1. WARM UP – December 1
Using your notes from yesterday, answer the following questions on a post it:
1. What two sections was Korea divided into following World War II?
2. What line divided Korea? What political ideology was in the North? Which political ideology was in the South?
3. What countries supported North Korea? What countries supported South Korea?
3. Why was General Douglas MacArthur fired by President Truman?
4. How was the Korean War both a victory and defeat for the United States?

2. Unit 9 – The Cold War CONFLICT IN VIETNAM

3. France and Vietnam
Formerly known as French Indochina – a French colony
Post-WWII Indochina wanted independence  French army vs. Vietminh
Vietnamese freedom fighters led by communist Ho Chi Minh

4. US and Vietnam
US didn’t support French colonialism, but also did not support Ho Chi Minh’s communism
US stayed out of the conflict until China and North Korea became communist by 1953  financial aid to France to fight Vietminh
Post-WWII presidents believed in the Domino Theory – the idea that if one country falls to communism, the surrounding countries will fall too.
Provides support for US containment policies

5. France Falls
1954 – Vietminh defeat French forces at Dien Bien Phu  French decided to leave Vietnam
Vietminh used guerilla warfare - irregular warfare in which a small group of combatants such as armed civilians or irregulars use unorthodox military tactics to fight a larger, less-mobile traditional military
Ambushes
Sabotage
Raids
Hit-and-run
Booby traps

6. Geneva Accords
1954 – Meeting in Geneva between French and Vietminh (plus US, GB, USSR, and China)
Indochina  3 countries
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Vietnam  2 sections
North Vietnam (NV) – Communist, led by Ho Chi Minh
South Vietnam (SV) – Pro-western nationalist, led by Ngo Dinh Diem

7. US and Diem
Elections in Vietnam set for 1956 to unify the north and south BUT Diem refused to hold elections
Feared Ho would win and Vietnam would be communist
US (Eisenhower) supported Diem
Believed he could turn SV into a strong independent nation
Supplied financial aid
Diem was a terrible leader
Corrupt administration
No opposing views

8. Vietcong
emergence of the Vietcong - Communist rebel group in SV
Fought against Diem in SV
Supported by Minh and NV
Received NV weapons via the Ho Chi Minh Trail - intricate system of paths running between NV and SV
Effective with guerilla warfare  Diem looked to the US to help fight Vietcong

9. Diem’s Unpopularity No follow-through on promised land reforms
Seen as weak for not defeating Vietcong
Suppressed opposing views
Diem was Catholic and persecuted Buddhists
Destroyed temples, imprisoned Buddhists
In response, some Buddhist monks committed self-immolation – killing oneself as a sacrifice (usually by fire)

10. JFK and Vietnam
1960 – JFK as POTUS, needed to appear tough on communism  increased aid to Vietnam and urged Diem to make democratic reforms (little effect)
As SV became more unstable, JFK’s administration agreed Diem should step down  Nov. 2, 1963 – US CIA supported SV military leaders overthrew Diem and executed him
Execution was against JFK’s wishes
Nov. 22, 1963 – JFK assassinated… LBJ inherits Vietnam crisis

11. Gulf of Tonkin
Diem’s successors were not successful either, but LBJ continued to supply aid
Contradictory to JFK’s plans to begin withdrawing aid to SV
LBJ determined not to let SV fall to communism
August 2-4, 1964 – LBJ informed that NV ships fired on US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin twice and US ships fired back
LBJ wanted to begin a bombing campaign on NV, but needed a provoking incident and permission from Congress (war powers)

12. Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Tonkin Gulf Resolution – August 7, Congress granted LBJ military powers in Vietnam without a declaration of war
Authorized the president to “take all necessary measure to repel any armed attack against the forces of the US and to prevent future aggression.”
Essentially begins the “Vietnam War”
2005 declassified report revealed that the 2nd attack never happened
Feb 1965 – 8 Americans killed by Vietcong in SV  “Operation Rolling Thunder” – 1st sustained bombing campaign of NV
By June 1965, over 50,000 US troops in SV fighting the Vietcong

13. T-O-D: December 1 Answer the following questions on a post it:
1. Which European country did the Vietnamese fight for their independence?
2. Term to describe the idea that if one country falls to communism, the surrounding countries will fall too.
3. The Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into which two sections?
4. What kind of political ideology was in North Vietnam? Who was the north’s leader?
5. What leader did the U.S. support in South Vietnam? What did the U.S support when we decided that the leader in south was not doing a good job?
6. What did the Tonkin Gulf Resolution allow the President to do?