DMZ stands for demilitarized zone, which means combat-free zone between two enemies. There is a DMZ between North and South Korea, however there was a DMZ in Vietnam during the war. This zone was created by the Geneva Accords in 1954 during the First Indochina war because the French and Viet Minh wanted to secure peace in Vietnam. The zone ran along the Ben Hai River. It seperated North and South Vietnam and the zone went from east to west borders of Vietnam. In June of 1966, the PAVN forces launched their first conventional attack on the US Marines. Because of that, US forces began to retaliate by shelling PAVN bases in the north of the DMZ. There was an artillery duel that lasted for more than a year until President Johnson decided to halt the bombing against North Vietnam. The US Army slowly withdrew from their fire bases due to the new policy of Vietnamization. In early 1972, The ARVN replaced the US troops in the south. After about a month of fighting between PAVN and ARVN, the border got shifted 20 kilometers further south. The battle went on for nearly three months and ARVN was able to retake most of their position back. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, The DMZ had no military meaning and was useless. On 3rd of July 1975, the National Assembly of Vietnam officially disestablished Vietnam’s DMZ. In Vietnam, the DMZ has become a popular tourist place. People can join tour groups, where they can see the DMZ and many other important facts about the Vietnam war.
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https://thevietnamwar.info/vietnamese-dmz/
Map showing the DMZ between North and South Vietnam
Tej, I think the DMZ between the opposing sides in Vietnam would be interesting to learn about. It is interesting that you can link it to Korea and look at the similarities that brought about the formation of the two zones.
ReplyDeleteThe DMZ is very interesting because back in Vietnam it held little meaning as it was constintly changing.
ReplyDeleteI thought the DMZ was fascinating in how it was used for both sides. Since it was along the border, each side was able to try to use it to their advantage and plan their attack strategies around it.
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