South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam, was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of the Cold War after the 1954 division of Vietnam by the Geneva Accords.
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South Vietnam was bordered by North Vietnam to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and Thailand across the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.
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The term "South Vietnam Republic" became common usage in 1954, when the Geneva Conference provisionally partitioned Vietnam Republic into communist and non-communist parts.
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In July 1954, France and the Viet Minh agreed at the Geneva Conference that the Vietnam Republic would be temporarily divided at 17th parallel north and State of Vietnam Republic would rule the territory south of the 17th parallel, pending unification on the basis of supervised elections in 1956.
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Vietnam Republic claimed the communist government in the North created conditions that made a fair election impossible in that region.
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Vietnam Republic asked voters to approve a republic, thus removing Bao Ðai as head of state.
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South Vietnam Republic, which had not signed the Geneva Accords, did not believe the Communists in North Vietnam Republic would allow a fair election.
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Vietnam Republic launched an anti-communist denunciation campaign against the Viet Cong.
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Vietnam Republic acted against criminal factions by launching military campaigns against three powerful main sects; the Cao Ðai, Hoa Hao and the Binh Xuyen organised crime syndicate whose military strength combined amounted to approximately 350,000 fighters.
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North Vietnam Republic launched a conventional invasion of South Vietnam Republic in late March 1972 which was only finally repulsed by October with massive US air support.
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Thieu requested aid from US President Gerald Ford, but the US Senate would not release extra money to provide aid to South Vietnam Republic, and had already passed laws to prevent further involvement in Vietnam Republic.
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Vietnam Republic nominated his Vice President Tran Van Huong as his successor.
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South Vietnam Republic went through many political changes during its short life.
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Vietnam Republic was unpopular however, largely because monarchical leaders were considered collaborators during French rule and because he had spent his reign absent in France.
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Radio Vietnam Republic started its operation in 1955 under then President Ngo Dinh Diem, and ceased operation on 30 April 1975, with the broadcast of surrender by Duong Van Minh.
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Apart from the mainland, the Republic of Vietnam administered parts of the Paracels and Spratly Islands.
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South Vietnam Republic maintained a capitalist free-market economy with ties to the West.
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South Vietnam Republic was a member of accT, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, the IMF, the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, Interpol, the IOC, the ITU, the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, UNESCO and the Universal Postal Union.
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