Phan Huy Quat

Who was Phan Huy Quat?

Dr. Phan Huy Quát served as acting Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam and also as Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam.

On 2 July 1949, Quát was appointed Minister of Education by Head of State Bảo Đại. On 22 January 1950, Prime Minister Nguyễn Phan Long appointed Quát Minister of Defense, at which position he had only served briefly before the Cabinet was re-organized and he returned to working for the Đại Việt Quốc Dân Dảng.

In June 1953, Prime Minister Nguyễn Văn Tâm appointed Quát Minister of Defense. Quát would be in this position until 1954 when Prince Bửu Lộc became Prime Minister who appointed Quát Special Minister in charge of the democratization process for Vietnam. Dr. Quát then served briefly as an interim Prime Minister until Bảo Đại appointed Ngô Đình Diệm to the position.

On 16 February 1965, Quát was appointed Prime Minister by junta head General Nguyễn Khánh, who was forced to step down after a coup on 19/20 February and exiled Air Marshal Nguyễn Cao Kỳ led the junta that oversaw the civilian cabinet.

In 1965, Kỳ was appointed Prime Minister and Nguyễn Văn Thiệu became President by a special joint meeting of military leaders following the voluntary resignation of civilian President Sửu. After leaving the Prime Minister post, Dr. Quát returned to his medical practice. He remained in politics until 1975 by working with the Asia Anti-Communist League as Chairman of its Vietnamese office.