Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam

Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam Chính phủ Cách mạng lâm thời Cộng hoà miền Nam Việt Nam
Provisional government
← 1969–1976 →
Flag
Anthem Giải phóng miền Nam (To Liberate the South)
Capital	Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon)
Language(s)	Vietnamese
Religion	Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism
Government	Socialist republic
Chairman of Consultative Council	Nguyen Huu Tho
Chairman of Provisional Government	Huynh Tan Phat
Historical era	Cold War
- PRG founded	June 8, 1969
- Unification with North Vietnam	July 2, 1976
Area
- 1973	173,809 km2 (67,108 sq mi)
Population
- 1973 est.	19,370,000
Density	111.4 /km2  (288.6 /sq mi)
Currency	Liberation dong

History of Vietnam

Hồng Bàng dynasty prior to 257 BC Thục dynasty 257–207 BC Triệu dynasty 207–111 BC First Chinese domination 111 BC–39 AD Trưng sisters 40–43 Second Chinese domination 43–544 Early Lý dynasty 544–602 Third Chinese domination 602–905 Autonomy 905–938 Ngô dynasty 939–967 Đinh dynasty 968–980 Early Lê dynasty 980–1009 Lý dynasty 1009–1225 Trần dynasty 1225–1400 Hồ dynasty 1400–1407 Fourth Chinese domination 1407–1427 • Later Trần dynasty 1407–1413 Later Lê dynasty (Early Lê) 1428–1527 Mạc dynasty 1527–1592 Later Lê dynasty (Restored Lê) 1533–1788 • Trịnh Lords 1545–1787 • Nguyễn Lords 1558–1777 Tây Sơn dynasty 1778–1802 Nguyễn dynasty 1802–1945 • French imperialism 1887–1954 Partition 1954–1975 • Democratic Republic (North) 1945–1976 • State of Vietnam (South) 1949–1955 • Republic of Vietnam (South) 1955–1975 Socialist Republic from 1976 Related topics Champa Dynasties 192–1832 List of Vietnamese monarchs Economic history of Vietnam Prehistoric cultures of Vietnam

The Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (Vietnamese: Chính phủ Cách mạng lâm thời Cộng hoà miền Nam Việt Nam), or PRG, was formed on June 8, 1969, as an underground government opposed to the South Vietnamese government of President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu. Delegates of the National Liberation Front, or Vietcong, as well as several smaller groups, participated in the creation of the PRG. The PRG was recognized as the government of South Vietnam by most communist states. It signed 1973 Paris Peace Treaty as a separate party. It became the provisional government of South Vietnam following the military defeat of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam on April 30, 1975. On July 2, 1976, the PRG and North Vietnam merged to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Personnel 2 National anthem 2.1 Vietnamese lyrics 2.2 English translation 3 Origin of name 4 Bibliography 5 External links

History

Predating the PRG was the Alliance of National, Democratic, and Peace Forces made up of anti-government forces and headed by Trinh Dinh Thao.^[1] The Alliance were a collection of individuals who wanted a new South Vietnamese Government but disagreed with the ever present Northern Communist presence. There had been talk of setting up an Alliance as early as 1966 but South Vietnamese Intelligence had arrested an anti-government organizer, Ba Tra. Ba Tra gave the South Vietnamese government extensive information on anti-government forces working in the city.^[2] This set-back was compounded by the naming, by Ba Tra, of one of the key cadre in the financial division.^[2] Under torture he revealed even more of the important members of the underground who were then also rounded up. By 1967 the entire Saigon organization was decimated and sent further underground from the arrests.^[3] The Tet Offensive set off a wave of oppression forcing many people into the jungle. It was these collection of businessmen, middle class, doctors and other professionals who started The Alliance.

The new American president, Nixon, started a process of Vietnamization to allow the American to withdraw from Vietnam. One of the tenets of Vietnamization was responsible government in South Vietnam. To prevent the Americans from installing their own government a conference was held on June 6–8, 1969 off Route 22 in the Fishhook area.^[4] The Alliance as well as other groups met and formed the Provisional Revolutionary Government. The PRG was established on June 8, 1969. The main purpose of the new group was to help the Vietcong "acquire a new international stature," according to Justice Minister Truong Nhu Trang.^[5] There were delegates from the NLF, the Alliance of National, Democratic and Peace Forces, the People's Revolutionary Party (South Vietnamese communist party), and "the usual assortment of mass organizations, ethnic groups, and geopolitical regions."^[4] "South Vietnam is independent, democratic, peaceful, and neutral," according to one banner displayed prominently at the convention.^[4]

It reflected a number of nationalist, anti-imperialist and communist political viewpoints, including those of the Vietnam Workers Party (North Vietnamese communist party). Following the military and political results of the 1968 Tet Offensive and related military offensives in the South, in which the Vietcong suffered serious military losses, the PRG was envisioned as a political counter-force that could influence international public opinion in support of national independence and in opposition to the U.S. and the Republic of Vietnam.^[5]

The declared purpose of the PRG was to provide a formal NLF governmental structure and enhance its claim of representing "the Southern people".^[6] Included in this strategy was the pursuit of a negotiated settlement to the war leading to reunification. It was organized during the initial phase of the U.S. policy of Vietnamization, which was devised by U.S. President Richard Nixon and his national security advisor Henry Kissinger early in their administration.

During the period 1969-1970, most of the PRG's cabinet ministries operated near the Cambodia border. Starting on March 29 to late April 1970 the South Vietnamese army and Cambodian government forced the PRG to flee deep into Cambodia. The stressful escape caused many of the PRG officials to need extensive medical furloughs, like Trương Như Tạng. After he returned from his medical recovery he noticed that new cadres from the north were causing problems for the non-communist members of the PRG.^[7] One member in particular was Ba Cap who was harsh against those he viewed as bourgeois which was most of the PRG.^[8] Tạng complained to the higher members of the North Vietnamese government but was rebuffed. In hindsight Tạng viewed this as the turning point when the PRG turned from an independent South based alternative government to a mouth piece of Northern communists.^[9]

The central bodies of the PRG thus functioned as a government in exile. The PRG maintained diplomatic relations with many countries of the Non-Aligned Movement, such as Algeria, as well as with the Soviet Union and with the People's Republic of China.

After the surrender of Saigon on April 30, 1975, the PRG assumed power in the South and subsequently participated in the political reunification of the country.

Personnel

Post	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party
Chairman of Government (Prime Minister)	Huynh Tan Phat	8 June 1969	2 July 1976	People's Revolutionary Party and Democratic Party of Vietnam
Vice-Chairman	Phung Van Cung	8 June 1969	1976	Democratic Party of Vietnam
Vice-Chairman	Nguyen Van Kiet	8 June 1969	1976
Vice-Chairman	Nguyen Doa	8 June 1969	1976
Minister of Presidential Palace of Government	Tran Buu Kiem	8 June 1969	1976	People's Revolutionary Party and Democratic Party of Vietnam
Minister of Defense	Trần Nam Trung	8 June 1969	1976	People's Revolutionary Party
Minister of Foreign Affairs	Nguyen Thi Binh	8 June 1969	1976	People's Revolutionary Party
Minister of the Interior	Phung Van Cung	8 June 1969	1976
Minister of Justice	Truong Nhu Tang	8 June 1969	1976
Minister of Economy and Finance	Cao Van Bon	8 June 1969	died 1971, Duong Ky Hiep (acting since 1975)
Minister of Information and Culture	Luu Huu Phuoc	8 June 1969	1976
Minister of Education and Youth	Nguyen Van Kiet	8 June 1969	1976
Minister of Health, Social Action and Disabled Soldiers	Duong Quynh Hoa	8 June 1969	1976	People's Revolutionary Party

National anthem

The national anthem of the Government was To Liberate the South (Vietnamese: Giải phóng miền Nam). The song was written in 1961 by Luu Huu Phuoc (Vietnamese: Lưu Hữu Phước, 1921–1989) and adopted at that time as the anthem of the National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam.

Vietnamese lyrics Giải phóng miền Nam, chúng ta cùng quyết tiến bước. Diệt Đế quốc Mỹ, phá tan bè lũ bán nước. Ôi xương tan máu rơi, long hân thù ngất trời. Sông núi bao nhiêu năm cắt rời. Đây Cửu Long hùng tráng, Đây Trường Sơn vinh quang. Thúc giục đoàn ta xung phong đi giết thù. Vai sát vai chung một bóng cờ. Vùng lên! Nhân dân miền Nam anh hùng! Vùng lên! Xông pha vượt qua bão bùng. Thề cứu lấy nước nhà! Thề hy sinh đến cùng! Cầm gươm, ôm sung, xông tới! Vận nước đã đên rồi. Bình minh chiếu khắp nơi. Nguyện xây non nước sáng tươi muôn đời.

English translation To liberate the South, together we advance. To destroy the American imperialist, and annihilate the traitors. Oh bones have broken, and blood has fallen, the hatred is rising high Our country has been separated for so long. Here, the magnificent Mekong River, here, glorious Trường Sơn Mountains Are urging us to advance to kill the enemy, Shoulder to shoulder under a common flag Arise! ye brave people of the South Arise! Let us go through storms. We've sworn to save our homeland; we've sworn to sacrifice ourselves to the end. Hold your swords and clutch your guns, advance! The nation's fortune is rising, dawn's light abound. We're devoted to build the country, forever brilliant.

Origin of name

Since the Revolutions of 1848, the term provisional government has referred to liberal government created to prepare for democratic elections that would establish government on a permanent basis. Bolshevik leader Lenin defined a provisional revolutionary government as one that appeals to the people, but where workers and peasants "take the initiative."^[10] A PRG would, "convene on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot a constituent assembly," Lenin added.^[11] Algeria's National Liberation Front, a model for revolutionaries in the 1960s and 1970s, created a Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic in 1958. (This name is a variation of Provisional Government of the French Republic (1944–1946).)

Bibliography

Notes

References

• Porter, Gareth (1993). Vietnam: the politics of bureaucratic socialism (1993 ed.). Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801421686.  - Total pages: 227
• Tảng, Truong Như; David Chanoff, Van Toai Doan (1985). A Vietcong memoir (1985 ed.). Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. ISBN 9780151936366. - Total pages: 350

External links

Government

• Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam (1969-1975)

Leaders

• Rulers (Vietnam)
• WORLD STATESMEN, Vietnam (including South Vietnam)

National anthem

• "Ethnic Music" Room (“Words” is Japanese version only.)

Preceded by Republic of Việt Nam

Provisional Revolutionary Government 1975 - 1976

Succeeded by Socialist Republic of Việt Nam

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