Republic of South Vietnam
Encyclopedia
The Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (Vietnamese: Chính phủ Cách mạng lâm thời Cộng hoà miền Nam Việt Nam), or PRG, was formed on June 8, 1969, as an underground government opposed to the South Vietnam
ese government of President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu
. Delegates of the National Liberation Front, or Vietcong, as well as several smaller groups, participated in the creation of the PRG. The PRG was recognized as the government of South Vietnam by most communist states. It signed 1973 Paris Peace Treaty as a separate party. It became the provisional government
of South Vietnam
following the military defeat of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
on April 30, 1975. On July 2, 1976, the PRG and North Vietnam
merged to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
.
The new American president, Nixon, started a process of Vietnamization
to allow the American to withdraw from Vietnam. One of the tenets of Vietnamization was responsible government in South Vietnam. To prevent the Americans from installing their own government a conference was held on June 6–8, 1969 off Route 22 in the Fishhook area. The Alliance as well as other groups met and formed the Provisional Revolutionary Government. The PRG was established on June 8, 1969. The main purpose of the new group was to help the Vietcong "acquire a new international stature," according to Justice Minister Truong Nhu Trang. There were delegates from the NLF, the Alliance of National, Democratic and Peace Forces, the People's Revolutionary Party
(South Vietnamese communist party), and "the usual assortment of mass organizations, ethnic groups, and geopolitical regions." "South Vietnam is independent, democratic, peaceful, and neutral," according to one banner displayed prominently at the convention.
It reflected a number of nationalist, anti-imperialist and communist political viewpoints, including those of the Vietnam Workers Party (North Vietnamese communist party). Following the military and political results of the 1968 Tet Offensive and related military offensives in the South, in which the Vietcong suffered serious military losses, the PRG was envisioned as a political counter-force that could influence international public opinion in support of national independence and in opposition to the U.S. and the Republic of Vietnam.
The declared purpose of the PRG was to provide a formal NLF governmental structure and enhance its claim of representing "the Southern people". Included in this strategy was the pursuit of a negotiated settlement to the war leading to reunification. It was organized during the initial phase of the U.S. policy of Vietnamization
, which was devised by U.S. President Richard Nixon
and his national security advisor Henry Kissinger
early in their administration.
During the period 1969-1970, most of the PRG's cabinet ministries operated near the Cambodia border. Starting on March 29 to late April 1970 the South Vietnamese army and Cambodian government forced the PRG to flee deep into Cambodia
. The stressful escape caused many of the PRG officials to need extensive medical furloughs, like Trương Như Tạng. After he returned from his medical recovery he noticed that new cadres from the north were causing problems for the non-communist members of the PRG. One member in particular was Ba Cap who was harsh against those he viewed as bourgeois which was most of the PRG. Tạng complained to the higher members of the North Vietnamese government but was rebuffed. In hindsight Tạng viewed this as the turning point when the PRG turned from an independent South based alternative government to a mouth piece of Northern communists.
The central bodies of the PRG thus functioned as a government in exile. The PRG maintained diplomatic relations with many countries of the Non-Aligned Movement
, such as Algeria
, as well as with the Soviet Union
and with the People's Republic of China
.
After the surrender of Saigon on April 30, 1975, the PRG assumed power in the South and subsequently participated in the political reunification of the country.
of the Government was To Liberate the South (Vietnamese: Giải phóng miền Nam). The song was written in 1961 by Luu Huu Phuoc (Vietnamese: Lưu Hữu Phước, 1921–1989) and adopted at that time as the anthem of the National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam.
, the term provisional government
has referred to liberal government created to prepare for democratic elections that would establish government on a permanent basis. Bolshevik
leader Lenin defined a provisional revolutionary government as one that appeals to the people, but where workers and peasants "take the initiative." A PRG would, "convene on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot a constituent assembly," Lenin added. Algeria's National Liberation Front
, a model for revolutionaries in the 1960s and 1970s, created a Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic
in 1958. (This name is a variation of Provisional Government of the French Republic
(1944–1946).)
Leaders
National anthem
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...
ese government of President 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...
. Delegates of the National Liberation Front, or Vietcong, as well as several smaller groups, participated in the creation of the PRG. The PRG was recognized as the government of South Vietnam by most communist states. It signed 1973 Paris Peace Treaty as a separate party. It became the provisional government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
of South 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...
following the military defeat of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
on April 30, 1975. On July 2, 1976, the PRG and North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
merged to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
History
Predating the PRG was the Alliance of National, Democratic, and Peace Forces made up of anti-government forces and headed by Trinh Dinh Thao. The Alliance were a collection of individuals who wanted a new South Vietnamese Government but disagreed with the ever present Northern Communist presence. There had been talk of setting up an Alliance as early as 1966 but South Vietnamese Intelligence had arrested an anti-government organizer, Ba Tra. Ba Tra gave the South Vietnamese government extensive information on anti-government forces working in the city. This set-back was compounded by the naming, by Ba Tra, of one of the key cadre in the financial division. Under torture he revealed even more of the important members of the underground who were then also rounded up. By 1967 the entire Saigon organization was decimated and sent further underground from the arrests. The Tet Offensive set off a wave of oppression forcing many people into the jungle. It was these collection of businessmen, middle class, doctors and other professionals who started The Alliance.The new American president, Nixon, started a process of Vietnamization
Vietnamization
Vietnamization was a policy of the Richard M. Nixon administration during the Vietnam War, as a result of the Viet Cong's Tet Offensive, to "expand, equip, and train South Vietnam's forces and assign to them an ever-increasing combat role, at the same time steadily reducing the number of U.S....
to allow the American to withdraw from Vietnam. One of the tenets of Vietnamization was responsible government in South Vietnam. To prevent the Americans from installing their own government a conference was held on June 6–8, 1969 off Route 22 in the Fishhook area. The Alliance as well as other groups met and formed the Provisional Revolutionary Government. The PRG was established on June 8, 1969. The main purpose of the new group was to help the Vietcong "acquire a new international stature," according to Justice Minister Truong Nhu Trang. There were delegates from the NLF, the Alliance of National, Democratic and Peace Forces, the People's Revolutionary Party
People's Revolutionary Party (Vietnam)
The People's Revolutionary Party was a political party in South Vietnam established in 1962. It provided leadership for the Vietcong uprising. In 1976, the party was merged with the Worker's Party of North Vietnam to form the Communist Party of Vietnam....
(South Vietnamese communist party), and "the usual assortment of mass organizations, ethnic groups, and geopolitical regions." "South Vietnam is independent, democratic, peaceful, and neutral," according to one banner displayed prominently at the convention.
It reflected a number of nationalist, anti-imperialist and communist political viewpoints, including those of the Vietnam Workers Party (North Vietnamese communist party). Following the military and political results of the 1968 Tet Offensive and related military offensives in the South, in which the Vietcong suffered serious military losses, the PRG was envisioned as a political counter-force that could influence international public opinion in support of national independence and in opposition to the U.S. and the Republic of Vietnam.
The declared purpose of the PRG was to provide a formal NLF governmental structure and enhance its claim of representing "the Southern people". Included in this strategy was the pursuit of a negotiated settlement to the war leading to reunification. It was organized during the initial phase of the U.S. policy of Vietnamization
Vietnamization
Vietnamization was a policy of the Richard M. Nixon administration during the Vietnam War, as a result of the Viet Cong's Tet Offensive, to "expand, equip, and train South Vietnam's forces and assign to them an ever-increasing combat role, at the same time steadily reducing the number of U.S....
, which was devised by U.S. President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and his national security advisor Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
early in their administration.
During the period 1969-1970, most of the PRG's cabinet ministries operated near the Cambodia border. Starting on March 29 to late April 1970 the South Vietnamese army and Cambodian government forced the PRG to flee deep into Cambodia
Escape of the Provisional Revolutionary Government
The Escape of the Provisional Revolutionary Government was a series of military operations conducted in eastern Cambodia during mid-1970 by the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War...
. The stressful escape caused many of the PRG officials to need extensive medical furloughs, like Trương Như Tạng. After he returned from his medical recovery he noticed that new cadres from the north were causing problems for the non-communist members of the PRG. One member in particular was Ba Cap who was harsh against those he viewed as bourgeois which was most of the PRG. Tạng complained to the higher members of the North Vietnamese government but was rebuffed. In hindsight Tạng viewed this as the turning point when the PRG turned from an independent South based alternative government to a mouth piece of Northern communists.
The central bodies of the PRG thus functioned as a government in exile. The PRG maintained diplomatic relations with many countries of the Non-Aligned Movement
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
, such as Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, as well as with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and with the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
After the surrender of Saigon on April 30, 1975, the PRG assumed power in the South and subsequently participated in the political reunification of the country.
Personnel
| Post | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman of Government (Prime Minister Prime minister A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime... ) |
Huynh Tan Phat | 8 June 1969 | 2 July 1976 | People's Revolutionary Party People's Revolutionary Party People's Revolutionary Party is a name used by several political parties around the world:* Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party, now the Cambodian People's Party* Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party* Lao People's Revolutionary Party... and Democratic Party of Vietnam Democratic Party of Vietnam The Democratic Party of Vietnam was a political party in North Vietnam and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It was founded on 30 July 1944 to unite petty bourgeoisie and intelligentsia. It joined Vietminh. From 1954 to 1975, it was active in North Vietnam and from 1975 to 1988 in the re-unified... |
| Vice-Chairman | Phung Van Cung | 8 June 1969 | 1976 | Democratic Party of Vietnam Democratic Party of Vietnam The Democratic Party of Vietnam was a political party in North Vietnam and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It was founded on 30 July 1944 to unite petty bourgeoisie and intelligentsia. It joined Vietminh. From 1954 to 1975, it was active in North Vietnam and from 1975 to 1988 in the re-unified... |
| Vice-Chairman | Nguyen Van Kiet Nguyen Van Kiet Nguyen Van Kiet was a Petty Officer Third Class in the Republic of Vietnam Navy and is one of only two South Vietnamese, and the only South Vietnamese Navy member, to receive the Navy Cross for actions during the Vietnam War. The other recipient was ARVN PFC Tran Van Bay).In April 1972, United... |
8 June 1969 | 1976 | |
| Vice-Chairman | Nguyen Doa | 8 June 1969 | 1976 | |
| Minister of Presidential Palace of Government | Tran Buu Kiem | 8 June 1969 | 1976 | People's Revolutionary Party People's Revolutionary Party People's Revolutionary Party is a name used by several political parties around the world:* Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party, now the Cambodian People's Party* Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party* Lao People's Revolutionary Party... and Democratic Party of Vietnam Democratic Party of Vietnam The Democratic Party of Vietnam was a political party in North Vietnam and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It was founded on 30 July 1944 to unite petty bourgeoisie and intelligentsia. It joined Vietminh. From 1954 to 1975, it was active in North Vietnam and from 1975 to 1988 in the re-unified... |
| Minister of Defense | Trần Nam Trung | 8 June 1969 | 1976 | People's Revolutionary Party People's Revolutionary Party People's Revolutionary Party is a name used by several political parties around the world:* Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party, now the Cambodian People's Party* Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party* Lao People's Revolutionary Party... |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Nguyen Thi Binh Nguyen Thi Binh Nguyễn Thị Bình, , was a Vietnamese communist leader who negotiated at the Paris Peace Conference on behalf of the Vietcong, or National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam.... |
8 June 1969 | 1976 | People's Revolutionary Party People's Revolutionary Party People's Revolutionary Party is a name used by several political parties around the world:* Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party, now the Cambodian People's Party* Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party* Lao People's Revolutionary Party... |
| Minister of the Interior | Phung Van Cung | 8 June 1969 | 1976 | |
| Minister of Justice | Truong Nhu Tang Truong Nhu Tang Trương Như Tảng is a Vietnamese lawyer and politician living in France. He was active in many anti-South Vietnamese organizations before joining the newly created Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam as the Minister of Justice. He spent many years in the jungles... |
8 June 1969 | 1976 | |
| Minister of Economy and Finance | Cao Van Bon | 8 June 1969 | died 1971, Duong Ky Hiep (acting since 1975) |
|
| Minister of Information and Culture | Luu Huu Phuoc | 8 June 1969 | 1976 | |
| Minister of Education and Youth | Nguyen Van Kiet Nguyen Van Kiet Nguyen Van Kiet was a Petty Officer Third Class in the Republic of Vietnam Navy and is one of only two South Vietnamese, and the only South Vietnamese Navy member, to receive the Navy Cross for actions during the Vietnam War. The other recipient was ARVN PFC Tran Van Bay).In April 1972, United... |
8 June 1969 | 1976 | |
| Minister of Health, Social Action and Disabled Soldiers | Duong Quynh Hoa | 8 June 1969 | 1976 | People's Revolutionary Party People's Revolutionary Party People's Revolutionary Party is a name used by several political parties around the world:* Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party, now the Cambodian People's Party* Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party* Lao People's Revolutionary Party... |
National anthem
The national anthemNational anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of the Government was To Liberate the South (Vietnamese: Giải phóng miền Nam). The song was written in 1961 by Luu Huu Phuoc (Vietnamese: Lưu Hữu Phước, 1921–1989) and adopted at that time as the anthem of the National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam.
Vietnamese lyricsGiải phóng miền Nam, chúng ta cùng quyết tiến bước.Diệt Đế quốc Mỹ, phá tan bè lũ bán nước. Ôi xương tan máu rơi, long hân thù ngất trời. Sông núi bao nhiêu năm cắt rời. Đây Cửu Long hùng tráng, Đây Trường Sơn vinh quang. Thúc giục đoàn ta xung phong đi giết thù. Vai sát vai chung một bóng cờ. Vùng lên! Nhân dân miền Nam anh hùng! Vùng lên! Xông pha vượt qua bão bùng. Thề cứu lấy nước nhà! Thề hy sinh đến cùng! Cầm gươm, ôm sung, xông tới! Vận nước đã đên rồi. Bình minh chiếu khắp nơi. Nguyện xây non nước sáng tươi muôn đời. |
English translationTo liberate the South, together we advance.To destroy the American imperialist, and annihilate the traitors. Oh bones have broken, and blood has fallen, the hatred is rising high Our country has been separated for so long. Here, the magnificent Mekong River, here, glorious Trường Sơn Mountains Are urging us to advance to kill the enemy, Shoulder to shoulder under a common flag Arise! ye brave people of the South Arise! Let us go through storms. We've sworn to save our homeland; we've sworn to sacrifice ourselves to the end. Hold your swords and clutch your guns, advance! The nation's fortune is rising, dawn's light abound. We're devoted to build the country, forever brilliant. |
Origin of name
Since the Revolutions of 1848Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
, the term provisional government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
has referred to liberal government created to prepare for democratic elections that would establish government on a permanent basis. Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
leader Lenin defined a provisional revolutionary government as one that appeals to the people, but where workers and peasants "take the initiative." A PRG would, "convene on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot a constituent assembly," Lenin added. Algeria's National Liberation Front
FLN
FLN may refer to:* One of a number of organisations named National Liberation Front* The National Liberation Front * The National Liberation Front * The National Liberation Front of Chad...
, a model for revolutionaries in the 1960s and 1970s, created a Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic
Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic
The Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic was the government-in-exile of the Algerian Front de Libération Nationale during the latter part of the Algerian War of Independence .- Creation and purpose :The GPRA was set up in Cairo, Egypt, by the FLN on September 19, 1958, four years...
in 1958. (This name is a variation of Provisional Government of the French Republic
Provisional Government of the French Republic
The Provisional Government of the French Republic was an interim government which governed France from 1944 to 1946, following the fall of Vichy France and prior to the Fourth French Republic....
(1944–1946).)
External links
GovernmentLeaders
National anthem
- "Ethnic Music" Room (“Words” is Japanese version only.)