Political Leaders: South Vietnam

Leaders of South Vietnam
(Republic of Vietnam, 1955-1976)

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Note: the official style of 1896, Empire of Viet Nam, was restablished on 12 Jun 1945. The Autonomous Republic of Cochinchina (under French sovereignty) existed from 1 Jun 1946 to 23 Apr 1949. The Associate State of Vietnam (a French protectorate controlling South Vietnam only) existed from May 1949 to the proclamation of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) on 26 Oct 1955. The Republic of South Vietnam (RSV) was proclaimed on 30 Apr 1975 by the Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG, established in rebellion 8 Jun 1969) upon the military collapse of the Republic of Vietnam. On 2 Jul 1976 the RSV and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) were unified to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Parties: Can Lao: Personalist Labor Revolutionary Party - Dai Viet: Nationalist Party of Greater Vietnam - DCV: Communist Party of Vietnam - DDVN: Democratic Party of Vietnam - DLDD: Indochinese Constitutional Party Hoa Sen: Lotus Flower - MQDX: National Social Democratic Front - PDC: Cochinchinese Democratic Party - Viet Quoc: Vietnamese Nationalist Party

See also the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Heads of State

Emperor (Hoang De)
Bao Dai            8 Jan 1926 - 30 Aug 1945 (†1997)  

Presidents of the Provisional Government of Cochinchina
Nguyen Van Thinh   1 Jun 1946 - 10 Nov 1946 (†1946) PDC       
Nguyen Van Xuan   15 Nov 1946 -  7 Dec 1946 (†1989) military       
Le Van Hoach       7 Dec 1946 -  8 Oct 1947 (†1978)       

President of the Provisional Government of South Vietnam
Nguyen Van Xuan    8 Oct 1947 - 14 Jun 1949 (†1989) military (1)

Head of State
Bao Dai           14 Jun 1949 - 26 Oct 1955 (†1997) n/p 

President of the Republic
Ngo Dinh Diem     26 Oct 1955 -  2 Nov 1963 (†1963) Can Lao   

Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Committe (junta)
Duong Van Minh     2 Nov 1963 - 30 Jan 1964 (†2001) military (2)

Presidents of the Republic
Nguyen Khanh      30 Jan 1964 -  8 Feb 1964 (†2013) military
Duong Van Minh     8 Feb 1964 - 16 Aug 1964 (†2001) military
Nguyen Khanh      16 Aug 1964 - 27 Aug 1964 (†2013) military

Provisional Leadership Committee (junta)
                  27 Aug 1964 -  4 Sep 1964         military (3)

Heads of State
Duong Van Minh     4 Sep 1964 - 26 Oct 1964 (†2001) military
Phan Khac Suu     26 Oct 1964 - 14 Jun 1965 (†1970) n/p

Chairman of the National Leadership Committe
Nguyen Van Thieu  14 Jun 1965 - 31 Oct 1967 (†2001) military

Presidents of the Republic
Nguyen Van Thieu  31 Oct 1967 - 21 Apr 1975 (†2001) MQDX  
Tran Van Huong    21 Apr 1975 - 28 Apr 1975 (†1982) MQDX (acting) 
Duong Van Minh    28 Apr 1975 - 30 Apr 1975 (†2001) military (acting) 

President of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam
Huynh Tat Phat    30 Apr 1975 -  2 Jul 1976 (†1989) DCV

(1) To 27 May 1948 styled chairman of the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam.
(2) Duong Van Minh assumed the post of head of State in late 1963. Other members of the Revolutionary Military Committe were Tran Tu Oai, Le Van Kim, Tran Van Don and Ton That Dinh.
(3) Members of the Provisional Leadership Committee: Duong Van Minh, Nguyen Khanh and Tran Thiem Khiem.

Prime Ministers

Bao Dai             13 Jun 1949 - 21 Jan 1950 (†1997) n/p  
Nguyen Phan Long    21 Jan 1950 - 26 Apr 1950 (†1960) DLDD
Tran Van Huu        27 Apr 1950 -  6 Jun 1952 (†1984) n/p
Nguyen Van Tam       6 Jun 1952 - 17 Dec 1953 (†1990) Viet Quoc
Nguyen Phuc Buu Loc 16 Jan 1954 - 16 Jun 1954 (†1990) n/p
Phan Huy Quat       16 Jun 1954 - 26 Jun 1954 (†1979) Dai Viet (acting)
Ngo Dinh Diem       26 Jun 1954 - 26 Oct 1955 (†1963) Can Lao 
Nguyen Ngoc Tho      4 Nov 1963 - 30 Jan 1964 (†1976) n/p
Nguyen Khanh         8 Feb 1964 - 29 Aug 1964 (†2013) military
Nguyen Xuan Oanh    29 Aug 1964 -  3 Sep 1964 (†2003) n/p (acting)
Nguyen Khanh         3 Sep 1964 -  4 Nov 1964 (†2013) military
Tran Van Huong       4 Nov 1964 - 28 Jan 1965 (†1982) n/p
Nguyen Xuan Oanh    28 Jan 1965 - 15 Feb 1965 (†2003) n/p (acting)
Phan Huy Quat       16 Feb 1965 - 21 Jun 1965 (†1979) Dai Viet 
Nguyen Cao Ky       21 Jun 1965 - 31 Oct 1967 (†2011) military 
Nguyen Van Loc      31 Oct 1967 - 25 May 1968 (†1992) military
Tran Van Huong      25 May 1968 -  1 Sep 1969 (†1982) MQDX 
Tran Thien Khiem     1 Sep 1969 -  4 Apr 1975 (†2021) MQDX
Nguyen Ba Can        4 Apr 1975 - 24 Apr 1975 (†2009) DDVN
Vu Van Mau          28 Apr 1975 - 30 Apr 1975 (†1998) Hoa Sen
Nguyen Huu Tho      30 Apr 1975 -  2 Jul 1976 (†1996) DCV