1. Korea and Vietnam Fights between East and West

2. Korean War  After WWII, Korea divided along 38 th Parallel  North: Communist  South: Democratic  Soviets arm North Korea, encourage them to take over South Korea  South Korea asks for UN Assistance

4. Korean War  UN Security Council votes to send forces  15 nations go, including the USA  US General Douglas MacArthur leads the forces  North Korea nearly takes over the whole Korean Peninsula by September, 1950  UN forces arrived, and by November, 1950, UN forces are close to the Korea-Chinese border  China sends 300,000 troops at this point  Fight will continue for two more years

5. Korean War Ends  Truce signed in July 1953.  No peace treaty is actually ever signed  The border remains the 38 th Parallel  De-Militarized Zone (DMZ)  North Korea remains communist, struggles economically  South Korea stays democratic, supported by the USA and thrives

7. Vietnam: Background  Vietnam is a French Colony prior to WWII  Ho Chi Minh, inspired by communism, wants freedom for Vietnam  Japan occupies during WWII  After war, France refuses to grant independence, Minh leads people in revolt, wins  Vietnam divided 1954  North, lead by Ho Chi Minh, communist  South, US-French Backed dictator.

9. Vietnam War  Pro-communist fighters threaten South  1964, U.S. enters the conflict, sending several hundred thousand troops  Two problems:  Fighting a guerrilla war in an unfamiliar jungle location  Supporting a government in the South that is extremely unpopular  Did not have success on the ground, so US starts bombing the jungle, hoping to hit enemy hideouts  Makes the Americans and the South even more unpopular

10. War in Vietnam Ends  The war was EXTREMELY unpopular at home  Mass protests, especially among university students  Kent State shootings, 1968  President Nixon announces that US troops will begin withdrawl in 1969  Last US troops leave in 1973  58,000 US Dead  North Vietnam conquers South in 1975