North Vietnam, also called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976. Following the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was partitioned at the 17th parallel. The DRV became the government of North Vietnam while the State of Vietnam retained control in the South. The Geneva Accords provided that nationwide elections would be held in 1956. Although France and the Vietminh had agreed to this provision, it was rejected by the State of Vietnam government. During the Vietnam War (1955-1975), North Vietnam fought against the military of the Republic of Vietnam government and its anti-communist allies. The two states were merged in 1976 as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.