Vũ Văn Mẫu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vũ Văn Mẫu
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Mẫu in 1960
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| 10th Prime Minister of South Vietnam | |
| In office 28 April 1975 – 30 April 1975 |
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| President | Dương Văn Minh |
| Deputy | Hồ Văn Minh |
| Preceded by | Nguyễn Bá Cẩn |
| Succeeded by |
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Vietnam | |
| In office 29 October 1955 – 22 August 1963 |
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| President | Ngô Đình Diệm |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Trương Công Cừu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 July 1914 Hanoi, Tonkin, French Indochina |
| Died | 20 August 1998 (aged 84) Paris, France |
| Political party | Forces for National Reconciliation |
| Spouse | Hoàng Thị Nguyệt My |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | University of Paris (BA; MA) Faculté de droit de Paris (PhD) |
Vũ Văn Mẫu was an important diplomat and politician from South Vietnam. He was born on July 25, 1914, and passed away on August 20, 1998. He served as the very last Prime Minister of South Vietnam in 1975. He worked under President Dương Văn Minh. His time as Prime Minister was very short, only two days. South Vietnam surrendered on April 30, 1975, ending his role.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Vũ Văn Mẫu was born in Hanoi, which was then part of French Indochina. This happened on July 25, 1914. He studied law at the University of Paris in France. There, he earned a special degree called a doctorate in law.
After finishing his studies, he worked as a lawyer in Hanoi. In 1954, Vietnam was divided into two parts. Vũ Văn Mẫu and his family moved to Saigon in the south. He became a professor at the University of Saigon's Law Faculty. Later, he became the Dean, which is like the head of the faculty.
People knew him as an expert in civil law and historical law. He also became a judge in Saigon. He moved up in the legal system to become a judge in the Saigon Superior Court. Throughout his life, he wrote many books about law. One of his famous books was called Vietnamese Civil Law.
His Time in Politics
In 1955, South Vietnam held a special vote. This vote removed the old leader, Bảo Đại. Then, Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm created a new government. It was called the Republic of Vietnam. Diệm became the president and asked Vũ Văn Mẫu to be the Foreign Minister.
Vũ Văn Mẫu served as Foreign Minister for eight years, from 1955 to 1963. During this time, there was a difficult period called the Buddhist crisis in 1963. The government was very strict with Buddhists. Vũ Văn Mẫu disagreed with these actions. On August 22, 1963, he resigned from his job. He even shaved his head like a monk to show his protest.
He tried to leave South Vietnam to go on a trip to India. However, he was stopped and kept under house arrest. Later, in the mid-1960s, Vũ Văn Mẫu became South Vietnam's ambassador. He represented his country in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
In the early 1970s, he was chosen to be a Senator. This made him a well-known politician across the country.
Becoming Prime Minister in 1975
In 1975, Vũ Văn Mẫu became the Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam. He served under President Dương Văn Minh. He always worked for peace and to bring the country together. When General Dương Văn Minh became president, he chose Vũ Văn Mẫu for Prime Minister. The goal was to negotiate and end the war.
However, he was only in office for two days. The Republic of Vietnam fell to the advancing army of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam. To prevent more fighting, he joined President Dương Văn Minh and Vice President Nguyễn Văn Huyền. Together, they announced their surrender without conditions.
After the Fall of Saigon
Vũ Văn Mẫu was seen as a moderate leader, just like General Dương Văn Minh. He supported the idea of handing over the government peacefully. Because of this, the new government was not strict with him. In 1988, he was allowed to leave the country. He moved to France and lived there for the rest of his life. He passed away in Paris on August 20, 1998, at the age of 84.
Personal Life and Family
Vũ Văn Mẫu was married and had five children. All of his children lived in France. His daughter, Vũ Thị Việt Hương, also became a lawyer. She earned her law degree from Saigon Law University. After graduating, she taught at her old school. She specialized in International Law and Comparative Law.
Vũ Văn Mẫu was a very knowledgeable scholar of Vietnamese law. He knew many languages, including English, French, Latin, and Chinese. He was highly respected as a law professor. His work is even mentioned in a famous book about law called Major Legal Systems in the World Today.
