State of Vietnam: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 22:07, 30 March 2010
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State of Vietnam Quốc gia Việt Nam | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949–1955 | |||||||||||
Coat of Arms
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| Anthem: Thanh niên Hành Khúc (The March of Youths) | |||||||||||
 The State of Vietnam claimed authority over all of Vietnam, although its rule was never effective in the North. In 1954, the country was partitioned at the 17th parallel. | |||||||||||
| Capital | Saigon | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Vietnamese | ||||||||||
| Government | Associated state with the French Union | ||||||||||
| Head of state | |||||||||||
• 1949-55 | Bảo Đại | ||||||||||
| Prime minister | |||||||||||
• 1954-55 | Ngô Đình Diệm | ||||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||||
• Independence declared (from France) | June 14 1949 | ||||||||||
• Internationally recognised | 1950 | ||||||||||
• Disestablished | October 26 1955 | ||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||
| 1955 | 173,809 km2 (67,108 sq mi) | ||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||
• 1955 | 12,000,000 | ||||||||||
| Currency | piastre | ||||||||||
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| History of Vietnam |
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 Vietnam portal |
The State of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Quốc gia Việt Nam) was a state that claimed authority over all of Vietnam during the First Indochina War, and 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 state was created in 1949 and was internationally recognized in 1950, although its main power was in the south, whereas the Democratic Republic of Vietnam dominated the north. Former emperor Bảo Đại was chief of state (Quốc Trưởng). Ngô Đình Diệm was appointed prime minister in 1954. Diệm ousted Bảo Đại the following year and became president of the Republic of Vietnam.
History
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 power of the emperor (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 Felix Gouin’s Provisional French Republic led by the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO), some regarded the State of Vietnam as a puppet state of the French Fourth Republic.
French Union (1949-1954)
From 1949 to 1954, following the June 14, 1949 declaration of independence, the State of Vietnam had partial autonomy from France as an associated state within the French Union.
Bảo Đại fought against communist leader Hồ Chí Minh for legitimacy as the legitimate government of the entire 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 (1950-1954) while Hồ Chí Minh was backed by the People's Republic of China (since 1950), and to a lesser extent by the Soviet Union.
Partition (1954-1955)
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.
Politics
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.”
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).
On October 26, 1955, the Republic of Vietnam was established and Ngô Đình Diệm became the first President of the Republic.
Leaders (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; remained Chief of State throughout the State of Vietnam |
| 2 | Nguyễn Phan Long | January 21, 1950 | April 27, 1950 | Prime Minister |
| 3 | Trần Văn Hữu | May 6, 1950 | June 3, 1952 | Prime Minister |
| 4 | Nguyễn Văn Tâm | June 23, 1952 | December 7, 1953 | Prime Minister |
| 5 | Bửu Lộc | January 11, 1954 | June 16, 1954 | Prime Minister |
| 6 | Ngô Đình Diệm | June 16, 1954 | October 26, 1955 | Prime Minister |
1955 referendum, Republic of Vietnam
The State of Vietnam referendum of 1955 determined the future regime of the country.
Following the referendum's results the State of Vietnam ceased to exist in October 26, 1955 and was replaced by the Republic of Vietnam - widely known as South Vietnam - whose reformed army, under American "protection", pursued the struggle against communism, the Việt Cộng replaced the Viet Minh, in the Vietnam War.
Military
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.
Economy
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).