Leaders of South Vietnam
Encyclopedia
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, since the establishment of the Autonomous Republic of Cochinchina
Cochinchina
Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam whose principal city is Saigon. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bộ...
in 1946 until the fall
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
of the Republic of Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
in 1975.
Autonomous Republic of CochinchinaCochinchinaCochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam whose principal city is Saigon. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bộ...
(1946–1947)
| # | Name | Born-Died | Term start | Term end | Political Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presidents of the Provisional Government | ||||||
| 1 | Nguyễn Văn Thinh Nguyen Van Thinh Nguyễn Văn Thinh was the first President of Cochinchina. Thinh was a French citizen and joined the Constitutionalist Party in 1926. He founded the Cochinchinese Democratic Party in 1937. He became chief of the provisory government on March 26, 1946, and provisional president on June 1... |
1888-1946 | 1 June 1946 | 10 November 1946 | Cochinchinese Democratic Party | Committed suicide in office |
| 2 | Nguyễn Văn Xuân Nguyen Van Xuan Nguyễn Văn Xuân was President of the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam from 1948 to 1949 during the end of French rule in Vietnam.-First Indochina War:... , 1st time |
1892-1989 | 15 November 1946 | 7 December 1946 | Military | |
| 3 | Lê Văn Hoach Le Van Hoach Lê Văn Hoạch was President of Cochin-China from 1946 to 1947.... |
1896-1978 | 7 December 1946 | 8 October 1947 | ??? | |
Republic of South VietnamCochinchinaCochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam whose principal city is Saigon. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bộ...
(1947–1948)
| # | Name | Born-Died | Term start | Term end | Political Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Provisional Government | ||||||
| 1 | Nguyễn Văn Xuân Nguyen Van Xuan Nguyễn Văn Xuân was President of the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam from 1948 to 1949 during the end of French rule in Vietnam.-First Indochina War:... , 2nd time |
1892-1989 | 8 October 1947 | 27 May 1948 | Military | Name of the government was changed to "Republic of South Vietnam" on October 8, 1947.http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Vietnam.html Also called "Provisional Government of South Vietnam." |
Provisional Central Government of Vietnam (1948–1949)
| # | Name | Born-Died | Term start | Term end | Political Party | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Provisional Government | ||||||
| Nguyễn Văn Xuân Nguyen Van Xuan Nguyễn Văn Xuân was President of the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam from 1948 to 1949 during the end of French rule in Vietnam.-First Indochina War:... |
1892-1989 | 27 May 1948 | 14 June 1949 | Military | The name "Central Government of Vietnam" reflects an expectation of merger with the North. The French promised a merger, but delayed due to war with Vietminh. | |
State of VietnamState of VietnamThe State of Vietnam was a state that claimed authority over all of Vietnam during the First Indochina War, and replaced the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam . The provisional government was a brief transitional administration between colonial Cochinchina and an independent state...
(1949-1955)
| # | Name | Born-Died | Term start | Term end | Political Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs of State | ||||||
| 1 | Bảo Đại Bảo Đài Bảo Đài is a commune and village in Lục Nam District, Bac Giang Province, in northeastern Vietnam.-References:... |
1913-1997 | 13 June 1949 | 30 April 1955 | Non-party | Title was "Chief of State" (Quoc Truong) as Bảo Đại had abdicated as emperor in 1945. |
| 2 | Ngô Đình Diệm Ngo Dinh Diem Ngô Đình Diệm was the first president of South Vietnam . In the wake of the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Accords, Diệm led the effort to create the Republic of Vietnam. Accruing considerable U.S. support due to his staunch anti-Communism, he achieved victory in a... |
1901-1963 | 30 April 1955 | 26 Oct 1955 | Front of National Salvation | Acting |
| Prime Ministers | ||||||
| 1 | Bảo Đại Bảo Đài Bảo Đài is a commune and village in Lục Nam District, Bac Giang Province, in northeastern Vietnam.-References:... |
1913-1997 | 14 June 1949 | 21 January 1950 | Non-party | |
| 2 | Nguyễn Phan Long Nguyen Phan Long Nguyễn Phan Long served as Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam in January 1950. He was dismissed in May 1950 by the Emperor Bao Dai under pressure from the French colonial authorities, who resented his pro-American and nationalist attitude.... |
1889-1960 | 21 January 1950 | 26 April 1950 | ??? | |
| 3 | Trần Văn Hữu Tran Van Huu Trần Văn Hữu served as Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam from 1950 to 1952.... |
1896-1984 | 27 April 1950 | 6 June 1952 | Non-party | |
| 4 | Nguyễn Văn Tâm Nguyen Van Tam Nguyễn Văn Tâm served as Minister in the Nguyễn Dynasty. His son is General Nguyễn Văn Hinh, the Chief of Staff of the Vietnamese National Army... |
1893-1990 | 6 June 1952 | 17 December 1953 | Vietnamese Nationalist Party Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang The Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng , also known as the Việt Quốc and the Vietnamese Kuomintang, is the Vietnamese Nationalist Party, a revolutionary socialist political party that sought independence from French colonial rule in Vietnam during the early 20th century... |
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| 5 | Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Lộc | 1914-1990 | 12 January 1954 | 16 June 1954 | Non-party | |
| Phan Huy Quat Phan Huy Quat Dr. Phan Huy Quát served as acting Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam and also as Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam.-Biography:On July 2, 1949, Dr. Phan Huy Quát was appointed Minister of Education by Head of State Bảo Đại.... , 1st time |
1908-1979 | 16 June 1954 | 26 June 1954 | Dai Viet Party | Acting | |
| 6 | Ngô Đình Diệm Ngo Dinh Diem Ngô Đình Diệm was the first president of South Vietnam . In the wake of the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Accords, Diệm led the effort to create the Republic of Vietnam. Accruing considerable U.S. support due to his staunch anti-Communism, he achieved victory in a... |
1901-1963 | 26 June 1954 | 26 October 1955 | Front of National Salvation | Prime Minister until October 26, 1955 when he deposed Chief of State Bảo Đại and proclaimed himself President of the Republic of Vietnam. |
Republic of VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
(1955–1975)
| # | Name | Born-Died | Term start | Term end | Political Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presidents | ||||||
| 1 | Ngô Đình Diệm Ngo Dinh Diem Ngô Đình Diệm was the first president of South Vietnam . In the wake of the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Accords, Diệm led the effort to create the Republic of Vietnam. Accruing considerable U.S. support due to his staunch anti-Communism, he achieved victory in a... |
1901-1963 | 26 October 1955 | 2 November 1963 | Can Lao Party Can Lao Party The Cần lao Nhân vị Cách Mạng Ðảng, or Personalist Labor Revolutionary Party, was a secret party formed to support the Ngô Đình Diệm regime in South Vietnam, and largely operated by his brother, Ngô Đình Nhu... |
Died Arrest and assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem The arrest and assassination of Ngô Đình Diệm, then president of South Vietnam, marked the culmination of a successful CIA-backed coup d’état led by General Dương Văn Minh in November 1963... in coup d'état 1963 South Vietnamese coup In November 1963, President Ngô Đình Diệm of South Vietnam was deposed by a group of Army of the Republic of Vietnam officers who disagreed with his handling of the Buddhist crisis and, in general, his increasing oppression of national groups in the name of fighting the communist Vietcong.The... |
| 2 | Dương Văn Minh Duong Van Minh Minh was born on 16 February 1916 in Mỹ Tho Province in the Mekong Delta, the son of a wealthy landowner who served in a prominent position in the Finance Ministry of the French colonial administration... , 1st time |
1916-2001 | 2 November 1963 | 30 January 1964 | Military | Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Council |
| 3 | Nguyễn Khánh Nguyen Khanh Nguyễn Khánh is a former general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam who variously served as Head of State and Prime minister of South Vietnam while at the head of a military junta from January 1964 until February 1965. He was involved in or against many coup attempts, failed and successful,... , 1st time |
1927- | 30 January 1964 | 8 February 1964 | Military | |
| 4 | Dương Văn Minh, 2nd time | 1916-2001 | 8 February 1964 | 16 August 1964 | Military | |
| 5 | Nguyễn Khánh, 2nd time | 1927- | 16 August 1964 | 27 August 1964 | Military | |
| 6 | Provisional Leadership Committee | 27 August 1964 | 8 September 1964 | Military | Committee Members: Duong Van Minh, Nguyen Khanh, Tran Thien Khiem Tran Thien Khiem General Trần Thiện Khiêm was an officer in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. During the 1960s he was involved in several coups. He helped President Ngo Dinh Diem put down a November 1960 coup attempt and was rewarded with promotion... |
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| 7 | Dương Văn Minh, 3rd time | 1916-2001 | 8 September 1964 | 26 October 1964 | Military | Chairman of the Provisional Leadership Committee |
| 8 | Phan Khắc Sửu Phan Khac Suu Phan Khắc Sửu was President of South Vietnam from 1964–1965.-Biography:He was an octogenarian, a trained agricultural engineer and was a member of the Cao Đài religion.He was a member of Emperor Bảo Đại’s political cabinet.... |
1893-1970 | 26 October 1964 | 14 June 1965 | Military | |
| 9 | Nguyễn Văn Thiệu Nguyen Van Thieu Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was president of South Vietnam from 1965 to 1975. He was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam , became head of a military junta, and then president after winning a fraudulent election... |
1923-2001 | 14 June 1965 | 21 April 1975 | Military (1965-1968) ↓ National Social Democratic Front (1968-1975) |
Chairman of the National Leadership Committee to 31 October 1967 |
| 10 | Trần Văn Hương Tran Van Huong Trần Văn Hương was a South Vietnamese politician. He was the penultimate president of South Vietnam prior to its surrender to the communist forces of North Vietnam.-Biography:... |
1902-1982 | 21 April 1975 | 28 April 1975 | ??? | Acting |
| 11 | Dương Văn Minh, 4th time | 1916-2001 | 28 April 1975 | 30 April 1975 | Military | Acting. The last President of the Republic of Vietnam, deposed after the fall of Saigon Fall of Saigon The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975... . |
| Prime Ministers | ||||||
| 1 | Nguyen Ngoc Tho Nguyen Ngoc Tho Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ is a Vietnamese politician who was the first Prime Minister of South Vietnam, serving from November 1963 to late January 1964. Thơ was appointed to head a civilian cabinet by the military junta of General Dương Văn Minh, which came to power after overthrowing and assassinating Ngô... |
1908- | 4 November 1963 | 30 January 1964 | Military | |
| 2 | Nguyen Khanh Nguyen Khanh Nguyễn Khánh is a former general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam who variously served as Head of State and Prime minister of South Vietnam while at the head of a military junta from January 1964 until February 1965. He was involved in or against many coup attempts, failed and successful,... , 1st time |
1927- | 8 February 1964 | 29 August 1964 | Military | |
| 3 | Nguyen Xuan Oanh Nguyen Xuan Oanh Nguyễn Xuân Oánh was Prime Minister of South Vietnam in 1964 and 1965.Professor Nguyễn Xuân Oánh was trained as an economist, receiving his doctorate from Harvard University. He subsequently worked for the International Monetary Fund before returning to Vietnam as an economic adviser... , 1st time |
1921-2003 | 29 August 1964 | 3 September 1964 | Military | Acting |
| 4 | Nguyen Khanh, 2nd time | 1927- | 3 September 1964 | 4 November 1964 | Military | |
| 5 | Tran Van Huong Tran Van Huong Trần Văn Hương was a South Vietnamese politician. He was the penultimate president of South Vietnam prior to its surrender to the communist forces of North Vietnam.-Biography:... , 1st time |
1902-1982 | 4 November 1964 | 28 January 1965 | Military | |
| 6 | Nguyen Xuan Oanh, 2nd time | 1921-2003 | 28 January 1965 | 15 February 1965 | Military | Acting |
| 7 | Phan Huy Quat Phan Huy Quat Dr. Phan Huy Quát served as acting Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam and also as Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam.-Biography:On July 2, 1949, Dr. Phan Huy Quát was appointed Minister of Education by Head of State Bảo Đại.... |
1908-1979 | 16 February 1965 | 8 June 1965 | Dai Viet Party | |
| 8 | Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Nguyen Cao Ky Nguyễn Cao Kỳ served as the chief of the Vietnam Air Force in the 1960s, before leading the nation as the prime minister of South Vietnam in a military junta from 1965 to 1967... |
1930-2011 | 19 June 1965 | 31 October 1967 | Military | |
| 9 | Nguyen Van Loc Nguyen Van Loc Nguyễn Văn Lộc was Prime Minister of South Vietnam between 31 October 1967 and 17 May 1968.Black Silk Pajamas by Danny Lane is a biography of Thị Mai Nguyễn, Lộc's wife. He is survived by his four children Bao Chau Thomas, Bao Chi, Bao Chanh, Bao The Nguyenloc... |
1922- | 31 October 1967 | 17 May 1968 | Military | |
| 10 | Tran Van Huong, 2nd time | 1908-1982 | 28 May 1968 | 1 September 1969 | ??? | |
| 11 | Tran Thien Khiem Tran Thien Khiem General Trần Thiện Khiêm was an officer in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. During the 1960s he was involved in several coups. He helped President Ngo Dinh Diem put down a November 1960 coup attempt and was rewarded with promotion... |
1925- | 1 September 1969 | 4 April 1975 | Military | |
| 12 | Nguyễn Bá Cẩn Nguyen Ba Can Nguyễn Bá Cẩn was Prime Minister of South Vietnam from April 4, 1975, until April 24, 1975, serving under Presidents Nguyễn Văn Thiệu and Trần Văn Hương.-References:... |
1930-2009 | 4 April 1975 | 24 April 1975 | Democracy Party Democracy Party Democracy Party was a pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey. It was founded in May 1993 by several prominent members of the People's Labor Party . The party became divided over the issue of the PKK, two factions - moderate and radical - appeared. Due to the promotion of Kurdish nationalism the... |
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| 13 | Vũ Văn Mẫu | 1914-1998 | 28 April 1975 | 30 April 1975 | Forces for National Reconciliation | The last Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam, deposed after the fall of Saigon Fall of Saigon The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975... . |
See also
- Republic of Cochinchina
- State of VietnamState of VietnamThe State of Vietnam was a state that claimed authority over all of Vietnam during the First Indochina War, and replaced the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam . The provisional government was a brief transitional administration between colonial Cochinchina and an independent state...
- Republic of VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
- Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam