Nguyễn Văn Tâm
Nguyễn Văn Tâm served as Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam, a political entity created by the French in an attempt to regain control of the country. He was at that post from June 1952 to December 1953.
Born on 16 October 1895 in Tây Ninh Province during the French colonial period, Nguyễn Văn Tâm was originally a school teacher who was picked by the French in the early 1940s to be the District Chief of Cai Lậy, in Cochinchina. He was known to be an effective servant of the French in suppressing any uprisings in his district with the most savage means. After the August Revolution. he was imprisoned by the new Vietnamese authorities for his crimes against the people but was later freed by the French military and returned to their service.
He was made Governor of Northern Vietnam by the French-directed Bảo Đại government before becoming Prime Minister. His son was General Nguyễn Văn Hinh, the Chief of Staff of the Vietnamese National Army, the military force created by the French to fight for them against the Communist Revolution.
He became Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam on June 25, 1952. On December 16, 1953, he tendered his resignation and was replaced on 12 January 1954 by prince Bửu Lộc.
He was nicknamed the Tiger of Cai Lậy for his aforementioned brutal suppression of revolutionary groups in the Cai Lậy region of the Mekong Delta.
