State of Vietnam

State of Vietnam
Quốc gia Việt Nam (Vietnamese)
État du Viêt Nam (French)
1949–1955
Motto: Dân vi quý[1]
"The people are the most important"
Anthem: Thanh niên Hành Khúc
"The March of Youths"
Grand Seal of the State[2]
保大國長

(1949–1954)
The territory controlled by the State of Vietnam after the 1954 Geneva Conference
The territory controlled by the State of Vietnam after the 1954 Geneva Conference
StatusAssociated state of the French Union (until 1954)
Independent state (after 1954)
CapitalSaigon–Cholon
10°48′N 106°39′E / 10.800°N 106.650°E / 10.800; 106.650
Official languagesVietnamese, French
Religion
Vietnamese folk religion
Roman Catholicism
Buddhism
Confucianism
Taoism
Demonym(s)Vietnamese,
South Vietnamese
(after 1954)
GovernmentProvisional government within the French Union
Chief of State 
• 1949–1955
Bảo Đại
• 1955
Ngô Đình Diệm
Prime Minister 
• 1949–1950
Bảo Đại
• 1950
Nguyễn Phan Long
• 1950–1952
Trần Văn Hữu
• 1952–1953
Nguyễn Văn Tâm
• 1954
Bửu Lộc
• 1954–1955
Ngô Đình Diệm
Historical eraCold War
• Proclamation
2 July 1949
21 July 1954
26 October 1955
Currencypiastre
đồng (from 1953)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
1949:
Provisional Central Government of Vietnam
1954:
French Indochina
North Vietnam
South Vietnam
Today part ofVietnam

The State of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Quốc gia Việt Nam; Chữ Hán: 國家越南; French: État du Viêt-Nam) was a governmental entity in Southeast Asia that existed from 1949 until 1955, first as a member of the French Union and later as a country (from 21 July 1954 to 26 October 1955). The state claimed authority over all of Vietnam during the First Indochina War, although large parts of its territory were controlled by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

The state was created in 1949 by France as part of the French Union[3] and was internationally recognised in 1950. Former Emperor Bảo Đại became Chief of State. After the 1954 Geneva Agreements, the State of Vietnam abandoned its sovereignty over the northern part of the country, which was controlled by the Việt Minh. Ngô Đình Diệm was appointed prime minister the same year and—after having ousted Bảo Đại in 1955—became president of the Republic of Vietnam.

  1. ^ Hoàng Cơ Thụy. Việt sử khảo luận. Paris, 2002. Trang 2299.
  2. ^ Letter with photograph, signature, and Grand Seal of the State from his majesty the Chief of State Bảo Đại to Madame Jeanne Leveque in New York City (1952).
  3. ^ Hammer, Ellen J. "The Bao Dai Experiment". Pacific Affairs, vol. 23, no. 1, Pacific Affairs, University of British Columbia, 1950, p. 55, doi:10.2307/2753754.