Prime Minister <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngo_Dinh_Diem" id="mw5A" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Ngo Dinh Diem">Ngô Đình Diệm</a> defeats former emperor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bảo_Đại" id="mw5Q" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Bảo Đại">Bảo Đại</a> in a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_State_of_Vietnam_referendum" id="mw5g" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="1955 State of Vietnam referendum">referendum</a> and founds the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Vietnam" id="mw5w" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="South Vietnam">Republic of Vietnam</a>.