Cold War Spreads to Asia (continued)

Today’s Agenda Vietnam Discuss split, war, and leadership during Cold War Video Clip Cambodia Discuss rise of Khmer Rouge and Cambodian Genocide during Cold War Political Cartoon CNN Clips Activity: Concept Circles Foldable Vocabulary from this Lesson: Domino Theory, Imperialism, Dien Bien Phu, Vietminh, Ho Chi Minh, Ngo Dinh Diem, Pol Pot, Killing Fields, Khmer Rouge, Indochina

The Vietnam War Mr. Trotman

Background Information In the 1950s, Americans were very concerned about the spread of communism. Role of French Imperialism – had control of Vietnam, Laos, & Cambodia – They called this area “Indochina” Japan took areas during WWII France regained after war – Nationalists and Communists did not want to be under the control of France again

Vietnam War Ho Chi Minh helped the Communist party rise to power He spent years in exile in the Soviet Union Later he returned and organized the Vietminh to overthrow the Japanese. Then they overthrew the French. The Communist wanted full independence from France. America was in a tough position – Support an independent Communist government – or support French colonialism, which they did not want either.

Vietnam War Domino Theory: The US believed that if one country became communist, its neighbors would fall to the communists However, the French were militarily humiliated at Dien Bien Phu and agreed to withdraw from the region. Geneva Accords Vietnam was temporarily divided (North and South) and asked to hold free elections within the year Conference decided to split Vietnam into 2 zones – North: Ho Chi Minh/Communists – South: elected government Cambodia and Laos were also set free from French imperialism

Domino Theory

A Divided Vietnam

Vietnam War Strict Catholic Banned flags resembling Buddha Became unpopular The U.S. got very involved with the war Overthrown and executed by his own generals The Vietcong (Communist guerrilla fighters) attempted to take the South in 1957 The War Seemed Hopeless First the US sent supplies, then it sent troops – Americans did not want to enter the war – American soldiers were dying, people were protesting in the US There did not seem to be an end in sight the US withdrew its troops – 58,000 killed – 365,000 injured South-Ngo Dinh Diem

The Cambodian Genocide Mr. Trotman

Geography Cambodia borders Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand. It is slightly smaller than Oklahoma It has mostly low, flat plains and some mountains in southwest and north It’s natural resources include oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese and phosphates

History Cambodia was colonized by the French, taken over by the Japanese in WWII, and handed power after the war. Cambodia had medieval success during the Angkorian period began in AD It was rich and a royal society.

United States after WWII The United States is a democratic country which promotes democracy During the Cold War, the United States was competing against the other great superpower, the USSR. The U.S. practiced a policy known as “containment” in order to “contain” communism. The USSR was communist.

Cambodian Genocide The Vietnam War had spilled over into neighboring Cambodia. A civil war broke out and a communist leader named Pol Pot organized a coup of the Cambodian government. Pol Pot called his regime the Khmer Rouge

The Cambodian Genocide Pol Pot wanted to bring Cambodia to its original glory through dictatorship and communist ideals. The population must, they believed, be made to work as laborers in one huge federation of collective farms.

The Cambodian Genocide All political and civil rights were abolished. Children were taken from their parents and placed in separate forced labor camps. Factories, schools and universities were shut down; so were hospitals. Lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers, scientists and professional people in any field (including the army) were murdered, together with their extended families.

The Cambodian Genocide Religion was banned, all leading Buddhist monks were killed and almost all temples destroyed. Music and radio sets were also banned. It was possible for people to be shot simply for knowing a foreign language, wearing glasses, laughing, or crying. One Khmer slogan ran 'To spare you is no profit, to destroy you is no loss.'

The Killing Fields CNN Documentary Part One and Part TwoPart OnePart Two

The Cambodian Genocide 1.7 out of 8 million people were killed during the four years Pol Pot ruled Cambodia The leaders from the Khmer Rouge were never brought to trial.

Political Cartoon