Vietnam, DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)

Click here for map of the DMZ

The DMZ stretches from the east coast of Vietnam to the Lao border along the Ben Hai River. The first idea of splitting Vietnam in two parts originates from the Potsdam conference between the Soviet Union, the USA and the United Kingdom in 1945. For logistical and political reasons the allies decided that Japanese forces in Vietnam in the south would surrender to the British, while those in the north would surrender to the Chinese (Kuomintang) army led by Chiang Kaishek. There was only a small problem. The Vietnamese people didn't wanted strange occupation forces in their country any more. Especially the communists had strong ties in the Vietnamese nationalist movement. In 1945 the communists guided by Ho Chi Minh occupied Northern Vietnam and on September 2 1945 Ho Chi Minh declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam a fact. After the French colonists came back to Vietnam, they tried to suppress the nationalist movement in Vietnam by brutal force. After the French shelled Haiphong, the Viet Minh started a war against the French. After the French were beaten at Dien Bien Phu on May 7 1954, the Geneva Conference for peace in Vietnam started on May 8 1954. As a result of the conference Vietnam was cut in two parts with an demilitarized zone (DMZ) of 5 kilometer along either side of the Ben Hai river. Part of the Geneva agreement were nationwide elections to be held on 20 July 1956. When these didn't happen Vietnam found itself divided into two states. During the American Vietnam War the southern part of the DMZ was the scene of the bloodiest battles of the conflict.

Nowadays you can visit some famous battle sites like Khe Sanh and the Hamburger Hill a few former USA-bases (the Rockpile, Con Thien, Camp Caroll, Lang Vie, etc.) on the south side of the Ben Hai River. On the north side of the river  you can visit the Vinh Moc Tunnels. 

More Vinh Moc Tunnels

At the end of 1966 Khe Sanh was turned into a Marine stronghold. Before it was just a small "Green Berets"-base. One year later at the end of 1967 USA-intelligence detected big movements of North Vietnamese soldiers in the surrounding hills of Khe Sanh. Both general Westmoreland and USA-president Johnson became convinced that the North Vietnamese were up to a second Dien Bien Phu. On 21 January 1968 the Siege of Khe Sanh started. A few months later, on 7 April 1968 it was all over. During the siege some 500 USA-soldiers and 10,000 North Vietnamese troops died. Again a few months later the USA just left the base. Today the Siege of Khe Sanh is considered  as an enormous diversion by the North Vietnamese to draw away attention of the USA from the urban area's in South Vietnam to prepare for the infamous Tet-offensive by the Vietcong and NVA.