The minister of national defense () was a government minister in charge of the Ministry of National Defense of South Vietnam. The minister was responsible for conducting defense strategies and affairs related to the country's military.
List of ministers The following is a list of defence ministers of South Vietnam from 1949 until the fall of Saigon in 1975:
State of Vietnam (1949–1955)
Portrait Name Term of office Political party Government(s) Took office Left office Time in office 1 Trần Quang Vinh 27 May 1948 20 January 1950 Independent Provisional Government 2 Phan Huy Quát 20 January 1950 7 May 1950 Nationalist Party of Greater Vietnam 3 Trần Văn Hữu 6 May 1950 21 February 1951 Independent 4 Nguyễn Hữu Chi 21 February 1951 7 March 1952 Independent (3) Trần Văn Hữu 7 March 1952 6 June 1952 Independent 5 6 June 1952 January 1953 Independent – Lê Quang Huy 7 January 1953 8 January 1953 Independent (2) Phan Huy Quát 8 January 1953 17 December 1953 Nationalist Party of Greater Vietnam 6 Ngô Đình Diệm 6 July 1954 26 October 1955 Personalist Labor Revolutionary Party
Republic of Vietnam (1955–1975)
Portrait Name Term of office Political party Government(s) Took office Left office Time in office 1 Ngô Đình Diệm 26 October 1955 2 November 1963 Personalist Labor Revolutionary Party 2 Trần Văn Đôn 4 November 1963 30 January 1964 Independent 3 Trần Thiện Khiêm 8 February 1964 9 September 1964 Military 4 Nguyễn Khánh 9 September 1964 4 November 1964 Military 5 Trần Văn Hương 4 November 1964 18 January 1965 Independent 6 Trần Văn Minh 18 January 1965 16 February 1965 Military 7 Nguyễn Văn Thiệu 16 February 1965 20 June 1965 Military 8 Nguyễn Hữu Có 21 June 1965 26 January 1967 Military 9 Cao Văn Viên 26 January 1967 9 November 1967 Military 10 Nguyễn Văn Vy 9 November 1967 6 August 1972 Military (3) Trần Thiện Khiêm 6 August 1972 14 April 1975 Military (2) Trần Văn Đôn 14 April 1975 28 April 1975 Independent
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