Tran Van Soai
Tran Van Soai | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Trần Văn Soái |
| Nickname(s) | Nam Lua |
| Born | 1889 Long Xuyên, French Indochina |
| Died | February 9, 1961 (aged 71–72) Saigon, South Vietnam |
| Allegiance | Hòa Hảo |
| Years of service | 1940–1956 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands | Hòa Hảo armed forces |
| Battles / wars | World War II First Indochina War Vietnam War |
Trần Văn Soái (1889–1961), also known as Năm Lửa (lit. 'Five Fires'), was a Vietnamese general and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Hòa Hảo.
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.