In the early morning mist, the 17th parallel lies silently on the soil of Vietnam, which is not only a geographical divide, but also the edge of two very different worlds. To the north is the area controlled by Ho Chi Minh's socialist government, while to the south is the bustling city of Saigon, where an anti-communist regime backed by the United States is trying to maintain order. These two Vietnams, born from the same roots, were divided into two due to the game of great powers and the clash of ideologies. How did the story behind the 17th parallel begin, and what are the stories and secrets behind all this?
Ho Chi Minh City and the rise of the Vietnam Independence League
On September 2, 1945, in the square in Hanoi, Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh stood in front of a gathered crowd to officially announce Vietnam's independence from French colonial rule. The moment he read the statement, the audience resounded with applause and cheers, and the atmosphere was full of excitement and liberation. The event quickly attracted global attention, as it not only marked the independent revival of a colonial country, but also heralded the rise of anti-colonial movements in Asia.
In the years that followed, Ho Chi Minh and his leadership of the Vietnam Independence League, later known as the Communist Party of Vietnam, set out to rebuild a country exhausted by colonial rule. Among the tasks they face are to restore economic life, rebuild war-damaged infrastructure, and unify the support of all ethnic groups across the country for the new government. Despite the difficulties, Ho Chi Minh's government gradually consolidated its power in North Vietnam.
At the same time, Vietnam's gradual recognition of its international status has been unusually slow. Ho Chi Minh repeatedly sent diplomatic missions to the Soviet Union and China to seek support and assistance from the two powers. These efforts eventually paid off in 1950 when the Soviet Union and China officially recognized the North Vietnamese government led by Ho Chi Minh. This diplomatic breakthrough not only brought much-needed international support to North Vietnam, but also helped it in its subsequent struggle against France.
The return of France to the regime of Baoda
In October 1950, French ships and aircraft arrived off the coast of Vietnam, marking France's re-engagement with its former colony. The French government was intent on reasserting the influence of its global network of colonies and was determined not to allow Vietnam to completely free itself from its control. The rapid deployment of troops, especially in the southern and central regions of Vietnam, was a strategic layout aimed at gradually crushing the North Vietnamese government led by Ho Chi Minh from south to north.
In the face of the menacing French army, the North Vietnamese government made a strategic retreat, shifting the main military and political forces to the northern mountains bordering China. This location was chosen not only because of its natural defensive advantages, but also because it made it easier to maintain contact with the Chinese Communist Party and obtain the necessary support.
At the same time, French actions in Vietnam were not limited to military repression. On June 14, 1949, France supported the former Emperor Bao Da in exile in Hong Kong in Saigon, officially establishing the "State of Vietnam". The University was relocated to the presidential residence, surrounded by a security zone heavily guarded by the French army. With the support of France, the Bao Dai regime sought to reassert its identity with Vietnam's traditional monarchy in South Vietnam as a way to build a political force against the communist regime in Ho Chi Minh.
France supported the Bao Dai regime through a wide propaganda campaign, claiming that it represented stability and prosperity in Vietnam. France has also strengthened its influence through educational reforms, economic aid, and construction projects. In Saigon and other major cities, new roads, bridges and public facilities have been built in an attempt to gain support by improving people's daily lives.
However, the North Vietnamese retreat was not an unwarranted escape. Near the Chinese border, Ho Chi Minh and his advisory corps actively reorganized the army, improved supply lines, and at the same time trained the guerrillas in conventional tactics against the French. North Vietnam also received more assistance from the Soviet Union and China during this period, including weapons, training, and political support.
The French army made several attempts to attack the northern mountains, but these attacks often ended in failure due to the complex terrain and the stubborn resistance of the North Vietnamese army. The dense forests and steep mountains of the mountains provided natural cover for the North Vietnamese army, making it difficult for the French army's heavy equipment and traditional tactics to work. In addition, the guerrilla tactics employed by the North Vietnamese army, such as night raids, ambushes, and tunnel warfare, further exacerbated the plight of the French army.
French military operations in Vietnam gradually reached a stalemate, and the support of the Bao Dai regime in South Vietnam did not expand as the French expected. The antagonism between North Vietnam and South Vietnam intensified, and the resistance movement at home became more and more active, and the political landscape in Vietnam became more complex and volatile.
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu and the Chinese Influence
In 1954, with the establishment of the new Chinese government, the North Vietnamese army ushered in an opportunity for transformation. The Chinese government provided a large amount of support to North Vietnam, including weapons, ammunition, supplies, and military training. This assistance greatly enhanced the combat capability of the North Vietnamese army, while also deepening the political and military ties between China and Vietnam.
China not only provided material support, but also sent a team of experienced military advisers. The advisory group penetrated deep into the highest military command organs of North Vietnam and extended down to divisional, regimental, and battalion units. The members of the advisory group provided professional advice and guidance in many aspects such as tactical planning, troop deployment, and logistics support.
With the arrival of the Chinese advisory group, the North Vietnamese army began to receive systematic military training, including guerrilla tactics, mountain warfare, night warfare, etc. These trainings were specially designed for the terrain of Vietnam and the tactical characteristics of the French army. At the same time, Chinese advisers helped the North Vietnamese army establish an effective logistical supply system to ensure that frontline troops could continue to receive the necessary supplies and ammunition.
At the beginning of 1954, these preparations in North Vietnam and China began to bear fruit. The North Vietnamese army launched a series of offensives against French forces in the spring of that year, especially in the Dien Bien Phu area. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu became a pivotal point in the entire war. During the campaign, the North Vietnamese army used its newfound guerrilla tactics and mountain tactics, taking advantage of the complex terrain to effectively ambush and encircle the French army.
Although the French army had an advantage in equipment and size, their traditional tactics and heavy equipment did not show the effectiveness they should have in this highly mobile and complex terrain combat environment. The North Vietnamese offensive forced the French forces to disperse, and then weakened the French forces through intensive firepower and rapid maneuver movements. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu lasted several weeks, and the French suffered serious setbacks from casualties and tactical mistakes.
The victory of the North Vietnamese army in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu had a profound impact on the psychology and tactics of the French government. France realized that it could no longer maintain its colonial rule in Vietnam by military force alone, and the defeat in this campaign necessitated a reconsideration of its long-term military presence in Vietnam. In addition, Dien Bien Phu's victory also greatly enhanced North Vietnam's standing on the international stage, proving that it not only had the ability to resist a strong enemy militarily, but also won the recognition and support of more countries politically.
The Geneva Accords and the temporary split of Vietnam
On July 21, 1954, at an international conference in Geneva, Switzerland, delegates engaged in a heated discussion about the future of Vietnam. The meeting attracted several key parties in Vietnam, including the Ho Chi Minh-led government of North Vietnam and the French-backed South Vietnamese regime, as well as representatives from China, the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, among others. After weeks of intense negotiations, the Geneva Accords were finally signed.
The Geneva Accords were a complex multinational agreement designed to resolve the independence issues of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, but its most striking element was its provisions on Vietnam. Under the agreement, France agreed to withdraw its troops from all of Vietnam, ending decades of colonial rule. The process of withdrawal was set to be carried out in stages to ensure a stable transition in the region.
An important provision in the agreement was the demarcation of the 17th parallel as a temporary military demarcation line between South Vietnam and North Vietnam. This dividing line is not only a military one, it also symbolizes the temporary division of the country. North Vietnam was controlled by Ho Chi Minh's government, while South Vietnam established a regime in Saigon headed by Ngo Dinh Diem. The two Vietnamese governments each controlled the territory north and south of the line.
More crucially, the Geneva Accords also envisaged a nationwide election in 1956 to determine the country's future unified government. The proposal was intended to resolve the North-South divide through democratic means, but the elections were ultimately not held due to the political context of the Cold War and tensions within the region. The failure to achieve national elections has become a continuing regret in Vietnam's history and a foreshadowing of the conflict that followed.
After the signing of the Geneva Accords, the international community has closely followed the changes in Viet Nam. Although the agreement ostensibly paved the way for peace in Vietnam, in practice, the antagonism between North and South Vietnam deepened. South Vietnam, with the support of the United States, sought to establish a solid anti-communist regime, while North Vietnam continued to pursue socialist reforms and strengthen relations with the Soviet Union and China.
The North-South antagonism lasted for two decades, until reunification in 1975. This prolonged state of division has had a profound impact on the lives of the Vietnamese people, tearing apart countless families and severely hampering economic and social development as a result of the ongoing war and antagonism.
U.S. involvement and eventual reunification
With France's full withdrawal from Vietnam after the Geneva Accords of 1954, the United States began to intervene in Vietnam, a move that marked the formation of another focus of the Cold War in Asia. The U.S. government's decision to support the South Vietnamese government with the strategic goal of preventing the spread of communism led directly to the two-decade Vietnam War.
At first, U.S. involvement was primarily in support of the South Vietnamese government through economic aid and military advisers. However, with the continued offensive of the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) in North Vietnam and South Vietnam, the role of the United States gradually shifted from rear support to direct military involvement. By 1965, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized a massive bombing of North Vietnam and sent U.S. troops to officially engage in ground combat. The size of the U.S. military increased rapidly, with more than 500,000 U.S. troops stationed in Vietnam at its peak.
The U.S. military involvement had some tactical victories in the early days, but the guerrilla tactics, tunnel warfare, and protracted warfare tactics of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong greatly depleted the resources and morale of the U.S. military. The Vietnam War also gradually sparked strong anti-war sentiment in the United States, with widespread protests and public questioning of the purpose of the war exerting tremendous pressure on the U.S. government.
In 1973, after a long and costly battle, and growing anti-war pressure at home, the U.S. government announced the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam under the Paris Peace Accords. Although the agreement temporarily halted direct fighting, the South Vietnamese government quickly exposed its vulnerability after losing military support from the United States.
In the spring of 1975, the North Vietnamese army launched a series of fierce offensives and rapidly advanced into South Vietnam. On 30 April, the North Vietnamese army entered Saigon without encountering any effective resistance, and the South Vietnamese government collapsed, marking the end of the South Vietnamese regime. On this day, the North Vietnamese army took over important government institutions such as the Presidential Palace, the flag of South Vietnam was lowered, and the flag of North Vietnam was raised in Saigon. This event not only symbolized the end of the war, but also marked the reunification of North and South Vietnam.
After the reunification of Vietnam, it was officially renamed the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The united Vietnam began the daunting task of post-war reconstruction, including the restoration of infrastructure, economic and social order, which had been badly damaged by the war.
Resources:
1. "The Geneva Accords of 1954" by the United Nations Archives.
2. "Vietnam War: The Essential Reference Guide" by ABC-CLIO.
3. "The History of Vietnam" by Oxford University Press.