The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a network of roads built from North Vietnam to South Vietnam through the neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia. The system provided support, in the form of manpower and materiel, to the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (more commonly known as the Viet Cong) during the Vietnam War. The trail, also known as Route 559, was named after Ho Chi Minh, the leader of North Vietnam. It played a significant role in the Vietnam War, enabling the transport of supplies and troops from the North to support the war in the South.