Jigsaw Activity Step 1: – You will be assigned Korea or Vietnam. Read the questions that go with your reading & get into your assigned group. Step 2: – You have 15 minutes to answer questions about your assigned reading. Step 3: – Check in with your group that your answers are correct. Step 4: – You will be assigned a partner. Share your responses with your partner.

Learning Objective: – Today I will be able to compare the Korean and Vietnam war by creating a Venn diagram. Agenda: 1.Learning Objective 2.Lecture Notes: Ch Wars in Korea & Vietnam 3.Why US Lost Vietnam War 4.Exit Slip

Korean War – ( ) war between communist North Korea & US controlled South Korea. Lecture Notes: Ch Wars in Korea & Vietnam

38 th parallel – 38 degrees latitude, where Korea became divided. – Japanese invaders surrendered to Soviet Union north of the 38 th parallel. – Japan also surrendered to the US in south of the 38 th parallel. When WWII ended, Korea remained divided, just like Germany. Soviet Union & US later withdrew their control in Korea.

– June 25, 1950, North Koreans communist attacked South Korea. – Truman & UN intervene Security Council voted on war aid to Korea, but Soviet Union was absent because they were boycotting the US’s unwillingness to recognize Nationalist China (Taiwan).

Douglas MacArthur – Commanded UN troops in S. Korea. – UN troops landed behind enemy lines & surround N. Korean troops-  which surrender.

China Gets Involved – UN & South Korean troops push the N. Korean too far up North, past the Yalu River going into China. – Jan. 1951, Communist China feel threatened & attack. Aids North Korean

– War wages on for two yrs. moving back & forth the 38 th parallel until cease-fire agreement is signed, – Korea remained divided by the 38 th parallel. North Korea was ruled by Kim Il Sung, til – Kim Jong Il, til 2011—Kim Jong-un, present. South Korea established a democratic constitution with the help of US

Vietnam War: ( ) US war to fight communism in Vietnam, “living-room-war.” Indochina was a French Colony seized by Japan in WWII After WWII France tried to regain Vietnam Truman sent $15 million aide to France in 1950 to regain Vietnam. During WWII, US aided Vietnam to defeat Japan. Why would the US turn their back against Vietnam and help France?

Ho Chi Minh: led rebellion in Vietnam for independence against France, before/after WWII. US saw 2 major benefits by helping France– US maintain ally against Soviet Union & contain communism. Domino Theory: idea that countries will become communist, one by one (coined by Eisenhower). Vietminh defeated French in Dien Bien Phu, May Geneva Accord: USSR, US, China, Laos, GB, France, & Vietminh met, Vietnam divided in 17 th parallel, North communist & south nationalist

Statewide election in 1956, Ho Chi Minh vs. Ngo Dinh Diem. – Minh popular among peasants – US promised Diem military aid – Diem refused elections & harshly suppressed anyone who opposed him.----Buddhist Demolitions – JFK supported Diem ( b/c democrats too “soft” on communism. But, Diem executed later & JFK assassinated. Viet Cong: aka, National Liberation Front (NLF), communist group in South Vietnam began attacks on Diem gov. & fought US in the V. War. – Developed strong ties with Ho Chi Minh.

Ho Chi Minh Trail- supply line for SV Communists from NV, goes through Laos and Cambodia (not Vietnam). Operation Rolling Thunder- to halt flow of supplies into SV by constantly bombing the Ho Chi Minh trail & surrounding areas – *US strategy- increase military pressure to make SV resistance cost more than enemy was willing to bear. Evaluate if more bombing and killing by US forces will motivate the Vietcong to surrender? Explain.

*More bombings did not work, US dropped more tonnage of bombs in Vietnam than every country in WWII did combined 1) Vietcong are fighting a war for independence (Vietnamese simply want the west (Imperialism) out of their country, bombing furthered their resolve to fight 2) Vietnamese believe in reincarnation, not afraid to die. 3) Ho Chi Minh trail not visible Vietnam is a jungle and difficult to see where the enemy is. What should be the next US response? – US Sends more troops to Vietnam (Where is the US going to get these troops from?) – US troops in Vietnam ,000 troops ,ooo troops

Problems US soldiers faced Uncertain enemy- Vietcong blended in with civilians (farmer by day, VC by night) Hardships- jungle (can’t see), booby traps (legs blown off, unseen), moving on (take an area, leave, come back and fight to take it back again in one week) – *How do you claim you’re winning the war if you are not taking land?

Body Counts- # of Vietnamese killed – Problem- #’s were inflated (Gov. lied about the number of Vietnamese killed) – War was on television every night and the graphic images of US soldiers being shot did not correlate with body count numbers (Images looked like we were losing) Fighting Units- new soldiers brought in continually when others died, 1yr. and go home What problems do you think will arise in a unit where new troops are constantly replacing troops that were likked in action? What are the Vietnamese fighting for? What are American soldiers fighting for? – soldiers are fighting to survive

Technology- US tried to use sophisticated weapons to destroy a primitive enemy Napalm- incendiary explosive (gel that stays on fire and sticks to whatever it touches) Agent Orange- toxic pesticide to kill jungle foliage – *problem- causes cancer, skin disease, etc (often dropped on or near US troops) Analyze how these weapons will make it harder to win the war (win the hearts and minds of the South Vietnamese were are fighting to protect from Communism) – *War cost $2 bil. per month

Vietnamese Advantages- – Guerilla Tactics- hit and run – Booby traps- scare US soldiers – Know the terrain- fighting on home soil – Underground tunnels- villages underground, protected from bombs – Foreign aid- from North Vietnam (troops), China, and Russia (military supplies) *fighting a war for independence and willing to die

Exit Slip- Venn Diagram Compare the Korean War & the Vietnam War. What is one major similarities, and major differences between both wars. Korean War Vietnam War Similarities