State of Vietnam
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The State of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Quốc gia Việt Nam) was a state in southern Vietnam which replaced the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam (1948-1949). The provisional government was a brief transitional administration between colonial Cochinchina and an independent state.
The last monarch of the Nguyễn Dynasty and former Emperor of Vietnam, Bảo Đại, became the Chief of State (Quốc Trưởng) with cumulative title of prime minister (Thủ tướng) for short term. His successor was Ngô Đình Diệm, later president of the Republic of Vietnam.
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[edit] History
[edit] Unification of Vietnam (1947-1948)
By February 1947, following the pacification of Tonkin (North Vietnam), the Tonkinese capital, Hanoi, and the main traffic axis returned under French control. The derouted Việt Minh partisans were forced to retreat into the jungle and prepared to pursue the war using guerrilla warfare.
In order to reduce Việt Minh leader Hồ Chí Minh’s influence over the Vietnamese population, the French authorities in Indochina supported the return to office of the charismatic Emperor of Annam (last ruler of the Nguyễn Dynasty), Bảo Đại. The latter had been forced to abdicate by the Việt Minh back in August 25, 1945 after the fall of the short-lived Empire of Vietnam, puppet state of the Empire of Japan.
On June 5, 1948, the Halong Bay Agreements (Accords de la baie d’Along) allowed the creation of a unified State of Vietnam replacing the Tonkin (North Vietnam), Annam (Middle Vietnam) and the Republic of Cochinchina (South Vietnam) associated to France within the French Union then including the neighboring Kingdom of Laos and Kingdom of Cambodia.
Since the Halong Bay Agreements resulted in many aspects — excluding the referendum — in the enforcement of the March 6, 1946 Indochinese Independence Convention signed by Communist Hồ Chí Minh’s Democratic Republic of Vietnam and High Commissioner of France in Indochina Admiral Thierry d'Argenlieu, representative of Socialist Felix Gouin’s Provisional French Republic, some regarded the State of Vietnam as a puppet state of the French Fourth Republic.
[edit] French Union (1949-1954)
From 1949 to 1954, the State of Vietnam had partial autonomy from France as an associated state within the French Union.
Bảo Đại fought with Communist leader Hồ Chí Minh for legitimacy as the government of the whole of Vietnam through the struggle between the Vietnamese National Army and the Việt Minh during the First Indochina War.
The State of Vietnam found support in the French Fourth Republic and the United States while Hồ Chí Minh was backed by the People's Republic of China, and to a lesser extent by the Soviet Union.
[edit] Partition (1954-1955)
- Further information: Geneva Conference and Partition of Vietnam
After the Geneva Conference of 1954, as well as becoming fully independent with its departure from the French Union, the State of Vietnam became territorially confined to those lands of Vietnam south of the 17th parallel, and as such became commonly known as South Vietnam.
The massive migration of anti-Communist north Vietnamese, essentially Roman Catholic people, was proceeded during the French-American Operation Passage to Freedom in summer 1954.
[edit] Republic of Vietnam (1955-1975)
In 1955, the State of Vietnam ceased to exist and was replaced by the Republic of Vietnam whose reformed army pursued the struggle against the Việt Minh in the Vietnam War.
[edit] Government
- Further information: Leaders of South Vietnam
[edit] Provisional Central Government of Vietnam (1948-1949)
On May 27, 1948, Nguyễn Văn Xuân, then President of the Republic of Cochin China, became President of the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam (Thủ tướng lâm thời) following the merging of the government of Cochin China and Vietnam in what is sometimes referred as “Pre-Vietnam.”
[edit] State of Vietnam (1949-1955)
On June 14, 1949, Bảo Đại was appointed Chief of State (Quoc Truong) of the State of Vietnam; he was concurrently Prime Minister for a short while (Kiêm nhiệm Thủ tướng).
From April 30, 1955, until the fall of the State of Vietnam and its replacement by the Republic of Vietnam (1955-1975), Ngô Đình Diệm, who was Prime Minister and leader of the Front of National Salvation coalition, replaced Bảo Đại and became Chief of State.
On October 26, 1955, the Republic of Vietnam was established and Ngô Đình Diệm became the first President of the Republic.
[edit] Heads of State (1948–1955)
| Name | Took Office | Left Office | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nguyễn Văn Xuân | May 27, 1948 | July 14, 1949 | President of the PCGV | |
| 1 | Bảo Đại | July 14, 1949 | January 21, 1950 | Prime Minister and Chief of State |
| 2 | Nguyen Phan Long | January 21, 1950 | April 27, 1950 | Prime Minister |
| 3 | Tran Van Huu | May 6, 1950 | June 3, 1952 | Prime Minister |
| 4 | Nguyen Van Tam | June 23, 1952 | December 7, 1953 | Prime Minister |
| 5 | Buu Loc | January 11, 1954 | June 16, 1954 | Prime Minister |
| 6 | Ngô Đình Diệm | June 16, 1954 | October 23, 1955 | Prime Minister and Chief of State |
[edit] Military
[edit] Vietnamese National Army (1949-1955)
Following the signing of the 1949 Elysee Accords in Paris, Bảo Đại was able to create a National Army for defense purpose.
It fought under the State of Vietnam’s banner and leadership and was commanded by General Nguyen Van Hinh.
[edit] Economy
[edit] Currency
The currency used within the French Union was the French Indochinese piastre. Notes were issued and managed by the “Issue Institute of the States of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam” (Institut d’Emission des Etats du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viêt-Nam).
| Preceded by Provisional Central Government of Vietnam |
State of Vietnam 1949 - 1955 |
Succeeded by Republic of Vietnam |
