WI Ngo brothers not killed?

IOTL, Nhu almost managed a countercoup, but the key general, a weathervane, went with the plotters in the end. WI he'd succeeded? I've heard rumors that he was going to do a Laos: with Ho as President of a united Vietnam and Nhu as Veep. Something tells me that's *ever so slightly* delusional, but maybe I'm wrong? How would that affect the war?
 
Nhu was a sadistic little bastard.

It really takes Diem to remain in place as President (either defeating the coup or avoiding it). Once Diem was ousted, it was pretty much a revolving door of generals or ex-generals and what little political stability there was, disolved. If he and his brother remain in control of the government, the war goes slightly better overall, though I would surmise that Vietnam is reunited by force of arms at some point, with either a coup (after American support drops off) or forced into exile as NVA tanks rumble into Saigon.
 
Diem was the only one with non-Communist nationalist credentials, acknowledged by Ho himself. "I can't believe the Americans would be so stupid." Thieu was so-so and Ky was unfit to command anything more than a fighter squadron.
 
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