Today’s Goals  Assess the causes and outcomes of revolutions and conflicts in China, Cuba, Korea, and Vietnam that happened during the Cold War.

Warm-Up! What are your opinions on the division of Korea after World War II? Do you see any potential for conflict based on its geographic location?

Did You Know???  A caterpillar has more muscles in its body than a human.  People who are right handed live an average of 9 years longer than lefties.  The first person to travel in space? Laika

Introduction  Shortly after World War II, China was split into two separate nations due to a brutal civil war.  A conflict is caused in Korea due to the splitting of the country into democratic and communist sections.  The United States containment policy leads to instability in Indochina.

Trouble in Korea  Immediately after World War II, the Allies agreed to temporarily occupy Korea to promote stability in the region. In 1945, Soviet troops moved into the Northern part of Korea. The United States stationed troops in the Southern part of the state, with the 38 th parallel as the dividing line between the two. The two sides could never successfully complete an election.

Trouble in Korea, cont’d  By 1948 a communist government had emerged in the North with a democratic counterpart in the South.

The Korean War  In 1950, the Northern government invaded the South with the hopes of uniting Korea under Communist rule. The United Nations denounced the action and organized an army to stop the invasion. ○ The U.N. army was made of 90% American troops.  In the first few months of fighting the Northern army conquered almost all of Korea.

The Counterattack!  The U.N. troops, led by Douglas MacArthur, counterattacked and pushed back to the Chinese border. The Chinese came to the aid of the North Koreans and pushed the U.N. forces back to the 38 th parallel.  In July 1953 the war reached a stalemate and a truce was signed. Over 5 million people were killed and the country was divided along the 38 th parallel.

MacArthur Dismissed?!?!  After the U.N. counterattack, Douglas Macarthur believed that the U.N. forces should fight the Chinese directly to eliminate Communism in the region.  Harry Truman disagreed, and ordered MacArthur not to attack China.  MacArthur denounced Truman’s decision in a letter to a congressman, and Truman dismissed MacArthur a few days later.

Indochina’s Struggle  After World War II, Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh forces declared Indochina the Republic of Vietnam in  The French and Vietminh forces could not agree on a power structure, so a war soon begun.  The United States backed their French allies due to Ho Chi Minh’s Communist ties. However, in 1954 the French troops withdrew because of a devastating loss.

Big Trouble in Indochina  A month before the war started, Vietnam has been divided along the 17 th parallel with Communist guerillas, known as Viet Cong, gathering in the northern part of the country.  The Viet Cong soon invaded the southern part of the country with the hopes of uniting Vietnam under the rule of Ho Chi Minh.

The Vietnam War  In the 1950s the United States adopted the domino theory and believed that if a country fell to Communism then several would follow.  Domino Theory Domino Theory  In 1964, the Gulf of Tonkin resolution was passed, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson the ability to escalate the situation in Vietnam without a declaration of war from Congress.  In March of 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson sent ground troops to support South Vietnam. By 1968, the American forces numbered 500,000 and U.S. planes were performing regular bombing missions including napalm.

Run Forrest Run!!!  Forrest Gump Vietnam Scene Forrest Gump Vietnam Scene

Opposition to Vietnam  The war soon dragged on much longer than expected, and the American media showed extensive photographs and provided coverage of the war that had never been seen.  In 1968, the height of the conflict, the Communist forces launched the Tet Offensive as a statement of military strength. The display was enough to convince the United States that it was time to begin the withdrawing troops.  American opposition to the war grew at an alarming pace and in 1973 a cease fire, known as the Case-Church Amendment, ended the U.S. involvement officially.

The Fall of Saigon  On April 30, 1975 the southern capital city of Saigon fell to Communist rule. This officially ended all fighting and reunited the country under Communist rule.  Over 2 million people, including 60,000 American troops, were killed as a result of the conflict.  After the war, Vietnam remained politically isolated due to the effects of the war. Today, Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with many nations and its economy has emerged greatly since 2000.