When, and why was Vietnam divided into North and South Vietnam?

Question

When, and why was Vietnam divided into North and South Vietnam?

Answer 1

In 1954, as a result of the Geneva Conference.  Basically, the division was a compromise deal between the winning but still relatively militarily weak communist Vietnamese and the losing but still powerful French occupiers.  Seen from a greater distance, it was a compromise deal between the Communist world and the Western world.

Answer 2

When: July 21, 1954

Why: the 17th parallel was supposed to be a provisional demarcation between North Vietnam and South Vietnam in accordance to the Geneva Accords that was to end hostilities in Vietnam after France’s defeat. All of Vietnam was to be reunited under one government after a nationwide election that was to be held in 1956. Subsequently, The DMZ would be disbanded.

South Vietnamese President Diem and the United States refused to recognize the Geneva Accords with the belief that North Vietnam would never truly agree to free unbiased elections. This leads to increased U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia and eventually the Vietnam War. Saigon and the rest of South Vietnam fell to the NVA about 20 years later (April 30, 1975), which reunited Vietnam as a whole country again.