In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 16 February 1916
- Died
- 6 August 2001
- Birthplace
- Mỹ Tho Province, Cochinchina
- Country
- Vietnam
- Nationality
- Vietnamese
- Known for
- Leading the 1963 coup against Ngô Đình Diệm and ordering South Vietnam’s surrender on 30 April 1975
- Common nickname
- Big Minh
- Military role
- General in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
- Final presidency
- 28–30 April 1975
- Final order
- Cease fire and unconditional surrender
Why this life matters
Dương Văn Minh stood at both ends of South Vietnam’s post-Diệm political era: the coup that opened prolonged military instability and the surrender that ended the republic in 1975.
Timeline
Key moments
Born in Mỹ Tho
Born in the Mekong Delta on 16 February.
Defeated the Bình Xuyên force
Commanded forces in a campaign that strengthened Ngô Đình Diệm’s government.
Led the coup against Diệm
Chaired the military council that overthrew the president in November.
Lost executive power
Nguyễn Khánh displaced his junta after less than three months.
Became the final president
Accepted office on 28 April as northern forces closed on Saigon.
Ordered surrender
Called on South Vietnamese forces to cease fighting on 30 April.
Left Vietnam
Was permitted to emigrate to France after remaining in the country for eight years.
Died in California
Died in Pasadena on 6 August.
A general at the centre of the 1963 coup
Dương Văn Minh entered military service under French rule and became a senior officer in the Vietnamese National Army and then the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. His 1955 campaign against the Bình Xuyên armed organisation helped Ngô Đình Diệm consolidate control of Saigon.
In November 1963, Minh led the generals who overthrew Diệm after political repression and the Buddhist crisis fractured the government’s domestic and American support. Diệm and his brother Ngô Đình Nhu were killed after surrendering to the coup forces. Minh then headed the Military Revolutionary Council, but Nguyễn Khánh removed his junta in January 1964.
The final president of South Vietnam
Minh remained a recognisable southern political figure without rebuilding durable power. In April 1975, as the Republic of Vietnam’s military position collapsed, the National Assembly transferred the presidency from Trần Văn Hương to Minh in the hope that he could negotiate a settlement.
He took office on 28 April and, two days later, called on the armed forces to stop fighting. After revolutionary troops entered the Independence Palace, Minh recorded an unconditional surrender that dissolved the Saigon government. He remained in Vietnam until 1983, later lived in France and the United States, and died in Pasadena in 2001.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Dương Văn Minh
- Who was Dương Văn Minh?
- Dương Văn Minh was a south Vietnamese general and final president of the Republic of Vietnam. Dương Văn Minh stood at both ends of South Vietnam’s post-Diệm political era: the coup that opened prolonged military instability and the surrender that ended the republic in 1975.
- What is Dương Văn Minh best known for?
- Dương Văn Minh is best known for leading the 1963 coup against Ngô Đình Diệm and ordering South Vietnam’s surrender on 30 April 1975.
- When and where was Dương Văn Minh born?
- Dương Văn Minh was born on 16 February 1916 in Mỹ Tho Province, Cochinchina.
- When did Dương Văn Minh die?
- Dương Văn Minh died on 6 August 2001.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 8 September 2026.
- Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of StateForeign Relations of the United States: Vietnam, 1961–1963
- Independence Palace Historic SiteThe Independence Palace during the final days of the Republic of Vietnam
- U.S. Army Center of Military HistoryThe Final Collapse
- The Washington PostGen. Duong Van Minh, 86
- Wikimedia CommonsPortrait and public-domain record
