 The genesis of the removal of the HNC was a power struggle within the ruling junta . Khánh , who had been saved from an earlier coup attempt in September 1964 by the intervention of some younger generals dubbed the Young Turks , was indebted to them and needed to satisfy their wishes to stay in power . The Young Turks disliked a group of older officers who had been in high leadership positions but were now in powerless posts , and wanted to <unk> them completely . As a result , they decided to hide their political motives by introducing a policy to <unk> retire all general officers with more than 25 years of service . The chief of state Phan Khắc Sửu , an elderly figure appointed by the military to give a semblance of civilian rule , did not want to sign the decree without the agreement of the HNC , which mostly consisted of old men . The HNC recommended against the new policy , and the younger officers , led by I Corps commander General Nguyễn <unk> Thi and Air Marshal Nguyễn Cao Kỳ , disbanded the body and arrested some of its members along with other politicians . 
