Dương Văn Minh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dương Văn Minh
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Minh in 1964
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| 4th President of the Republic of Vietnam | |
| In office 28 April 1975 – 30 April 1975 |
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| Prime Minister | Vũ Văn Mẫu |
| Vice President | Nguyễn Văn Huyền |
| Preceded by | Trần Văn Hương |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished Nguyễn Hữu Thọ (as President of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam) |
| 1st Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Council | |
| In office 2 November 1963 – 30 January 1964 |
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| Prime Minister | Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ |
| Preceded by | Ngô Đình Diệm (as President of the Republic of Vietnam) |
| Succeeded by | Nguyễn Khánh |
| In office 8 February 1964 – 16 August 1964 |
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| Prime Minister | Nguyễn Khánh |
| Preceded by | Nguyễn Khánh |
| Succeeded by | Nguyễn Khánh |
| In office 29 August 1964 – 26 October 1964 |
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| Prime Minister | Nguyễn Khánh |
| Preceded by | Nguyễn Khánh |
| Succeeded by | Phan Khắc Sửu (as civilian Head of State) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 February 1916 Mỹ Tho Province, Cochinchina, French Indochina (now Tiền Giang province, Vietnam) |
| Died | 6 August 2001 (aged 85) Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Relatives | Dương Văn Nhựt (brother) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  South Vietnam |
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| Years of service | 1940–1964 |
| Rank |  General (Đại Tướng) |
| Commands | Head of the Military Revolutionary Council (1963–1964) |
| Battles/wars |
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Dương Văn Minh (born February 16, 1916 – died August 6, 2001) was an important general and politician in South Vietnam. People often called him Big Minh because he was much taller and bigger than most Vietnamese men. He was about 6 feet tall and weighed around 198 pounds!
Big Minh played a big role in South Vietnam's history. In 1963, he led a group of military officers who took over the government in a coup. This means they used force to remove the current leader, President Ngô Đình Diệm. Diệm died shortly after this event. Minh was in charge for only three months before another general, Nguyễn Khánh, took over.
However, Big Minh became president again in April 1975. This was just two days before Saigon (the capital of South Vietnam) fell to North Vietnamese forces. He ordered a surrender to prevent more fighting. After the war, he lived quietly and later moved to France and then to the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Minh was born on February 16, 1916, in Mỹ Tho Province, which is in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. His family was wealthy, and his father worked for the French government that controlled Vietnam at the time.
Minh went to a top French school in Saigon. In 1940, he joined the French colonial army. He was one of only 50 Vietnamese officers to graduate from a military school in France.
During the 1940s, Imperial Japan took control of Vietnam from France. Minh was captured by the Japanese military police. He suffered greatly during this time. He always smiled, showing his single remaining tooth, which he saw as a sign of his strength.
Fighting for South Vietnam
In 1952, Minh joined the Vietnamese National Army (VNA), which was supported by the French. In 1954, he was captured by the Viet Minh (a communist group), but he managed to escape.
In 1955, Vietnam was divided into North and South. In the South, Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm was in charge. Minh led the VNA in important battles to defeat powerful armed groups.
He led forces in the Battle of Saigon in May 1955. His troops fought in the streets of Chợ Lớn and defeated the Bình Xuyên, a large crime group with its own army. After this, Diệm asked Minh to deal with the Hòa Hảo, another religious group with a private army. Minh's forces defeated them too.
These victories made Minh very popular with the people of Saigon. They were happy that he had cleared their city of these dangerous groups. President Diệm also praised him. Minh was even sent to the United States to study at a military college.
However, Diệm later started to see Minh as a threat. In November 1960, there was an attempt to overthrow Diệm. Minh, who was already unhappy with Diệm, did not help him. After this, Diệm gave Minh a job as a "Presidential Military Advisor," which sounded important but had no real power or troops. Minh stayed in this powerless role until Diệm was overthrown.
Overthrowing President Diệm
By 1963, President Diệm had become very unpopular. Many people were upset about his strict rule and how he treated Buddhists. The United States also hinted to Vietnamese generals that they would not stop a coup against Diệm.
Minh was the second-highest-ranking general. He led the coup that removed Diệm from power on November 1, 1963. Diệm and his brother were captured and died shortly after. Minh was accused of ordering their deaths.
Leading the Military Government
After the coup, Minh became the head of a military government called the Military Revolutionary Council (MRC). This council was made up of 12 generals. They also set up a temporary civilian government. The United States quickly recognized Minh's government and started sending aid again.
However, Minh was not a very strong leader. He was often criticized for being slow and not very interested in running the country. People said he preferred playing games, gardening, and playing tennis over dealing with national problems.
During his three months in charge, many problems in the country got worse. The Viet Cong (communist fighters) gained more control in rural areas. The military government was also slow to make decisions because all 12 generals had equal power and could stop any plan.
Overthrown by Nguyễn Khánh
General Nguyễn Khánh was unhappy because he was not given an important role in Minh's government. He started planning against the MRC. Khánh spread rumors to American officials that Minh and his generals were planning to make peace with North Vietnam.
On January 30, 1964, Khánh launched a bloodless coup. This means he took control without any fighting. Minh and his fellow generals were completely surprised. Khánh had them arrested, claiming they were part of a plot to make South Vietnam neutral.
Khánh later allowed Minh to stay on as a symbolic head of state. This was partly because American officials thought Minh's popularity would help stabilize the new government. However, Khánh soon pushed Minh aside and took all the real power.
Minh was upset about being removed by a younger officer. Khánh could not prove his claims against Minh and the other generals. They were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing but were given less important jobs.
Power Struggles and Exile
In August 1964, Khánh tried to create a new constitution that would give him more power. This led to large protests in cities, especially by Buddhists. Khánh made some changes to calm the protests, but this upset other generals.
Some generals tried to remove Khánh and bring Minh back to power, but the US ambassador did not want any more changes in leadership. This stopped the coup attempt.
There were more arguments among the generals. Eventually, in August 1964, Khánh, Minh, and another general, Khiêm, agreed to rule together for two months. But Khánh still held most of the power.
In September, another coup attempt happened, led by Catholic generals who had been demoted by Khánh. This coup failed. Minh stayed out of this situation, which angered Khánh.
By the end of October, the US government decided to support Khánh. They paid for Minh to go on a "goodwill tour" overseas to remove him from the political scene without embarrassment.
Minh returned to Vietnam later that year. Khánh and a group of younger officers decided to force older officers, including Minh, to retire. They claimed these older officers were slow and ineffective. Minh and other generals were arrested and removed from the military.
Minh then went into exile in Bangkok, Thailand. He spent his time gardening and playing tennis. He still had friends among American officials who supported him.
Return and Second Presidency
Minh opposed General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, who became president in 1967 and was strongly supported by the United States. Minh planned to run against Thiệu in the 1971 election. However, he withdrew because it became clear that Thiệu would unfairly change the election results. Thiệu then ran unopposed and stayed in power. Minh kept a low profile after this.
Minh believed in a "third force" for Vietnam. He thought Vietnam could be reunified without one side completely winning a military victory. He wanted a compromise between the communists and the anti-communists. However, President Thiệu did not agree with this idea.
In April 1975, South Vietnam was about to be completely taken over by North Vietnamese forces. President Thiệu resigned and fled the country. A week later, on April 28, Minh was chosen by the legislature to become president.
The French government thought Minh could help arrange a cease-fire. Many people believed that Minh, who had contacts with the communists, could negotiate peace. However, this was unrealistic because North Vietnam was winning the war and saw no need to share power.
On April 28, 1975, North Vietnamese forces reached the edge of Saigon. As President Minh finished his acceptance speech, calling for a cease-fire, North Vietnamese planes bombed the airport. Many South Vietnamese military leaders began to leave the country.
On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese tanks entered the city center. At 10:24 AM, President Minh went on Saigon Radio and ordered all South Vietnamese forces to stop fighting. He declared an unconditional surrender. He said, "The Republic of Vietnam policy is the policy of peace and reconciliation, aimed at saving the blood of our people."
Around noon, a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the gates of the Independence Palace. When the communist troops entered, they found Minh and his cabinet waiting. Minh said, "We have been waiting for you so that we could turn over the government." The North Vietnamese officer replied, "There is no question of your transferring power. Your power has crumbled. You cannot give up what you do not have."
Minh was allowed to return to his home after a few days. Unlike most other South Vietnamese military personnel and government workers, he was not sent to a re-education camp. He lived quietly for eight years, raising birds and growing orchids. It was believed that North Vietnam allowed him to live in peace because he had not actively fought against them in the final years of the war.
Life in Exile and Death
In 1983, Minh was allowed to move to France, where he settled near Paris. In 1988, he moved to the United States and lived in Pasadena, California, with his daughter. He remained silent about the events in Vietnam and never wrote a memoir.
On August 5, 2001, Minh fell at his home. He died the next night, on August 6, 2001, at the age of 85. He was buried in Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California. Many Vietnamese people living outside Vietnam did not mourn his death. They were still angry at him for ordering South Vietnamese soldiers to surrender, seeing him as responsible for the fall of South Vietnam.
Images for kids
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Minh in 1964
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General rank insignia
See also
In Spanish: Dương Văn Minh para niños
