Tran Van Soai

Tran Van Soai (Vietnamese: Trần Văn Soái; 1889–1961), also known as Nam Lua (Năm Lưa; lit.'Five Fires'), was a Vietnamese general and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Hòa Hảo.

Tran Van Soai
Native name
Trần Văn Soái
Nickname(s)Nam Lua
Born1889
Long Xuyên, French Indochina
DiedFebruary 9, 1961(1961-02-09) (aged 71–72)
Saigon, South Vietnam
Allegiance Hòa Hảo
Years of service1940–1956
RankLieutenant General
Commands heldHòa Hảo armed forces
Battles/warsWorld War II
First Indochina War
Vietnam War

Born in Southern Vietnam into peasantry, he initially worked as a bus driver and became a gang leader. He converted to Hòa Hảo during World War II, and then quickly rose to prominence as the sect's leading military leader. He fought against the Japanese and Viet Minh during World War II and the First Indochina War. His forces then struggled against the South Vietnamese leader Ngô Đình Diệm in the 1950s, during the Vietnam War.

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