Nguyễn Văn Thiệu

Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was a South Vietnamese military officer and politician who served as president from 1967 until South Vietnam collapsed in 1975.

Nguyễn Cao Kỳ: A South Vietnamese Air Force officer and politician who served as prime minister and vice president. Kỳ was Thiệu’s chief rival in the 1967 presidential election and later his vice president.
Army of the Republic of Vietnam: The armed forces of South Vietnam from 1955 until the country’s collapse in 1975. Thiệu’s authority rested heavily on the army, which he had helped lead before becoming president.
First Indochina War: A 1946–1954 conflict in which France fought Vietnamese independence forces led by the Viet Minh. The war ended French rule and set the conditions for Thiệu’s military career in a divided Vietnam.
Fall of Saigon: The capture of Saigon by North Vietnamese forces on April 30, 1975, ending the Vietnam War. It marked the collapse of the state Thiệu had led until his resignation.
Dương Văn Minh: A South Vietnamese general and politician who became the country’s final president in 1975. Minh succeeded Thiệu briefly and announced South Vietnam’s surrender.
1967 South Vietnamese presidential election: An election that established Nguyễn Văn Thiệu as president and Nguyễn Cao Kỳ as vice president. The election supplied Thiệu’s government with its constitutional mandate.
State of Vietnam: A state established in 1949 under former emperor Bảo Đại, preceding South Vietnam. Thiệu began his military service in the State of Vietnam’s armed forces.
1975 spring offensive: The final North Vietnamese campaign that defeated South Vietnam and captured Saigon. Its rapid advance triggered Thiệu’s resignation and the government’s disintegration.
Richard Nixon: The 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. Nixon pursued Vietnamization and negotiated the Paris Peace Accords while Thiệu led South Vietnam.
Vietnamization: A U.S. policy of shifting combat responsibility in Vietnam to South Vietnamese forces. It made Thiệu’s government increasingly responsible for defending South Vietnam.

Linked from 5 pages