State of Vietnam
Name Took office Left office Title
Nguyễn Văn Xuân May 27 , 1948 July 14 , 1949 President of the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam
1 Bảo Đại July 14 , 1949 January 21 , 1950 Prime Minister ; remained Chief of State throughout the State of Vietnam
2 Nguyễn Phan Long January 21 , 1950 April 27 , 1950 Prime Minister
3 Trần Văn Hữu May 6 , 1950 June 3 , 1952 Prime Minister
4 Nguyễn Văn Tâm June 23 , 1952 December 7 , 1953 Prime Minister
5 Bửu Lộc January 11 , 1954 June 16 , 1954 Prime Minister
6 Ngô Đình Diệm June 16 , 1954 October 26 , 1955 Prime Minister
Politics -- Leaders ( 1948–55 )
Further information : Leaders of South Vietnam
The State of Vietnam (; ) was a state and member of the French Union that claimed authority over all of Vietnam during the First Indochina War, although large parts of its territory was actually controlled by the communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam of the Việt Minh. The state was created in 1949 by France and was internationally recognised in 1950. Former Emperor Bảo Đại became Chief of State (Quốc Trưởng). After the 1954 Geneva Agreements, the State of Vietnam had to abandon the northern part of the country to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Ngô Đình Diệm was appointed prime minister that same year and - after having ousted Bảo Đại in 1955 - became president of the Republic of Vietnam.