Tôn Đức Thắng

Who was Tôn Đức Thắng?

Tôn Đức Thắng was the second and final president of North Vietnam and the first president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under the rule of Lê Duẩn. The position of president is ceremonial and Thắng was never a major policymaker or even a member of the Politburo, North Vietnam's ruling council. He served as president, initially of North Vietnam from September 2, 1969, and later of a united Vietnam, until his death in 1980. He was a key Vietnamese nationalist and Communist political figure, was chairman of the National Assembly's Standing Committee 1955–1960 and served as the vice president to Hồ Chí Minh from 1960 to 1969. At the time of death at age 91, he was the oldest head of a state with the title "president".