The Minister of National Defense was a government minister in charge of the Ministry of National Defense of South Vietnam (common name for the State of Vietnam and the Republic of Vietnam), in what is now southern region of Vietnam. The Minister was responsible for conducting defense strategies and affairs of the country.

This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (January 2023)

Quick Facts Status, Member of ...

Minister of National Defense of South Vietnam
Vietnamese: Bộ Quốc phòng Việt Nam Cộng Hòa
Emblem (1963–75)
Flag
Incumbent None
Ministry of National Defense
Status	Minister
Member of	Government
Reports to	The Prime Minister
Seat	Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City)
Appointer	The Emperor (1949–55) The President (1955–75)
Term length	No fixed term
Formation	1949; 75 years ago (1949)
First holder	Nguyễn Văn Xuân
Final holder	Trần Văn Đôn
Abolished	1975; 49 years ago (1975)

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The following is a list of defence ministers of South Vietnam from 1949 until the fall of Saigon in 1975:^[1]

More information No., Name (Birth–Death) ...

No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Portrait	Tenure
State of Vietnam (1949–1955)
1	Nguyễn Văn Xuân (1892–1989)		1949–1950
2	Phan Huy Quát (1908–1979)		1950
3	Trần Văn Hữu (1896–1984)		1950
4	Nguyễn Hữu Chi		1951–1952
5	Trần Văn Hữu (1896–1984)		1952
6	Nghiêm Văn Trí		1952
—	Lê Quang Huy Acting Minister		1953
7	Phan Huy Quát (1908–1979)		1953–1954
8	Ngô Đình Diệm (1901–1963)		1954–1955
Republic of Vietnam (1955–1975)
1	Ngô Đình Diệm (1901–1963)		1955–1963
2	Trần Văn Đôn (1917–1997)		1963–1964
3	Trần Thiện Khiêm (1925–2021)		1964
4	Nguyễn Khánh (1927–2013)		1964
5	Trần Văn Hương (1902–1982)		1964–1965
6	Trần Văn Minh (1923–2009)		1965
7	Nguyễn Văn Thiệu (1923–2001)		1965
8	Nguyễn Hữu Có (1925–2012)		1965–1967
9	Cao Văn Viên (1921–2008)		1967
10	Nguyễn Văn Vy (1916–1981)		1967–1972
11	Trần Thiện Khiêm (1925–2021)		1972–1975
12	Trần Văn Đôn (1917–1997)		1975

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