17th Parallel

The 17th Parallel refers to the latitude line that divided Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Established by the Geneva Accords in 1954, it separated North Vietnam, led by a communist government, from South Vietnam, which was backed by the United States and other Western nations. This division was intended as a temporary measure until elections could be held. However, it solidified the split, leading to increased tensions and eventually the full-scale conflict of the Vietnam War. The parallel became a symbol of the ideological struggle between communism and capitalism during the Cold War.