Korea and Vietnam Advanced World History Adkins

Korea

38 th Parallel At end of WWII, Korea was divided at the 38 th parallel (line of latitude) North Korea – Communist (govt. had been set up by Soviet Union) South Korea – Non-Communist (supported by Western Powers)

A Soviet Gamble By 1949, most Soviet and U.S. troops had left Korea. Soviets took a gamble that the U.S. would not come to the defense of S. Korea if something happened. Something Happened – the Soviets supplied North Korea with tanks, airplanes and money in an attempt to take over the peninsula SURPRISE ATTACK - June 25, 1950 – North Korea launched a surprise on South Korea

HELP! South Korea asked the United States and the United Nations for HELP! – Remember Containment  Communism needed to be contained  We had to help! – The Soviets were absent from the Security Council vote (they were protesting Taiwan vs. China’s admission in the United Nations). Therefore, they could not veto the plan.

Troops Arrive Troops from 15 nations, led by General Douglas MacArthur, came to the defense of the South Koreans.

So Close And Yet So Far The North Koreans took all but one little corner in South Korea (Pusan). However, due to a surprise attack led by MacArthur, ½ of the North Koreans surrendered and ½ retreated.

So Close and Yet So Far UN troops (remember, they are led by MacArthur, and most of these troops are American) then push the North Korean troops to near the Chinese border. Feeling threatened, China then sends in 300,000 troops. Outnumbered, the UN troops are then sent back again.

MacArthur – A Reckless Rebel? MacArthur called for a nuclear attack on China. – Truman says “No Way!” MacArthur goes to Congress and the Press – Truman says “MacArthur, you’re outta here!” Fighting continues for another 2 years.

38 th Parallel July 1953 – UN and North Korea sign a cease- fire agreement. 38 th parallel is set – this is almost the exact same spot it was before the war EXCEPT now  4 million soldiers and civilians are dead.

The Koreas Today North Korea – Communist – Kim Jong Il – Nuclear Weapons South Korea – Non-Communist – Aid from United States – And we still have troops there – 1987 – Democratic Constitution  Free elections – During 1980’s and 1990’s, South Korea had one of the highest economic growth rates in the world.

Vietnam

Road to War After WWI, the principal goal of U.S. foreign policy was to stop the spread of communism (containment). Early 1900’s – France controlled most of southeast Asia (French Indochina = Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) Nationalist independence movements began to develop.

Ho Chi Minh Vietnamese nationalist Turned to communists for help in achieving independence Ho and his communist party led revolts and strikes against the French – Protesters were jailed – Ho was sentenced to death He fled into exile

Japan  France During WWII, Japan took control of Vietnam During this time, Ho returned With Japan’s defeat, Ho saw independence in the future  This is NOT what the French saw.

An Independent Vietnam? On September 2, 1945, Ho declared the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam before a crowd of 500,000 in Hanoi. All men are created equal. The Creator has given us certain inviolable Rights: the right to Life, the right to be Free, and the right to achieve Happiness. January 1946, the Viet Minh (Ho and his communist followers) won elections across central and northern Vietnam. The French landed in Hanoi by March 1946 and in November of that year they ousted the Viet Minh from the city.

Fighting Begins 1946 – 1954 Vietminh fought against the French. By 1954, the French decided to pull out.

Domino Theory If the French left, the U.S. saw a threat to the rest of Asia Domino Theory – if one SE Asian nation falls to communism, the rest will fall like dominos. DON’T LET THAT DOMINO FALL!!!!!  GO TO WAR!

A Divided Country After France’s defeat, Vietnam was divided at 17 th parallel (decided at an intl. peace conference) – North of 17 th parallel – Ho Chi Minh\Communist – South of 17 th parallel – U.S. and France installed a non-communist govt. led by Ngo Dinh Diem

Diem Diem ruled as a dictator Opposition against Diem increased  He was very unpopular Vietcong = Communist Guerillas in South Vietnam 1963 – Diem was assassinated by a group of South Vietnamese generals.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident American military advisors had been in South Vietnam since France’s defeat With Diem gone, the U.S. escalated its involvement August 1964 – Johnson told Congress that North Vietnamese patrol boats had attacked 2 U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin  Congress authorized sending U.S. troops to war (Gulf of Tonkin Resolution). To this day, no one knows if the attacks used to justify American escalation of the Vietnam War ever really took place. After the “attack”, the captain who commanded one of the U.S. ships said his radar may have been mistaken  Does this sound familiar?

U.S. Escalation 1963 – Some U.S. Advisors 1965 – 185,000 U.S. soldiers 1968 – 500,000 U.S. soldiers We were fighting the Vietcong and the North Vietnamese Army U.S. had the best-equipped, most advanced army in the world, BUT – Guerilla War in a Jungle – The South Vietnam govt. they were defending was unpopular. Support for Vietcong was growing, and it wasn’t helping that the U.S. was using planes to bomb million of acres of South Vietnamese farmland and forests in an attempt to destroy enemy hideouts. The Vietcong was being supplied by Ho Chi Minh, the Soviet Union, and China

U.S. Withdraws The war became very unpopular in the U.S – Nixon began withdrawing troops Vietnamization – U.S. pulled out, while South Vietnamese troops stepped up However, Nixon still authorized massive bombing attacks on North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia (trying to destroy hideouts) 1973 – The last U.S. troops left 1975 (The Fall of Saigon) – The war ended. North Vietnam was victorious. – 1.5 million Vietnamese dead – 58,000 Ameicancs dead

Cambodia The Vietnam War created instability in southeast Asia  this contributed to problems in Cambodia – Khmer Rouge, a brutal Communist govt. led by Pol Pot, slaughtered 2 million people in Cambodia (1/4 of the population). It wasn’t until 1993 that Cambodia held free elections.

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