Vice President of South Vietnam

Vice President of South Vietnam
Post	Vice President
Body	the Republic of Vietnam
Native name	Phó Tổng thống Việt Nam Cộng hòa
Style	Mr. Vice President, His Excellency
Status	Abolished
Member of	Cabinet, National Security Council
Reports to	The President
Seat	Saigon, South Vietnam
Appointer	Popular vote
Termlength	4 years, renewable once
Constituting instrument	1956 Constitution, 1967 Constitution
Formation	26 October 1956
First	Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ
Last	Trần Văn Hương, Nguyễn Cao Kỳ
Abolished	30 April 1975
Succession	President of the Republic

Vice President of South Vietnam was the second-highest constitutional office in the Republic of Vietnam, commonly known as South Vietnam. The position was established under the 1956 constitution promulgated by President Ngô Đình Diệm and was retained in the subsequent 1967 constitution. The vice president's primary role was to succeed the president in case of vacancy and to preside over the Senate, playing a key part in the nation's political structure during the Vietnam War.

History and establishment

The office was formally created on 26 October 1956 with the adoption of the first constitution by the First Republic of Vietnam, which replaced the former State of Vietnam. This foundational document was heavily influenced by the political vision of Ngô Đình Diệm and his Cần Lao Party, centralizing authority within the executive branch. The position was designed to provide constitutional continuity and was a feature of the American-inspired presidential system adopted amidst the escalating Cold War tensions in Southeast Asia. Following the overthrow of Diệm in the 1963 South Vietnamese coup, the office remained in a state of flux during the series of unstable military juntas, including those led by Dương Văn Minh and Nguyễn Khánh, before being reconfirmed under the more pluralistic Second Republic of Vietnam established by the 1967 constitution.

Constitutional role and powers

Under both the 1956 and 1967 constitutions, the vice president's formal powers were limited but significant. The primary constitutional duty was to assume the powers and duties of the presidency in the event of the president's death, resignation, removal, or incapacitation, as witnessed during the transition after the Assassination of Ngô Đình Diệm. The vice president also served as the ex officio president of the Senate, casting tie-breaking votes in that chamber. Furthermore, the vice president was a statutory member of key advisory bodies such as the National Security Council and the Council of Ministers, influencing policy during critical periods like the Tet Offensive and the Easter Offensive.

List of vice presidents

The first vice president was Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ, who served under Ngô Đình Diệm from 1956 until the 1963 South Vietnamese coup. Following Diệm's overthrow, the office was often vacant or held by figures in provisional governments until the 1967 elections. Under the Second Republic, the ticket of Nguyễn Văn Thiệu and Nguyễn Cao Kỳ was elected, with Kỳ serving as vice president from 1967 to 1971. In the 1971 election, Thiệu ran unopposed, and Trần Văn Hương was elected as his vice president, serving until the Fall of Saigon in April 1975.

Election and succession

Vice presidents were elected jointly with the president on a single ticket by popular vote for a four-year term, a process reinforced by the 1967 Constitution of the Republic of Vietnam. The succession mechanism was clearly outlined: the vice president would immediately become acting president upon a permanent vacancy in the presidency, as occurred after the assassinations of Ngô Đình Diệm and later, would have succeeded Nguyễn Văn Thiệu following his resignation. This process was tested during the final days of the republic when Trần Văn Hương succeeded Thiệu on 21 April 1975, only to hand over power to Dương Văn Minh days before the communist takeover.

Relationship with the President

The relationship between president and vice president was often politically complex and sometimes contentious, reflecting the broader factional struggles within the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and the political elite. The most notable example was the uneasy partnership between President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu and Vice President Nguyễn Cao Kỳ, a former Air Force commander and rival from the Directory period, which required careful management to maintain unity against the Viet Cong and the People's Army of Vietnam. The vice president's influence typically depended on the president's patronage and their shared standing with key institutions like the CIA and the U.S. State Department.

Abolition of the office

The office was effectively abolished on 30 April 1975 with the Fall of Saigon and the unconditional surrender of South Vietnam to North Vietnam forces. Vice President Nguyễn Cao Kỳ had fled earlier, and the last vice president, Trần Văn Hương, briefly served as president before transferring authority to Dương Văn Minh. The Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, established by the Viet Cong, dissolved all institutions of the Republic of Vietnam, culminating in the formal reunification of Vietnam under communist control in 1976 following the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

Category:Vice presidents of South Vietnam Category:Defunct vice-presidential offices Category:Government of the Republic of Vietnam