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Nguyen Van Thieu was born on 5 April 1923 in Phan Rang in South Vietnam.  Thieu was known to be born in November 1924, but later adopted 5 April 1923 as his birthday as it was deemed to be a more fortunate day. Thieu attended and graduated from Pellerin, a French-run Catholic school in Huế, South Vietnam.

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Portrait of Nguyen Van Thieu                        

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Portrait of Nguyen Van Thieu                        

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Second President of the Republic of South Vietnam

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Nguyen Van Thieu, left, and Nguyen Cao Ky, centre, after a successful battle in 1966.

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21/04/1975

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Diễn văn từ chức của TT Nguyễn Văn Thiệu - 21.4.1975

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Video biến cố 1954 -1975: http://quanlucvnch.blogspot.com/ - và...

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On 21 April 1975, Thieu, under intense political pressure, resigned as president after losing the confidence of his closest allies.  In his farewell speech, he criticised the American policy, saying, "You Americans with your 500,000 soldiers in Vietnam! You were not defeated...you ran away!" Thieu believed the American withdrawal was responsible for the defeat of many central provinces.

Vice President Tran Van Huong took over the role of President, but it was too late. On  30 April, the North Communists advanced into the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon marking their victory as well as the end of the war, uniting North and South Vietnam into one country under the Communist Party.

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A North Vietnamese Tank entering the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam 

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A North Vietnamese Tank entering the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam 

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Marking victory on 30 April 1975

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After graduating from school, Thieu joined the Viet Minh forces whose goal was to gain independence for Vietnam from French colonisation. Thieu however, left the movement after just one year in response to their Communist ideology. He moved to Saigon and joined the forces of the State of Vietnam under Emperor Bao Dai. He was transferred to the National Military Academy in Da Lat for training.

In 1949, following graduation from the Military Academy, Thieu was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He was later sent to France for further military training.

Thieu was appointed as the head of the National Military Academy of the Republic of Vietnam in 1956. Thieu held the position for 4 years. During his term in service he was sent to the United States for further military training in 1957 and 1960.

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https://www.biography.com/people/nguyen-van-thieu-9542460

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nguyen-Van-Thieu

www.historyinanhour.com/2013/04/05/nguyen-van-thieu-summary

alphahistory.com/vietnamwar/nguyen-van-thieu/

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Thieu's Role in stopping the anti-Ngo Dinh Diem (First President of South Vietnam) Coup 

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Thieu's Role in stopping the anti-Ngo Dinh Diem (First President of South Vietnam) Coup 

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On 11 November 1960, Nguyen Van Dong and Nguyen Chanh Thi launched an attempted coup against President Ngo Dinh Diem. Thieu, who at the time was in charge of the 7 Division outside the capital city in Bien Hoa, sent infantry to help rescue the President from the coup. After a brief but violent battle that killed around 400 people, the coup attempt was crushed by the defence forces. Thieu was able to gain Diem's trust and appointed him as Commander of the 5 Division in 1962.  Thieu was appointed because Diem did not trust Thieu's predecessor, Nguyen Duc Thang, but Thieu’s appointment proved to be a fatal mistake for Diem's presidency.

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Nguyen Van Thieu as Republic of Vietnam President 

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Nguyen Van Thieu as Republic of Vietnam President 

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In 1965, Thieu was made Head Chief of State along with General Nguyen Cao Ky after a series of Juntas wielded power as president. The pair, Thieu-Ky, put an end to a series of leadership changes that had occurred since the assassination of President Diem.  The duo imposed strict censorship, closing many newspapers that published news deemed to be unacceptable and suspended civil liberties within the country.

On 3 September 1967, Thieu ran for, and was successfully elected, as the second president of the Republic of South Vietnam with Nguyen Can Ky as his running mate. Thieu took 34% of the vote and held the position for two terms.

In the 1971 re-election, with Thieu's reputation for corruption, his political opponents believed the poll would be rigged, so they declined to run. As a result, Thieu was the only candidate who ran for the election. The result was that Thieu was easily re-elected, receiving 94% of the vote from an 87% turn-out.

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On 1 November 1963, Thieu turned against Diem and led his 5th Division in a coup against him. The palace fell the next day and Thieu was then made a General by the Junta after they took over  Presidential power.

Later on, when Thieu rose up to become President of South Vietnam, Junta leader Duong Van Minh constantly blamed Thieu for the assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem after the coup. Thieu denied all responsibility and issued a statement that Minh was solely responsible for the death of President Ngo Dinh Diem.

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Personal Perspective - Thieu's Success and Failure as leader of South Vietnam  

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Personal Perspective - Thieu's Success and Failure as leader of South Vietnam  

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It would be unfair to just praise Thieu and it would also be unfair to criticise all of his actions during his time as President of South Vietnam. However, it's valuable to gain insight to both his successes and failures as a leader and the consequences of his actions before drawing conclusions.

Thieu faced constant criticism from North Vietnam, the West, his Allies and even his own people for his failures as the leader of South Vietnam. He was constantly portrayed as a corrupt and puppet-like figure who caused the Fall of South Vietnam. However, considering the circumstances South Vietnam faced at that time, Thieu could have done very little to improve the situation. After the Paris Peace Accords, the US along with other allies withdrew their support from South Vietnam. The South struggled to fight against the North. While records showed they had the arms and numbers to fight, there was no ammunition and soldiers were told how many bullets they could fire a day. They did not have the same supplies that their enemy had to fight the war.

Thieu's decision to surrender the coastal cities (which included his own hometown) produced immense criticism. It's also understood that if South Vietnam continued to fight, they would not have been able to hold the coastal cities since they had limited equipment to fight which would have resulted in even greater casualties. Thieu's decision was made with the intention to only protect troops as well as keeping the force in one place, protecting the main cities with resources that were deemed to be useful to the war. While it is not entirely true, Thieu came to be seen as a puppet figure of the United States by North Vietnam. Yet Thieu often opposed US proposals that would have put South Vietnam in a disadvantaged position. He always believed - and was proven correct - that Hanoi's goal was total victory, not a negotiated settlement. Under relentless pressure from Washington,  he reluctantly  signed the Paris Peace Agreement in 1973.

Thieu later tried to seek aid from the US when the North started attacking the South again but was rejected. His legacy as the man who presided over the fall of South Vietnam cannot be separated from decisions of the American government. Thieu was seen as a President who cared for his citizens and the interests of his country. He did not, however, have the ability to run the country even prior to the US withdrawal of troops in 1973.

In conclusion, Thieu was popular among both South Vietnamese citizens, and many international allies. During his time in office, he was valued for his intellect, and ability to speak fluent French and English. Despite these qualities, he is judged as a failure in the American war against communism.