Tran Van Huong

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This is a Vietnamese name; the family name is Trần, but is often simplified as Tran in English-language text. According to Vietnamese custom, this person properly should be referred to by the given name Hương.

Trần Văn Hương (1902–1982) was a South Vietnamese politician. He was the penultimate president of South Vietnam prior to its surrender to the communist forces of North Vietnam.

[edit] Biography

He served as mayor of Saigon twice, and was the Prime Minister from November 1964–January 1965, and from May–August 1969. He also served as vice president under President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu.

On April 21, 1975, Thiệu resigned and handed the presidency to Hương. Trần Văn Hương accompanied Thiệu to Taiwan in order to prepare for peace talks with North Vietnam, but was unsuccessful in obtaining a cease-fire.

(Le Xuan Nhuan: Huong did not accompany Thieu to Taiwan; Huong was in office from April 21 to April 28, only one week. As for Thieu, he did not "prepare for peace talks with North Vietnam" since he was no longer President of the R-VN).

On April 28, 1975, after one week as president, Trần Văn Hương resigned and handed power over to General Dương Văn Minh, who presided over the surrender of the government two days later.

Trần Văn Hương was placed under house arrest by the Communist regime. When deemed adequately reformed in 1977 his civil rights were restored but he declined. Instead, he asked for all officials of the ARVN to be released from prison before he would take his place among the freed. His request was ignored. The former president died quietly in his own home.

Preceded by Nguyen Khanh	Prime Minister of South Vietnam 1964–1965	Succeeded by Phan Huy Quat
Preceded by Nguyen Van Loc	Prime Minister of South Vietnam 1968–1969	Succeeded by Tran Thien Khiem
Preceded by Nguyen Van Thieu	President of South Vietnam 1975	Succeeded by Duong Van Minh