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Nguyen Van Thieu

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World Leader

The Resume

    (April 5, 1923-September 29, 2001)
    Born in Phan Rang, Viet Nam
    South Vietnamese military officer and politician
    Helped put down a coup against President Ngo Dinh Diem (1960)
    Joined the successful coup against Diem (November 1-2, 1963)
    Promoted to general after the coup
    Served as Chief of State under Premier Nguyen Cao Ky (1965-67)
    President of South Vietnam (1967-75)
    After South Vietnam fell to the Communists, went into exile in London, then Boston

Why he might be annoying:

    There were rumors that he was actually born in November, 1924, but adopted April 5, 1923, as a birthday because it was a more auspicious day.
    He prepared for his 1971 reelection campaign by enacting legislation that declared most of his potential opponents ineligible. The remaining candidates withdrew, calling the election a sham, allowing him to run unopposed.
    He appointed army commanders based on cronyism rather than military ability.
    During the spring 1975 offensive by North Vietnam, he issued contradictory orders to units on whether they should stand and fight or withdraw and regroup, contributing to the army's rapid collapse.
    Just before his hometown fell to the Communists, retreating South Vietnamese soldiers showed their contempt by desecrating his family's graves and shrines.
    Upon leaving the Presidency, he declared, 'I resign, but I do not desert' (April 21, 1975), only to flee for Taiwan five days later.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was married to Mai Anh for fifty years.
    After the Paris Peace Accords (1973), the Nixon and Ford administrations assured him American military aid would continue even as Congress, increasingly reluctant to back an apparent lost cause, cut the amount of aid in half.
    A popular rumor that he took the country's gold reserves with him when he fled proved untrue. (The gold, sixteen tons of it, was still in the National Bank at Saigon when the Communists took control of the city.)
    Military historian Lewis Sorely wrote that Thieu 'was arguably a more honest and decent man than Lyndon Johnson, and – given the differences in their respective circumstances – quite likely a more effective president of his country.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 69 Votes: 50.72% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying