Another account says that Khánh's unit was relieved by a larger and stronger unit that was better trained and indoctrinated in communist ideology, and that Khánh's band were "too tired" after their tour of duty and did not have the "proper discipline".<ref name=s228/> Khánh claimed they were removed because they were nationalists rather than communists.<ref name=showdown>{{cite magazine|title=South Viet Nam: Toward the Showdown? |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,871317,00.html |date=7 August 1964 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In 1946, he graduated from the French Military Academy [[École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr|Saint-Cyr/Coëtquidan]] and was promoted to "Indochine", and the Ecole des Troupes Aéroportées ([[Airborne forces]]) in France. In 1947, he graduated from the Vien Dong (Dap Da) Military Academy and Saumur (France) Military Academy, with the rank of lieutenant. His first assignment was as a Platoon Leader of the 1st Battalion, Attaché Officer to the Prime Minister.<ref>Trần Ngọc Thống, Hồ Đắc Huân, Lê Đình Thụy (2011). ''Lược sử Quân lực Việt Nam Cộng hòa''. Trang 99-103.</ref>