Bảo Đại
Bảo Đại (Vietnamese: [ɓa᷉ːw ɗâːjˀ], chữ Hán: 保大, lit. "keeper of greatness", 22 October 1913 – 31 July 1997), born Nguyễn Phúc/Phước Vĩnh Thụy (chữ Hán: 阮福永瑞), was the 13th and final emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty, the last ruling dynasty of Vietnam. From 1926 to 1945, he was emperor of Annam and de jure monarch of Tonkin, which were then protectorates in French Indochina, covering the present-day central and northern Vietnam. Bảo Đại ascended the throne in 1932.
| Emperor Bảo Đại 保大帝 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Emperor on his throne, c. 1920s-30s | |||||
| Emperor of An Nam and Empire of Vietnam | |||||
| Reign | 8 January 1926 – 25 August 1945 | ||||
| Predecessor | Khải Định | ||||
| Successor | Monarchy abolished Hồ Chí Minh (as president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) | ||||
| Chief of State of Vietnam | |||||
| Reign | 13 June 1949 – 26 October 1955 | ||||
| Predecessor | Position established Nguyễn Văn Xuân (as Head of the Provisional Central Government) | ||||
| Successor | Position abolished Ngô Đình Diệm (as president of the Republic of Vietnam) | ||||
| 1st Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam | |||||
| Reign | 14 July 1949 – 21 January 1950 | ||||
| Predecessor | Position established | ||||
| Successor | Nguyễn Phan Long | ||||
| Supreme Advisor to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam | |||||
| Reign | 10 September 1945 – 16 March 1946 | ||||
| Predecessor | Position established | ||||
| Successor | Position abolished | ||||
| Born | Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thụy (阮福永瑞) 22 October 1913 Doan-Trang-Vien Palace, Imperial City of Huế, French Indochina | ||||
| Died | 31 July 1997 (aged 83) Val-de-Grâce, Paris, France | ||||
| Burial | Passy Cemetery | ||||
| Spouse |
Nam Phương (m. 1934–1963)Bùi Mộng Điệp Lê Thị Phi Ánh Christiane Bloch-Carcenac Monique Baudot (m. 1972–1997) | ||||
| Issue | |||||
| |||||
| House | Nguyễn Phúc | ||||
| Father | Khải Định | ||||
| Mother | Hoàng Thị Cúc | ||||
| Religion | Confucianism Mahayana Buddhism Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Signature | |||||
The Japanese ousted the Provisional French administration in March 1945 and then ruled through Bảo Đại, who proclaimed the Empire of Vietnam. He abdicated in August 1945 when Japan surrendered. From 1949 to 1955, Bảo Đại was the chief of state of the non-communist State of Vietnam. Viewed as a puppet ruler, Bảo Đại was criticized for being too closely associated with France and spending much of his time outside Vietnam. He was eventually ousted in a referendum in 1955 by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm, who was supported by the United States.