Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone

Coordinates: 16°54′N 107°00′E / 16.9°N 107.0°E / 16.9; 107.0
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
1969 map of the Demilitarized Zone

The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was a

Quang Tri province that was established as the dividing line between the two countries i.e. North Vietnam and South Vietnam from 22 July 1954 to 2 July 1976 when Vietnam was officially divided into the two military gathering areas, which was intended to be sustained in the short term after the First Indochina War
.

During the Vietnam War (1955–1975) it became important as the battleground demarcation between communist North Vietnam and anti-communist South Vietnam. The zone de jure ceased to exist with the reunification of Vietnam in 1976.

Geography

Photo taken from the north side of the DMZ at the Route 1 crossing. The guard tower on the left is a re-creation and spires seen in the distance through the arch are a new monument.

The border between North and South Vietnam was 76.1 kilometers (47.3 mi) in length and ran from east to west near the middle of present-day Vietnam within Quang Tri province.

Ben Hai River. The line then followed this river as it flowed in a broadly northeastwards direction out to the Gulf of Tonkin. Either side of the line was a Demilitarized Zone, forming a buffer of about 6.4–9.7 kilometers (4–6 mi) in width.[1] Although it was nominally described as being at "the 17th parallel
," the border never actually followed that line, only straddling the general area of that line of latitude.

History

The Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam, March 1968, looking west toward Laos.

The

Saigon).[1]

The postcolonial conditions of Vietnam were set at the

Republic of Vietnam after the 1955 South Vietnam referendum, ruled by Ngo Dinh Diem. A temporary boundary, running primarily along the Ben Hai River was established pending elections, with the area on either side of the border declared a demilitarized zone. Troops of both governments were barred from that area.[2]

After

North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong (a branch of the North Vietnam army but nominally an independent organization, also against the South Vietnamese government) in the DMZ area in January 1968 was 40,943 troops.[3]

The North was ultimately victorious in the war and the Republic of Vietnam's government collapsed on

Republic of South Vietnam
, de facto controlled by the Viet Cong and the North) on 2 July 1976.

Gallery

  • Map of the DMZ from 1957
    Map of the DMZ from 1957
  • Map of the DMZ from 1966
    Map of the DMZ from 1966

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "International Boundary Study No. 19 – Vietnam – "Demarcation Line"" (PDF). US Department of State. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  2. ^ "17th parallel". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  3. ISBN 978-1-481219-46-4
    . NVA and VC Order of Battle information is located on pages 114-127

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for DMZ (Vietnam).

16°54′N 107°00′E / 16.9°N 107.0°E / 16.9; 107.0

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