demilitarized zone

The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was established by the Geneva Accords in 1954 as a provisional military demarcation line. This line, which ran along the Ben Hai River and then west to the Laos-Vietnam border, was not precisely the 17th parallel but served as a de facto political boundary between North and South Vietnam. A demilitarized zone, extending 3 miles on either side of this line, was also created by mutual withdrawal of forces.123

The division of Vietnam stemmed from the end of French colonial rule after the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The Geneva Accords stipulated nationwide elections in 1956 to unify the country, but these elections never occurred, solidifying the division. North Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, pursued socialist industrialization, while South Vietnam, with U.S. support, established an anticommunist regime. This division ultimately led to the Vietnam War.23