Trần Quang Vinh

Trần Quang Vinh (1897–1977) was a political and military leader of the Cao Đài sect active at the time of the establishment of the 1945 Empire of Vietnam. He also the first minister of National Defense of State of Vietnam.

Trần Quang Vinh
Vinh in a meeting of pro-Bảo Đại politicians in British Hong Kong in 1947
Minister of National Defense of State of Vietnam
In office 1 July 1949 – 31 May 1950
Prime Minister	Bảo Đại
Preceded by	Himself (as Minister of National Defense of the PCG)
Succeeded by	Phan Huy Quát
Minister of National Defense of Provisional Central Government of Vietnam
In office 27 May 1948 – 30 June 1949
Chief	Nguyễn Văn Xuân
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Himself (as Minister of National Defense of the State of Vietnam)
Commander-in-chief of the Caodaist Armed Forces
In office 1947–1951
Leader	Phạm Công Tắc
Personal details
Born	(1897-09-08)8 September 1897 Long Xuyên, French Cochinchina, Indochinese Union
Died	1977
Children	2
Education	Collège Chasseloup-Laubat
Military service
Allegiance	Caodaism
Years of service	1943–1953
Rank	Lieutenant general
Commands	Commander-ịn-chief of the Caodaist Armed Forces

Vinh had been commander of the Cao Dai's paramilitaries, but stepped aside in August 1945 because of his associations with the Japanese.^[1] In October 1945 he was briefly captured by the Viet Minh but escaped after 4 months.^[2]