Vietnam: Ngo Dinh Diem (1901-1963), first President of the Republic of Vietnam

Ngo Dinh Diem (Vietnamese: Ngo Dinh Diem (January 3, 1901 – November 2, 1963) was the first President of South Vietnam (1955–1963). In the wake of the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Accords, Diem led the effort to create the Republic of Vietnam.

Accruing considerable US support due to his staunch anti-Communism, he achieved victory in a 1955 plebiscite that was widely considered fraudulent. Proclaiming himself the Republic's first President, he demonstrated considerable political skill in the consolidation of his power, and his rule proved authoritarian, elitist, nepotistic, and corrupt.

He was assassinated by an aide of ARVN General Duong Van Minh on November 2, 1963, during a coup d'état that deposed his government.

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