Wars: Korea and Vietnam

The Korean War: 1950-1953

38th Parallel After WWII – Korea

is a divided nation 38th Parallel divides

North: the Japanese surrendered to the Soviets (Com-munist)

South: surrendered to the U.S.

Standoff 1949 Most troops

from U.S. and Soviet R. were withdrawn

Gamble: Soviets did not think U.S. would defend S. Korea – so they armed the North to take over.

Surprise Attack 1950 N. Korea crossed the 38th

Parallel and attacked S. Korea Pres. Truman was determined to keep

S. Korea non-communist S. Korea sought help from the UN Soviets were absent in protest – could

not veto any votes 15 nations (incl. U.S. and Britain)

participated in helping S. Korea

Douglas MacArthur Was in charge 1950 – launched a

surprise attack “Pincer Action” –

troops moving north from Pusan (non-communist) met amphibian landing at Inchon.

Half of the North Koreans surrendered – the rest retreated.

The Fighting Continues

The UN troops (mainly U.S.) pursued the retreating N. Koreans back to N. Korea to the Chinese border

1950 – the Chinese felt threatened and sent 300,000 troops into N. Korea

They outnumbered the UN troops and drove the U.N. and S. Korean troops out of N. Korea.

Then, they captured the S. Korean capital of Seoul.

“We face an entirely new war.” D. MacArthur

MacArthur wanted a nuclear attack against China.

Truman thought this reckless – said no.

MacArthur went to Congress and the press.

Truman removed him.

Next Two Years……

UN forces fought to drive the Chinese and N. Koreans back.

1952 – UN troops regain control of S. Korea

1953 – UN forces and N. Korea signed a cease-fire agreement

The border was set again near the 38th parallel.

4 million soldiers and civilians had died.

Aftermath

Korea remained divided; a demilit-arized (no military activity) zone; it still exists

North Korea – Kim Il Sung – communist and established collective farms

He developed heavy industry and built up the military.

Died - 1994

Next North Korean Leader

Sung’s son, Kim Jong Il, took over.

Developed nuclear weapons – had serious economic problems

South Korea Prospered because of massive aid

from U.S. and other countries who were anti-communist

1960s – concentrated on developing industry and foreign trade

1987 – free elections 1980s – 90s: S. Korea had one of the

highest econ. growth rates in the world.

Today….

North and South Korea still divided over political differences

N. Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons is a major obstacle.

The U.S. still keeps troops in S. Korea

*** You Tube Video 28:24

The Korean War 1950-53

The Vietnam War 1957 - 1973

Vietnam Stemmed from

Cold War ‘Containment’ policy

After WW2, stopping communism was the goal of U.S. foreign policy

Ho Chi Minh Early 1900s – France

controlled most of Southeast Asia aka Indochina (now Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia)

Vietnam= resource-rich

Nationalist indepen-dence Movement began

Ho Chi Minh = leader

-He turned to Communists for help

-1930s: his Indochinese Communist Party led revolts against the French

-The French jailed protesters; also sentenced Ho Chi Minh to death

-He fled into exile; returned to Vietnam in 1941

-Japanese had control of during WW2

-Ho and other nationalists founded the Vietminh (Independence) League

-1945 – Defeated, the Japanese were forced out of Vietnam,

-Ho Chi Minh thought they would have independence

-The French wanted to regain Vietnam as its colony

The Fighting Begins Vietnamese Nationalists and Communists

joined to fight the French French held most major cities Vietminh had widespread countryside

support Vietminh used hit-and-run tactics to confine

the French to the cities 1954 – major French defeat at Dien Bien

Phu French surrendered to Ho

Domino Theory Because of the French

defeat, U.S. saw a threat to the rest of Asia

President Eisenhower: the SE Asian nations were like a row of dominoes

The fall of one to communism, would lead to the fall of its neighbors

This was the major justification for U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War

A Divided Country After Fr. Defeat –

international peace conference in Geneva

To discuss the future of Indochina

Vietnam was divided at 17degree north latitude

Leaders North: Ho Chi Minh

and Communist forces

South: the U.S. and France set up an anti-Communist govt. under…

Ngo Dinh Diem - he became a dictator

Vietcong Opposition to

Diem’s govt. grew Vietcong: were

Communist guerrillas - trained soldiers from N. Vietnam

Most were S. Vietnamese who hated Diem

Gradually the Vietcong won control of the large areas of the countryside

1963 – a group of S. Vietnamese generals had Diem assassinated.

New leaders were just as bad as Diem A takeover by the Communist

Vietcong, backed by N. Vietnam was inevitable

The U.S. Gets Involved 1964 – Pres. Lyndon

Johnson told Congress that two U.S. destroyers were attacked by the N. Vietnamese – Gulf of Tonkin

Congress gave the okay to have U.S. troops go into Vietnam

1965 – 185,000 U.S. soldiers were in Vietnam

U.S. planes had begun to bomb N. Vietnam

1968 – more than half a million U.S. soldiers were in combat there.

Two Major Problems for the U.S.

U.S. troops were the best equipped and most advan-ced, but…

1. Guerrilla warfare was new to them

Unfamiliar country 2. S. Vietnam (U.S.

was fighting for them) was unpopular

U.S. Air Power Unable to win a victory

on ground – U.S. used air power

Bombed millions of acres of farmland and forests – to destroy enemy hideouts

This made peasants hate S. Vietnam even more and opposed their government

The United States Withdraws Late 1960s – U.S.

citizens protested war – too much loss of life

1969 - Pres. Richard Nixon starts withdrawing U.S. troops from Vietnam in 1969

Vietnamization U.S. troops would gradually pull out

giving South Vietnam an increased combat role

Nixon authorized a massive bombing campaign against N. Vietnam bases and supply routes

Also authorized bombing of Laos and Cambodia to destroy Vietcong hideouts

Because of U.S. protesting, Nixon kept withdrawing U.S. troops

1973 – the last U.S. troops left

Two years later – N. Vietnam overran S. Vietnam

1.5 million Vietnamese died

58,000 Americans died

Draft Protests 18-26 years of age

366 blue plastic capsules contained the birthdays that would be chosen in the first Vietnam draft lottery drawing on December 1, 1969. The first birth date drawn that night, assigned the lowest number, "001," was September 14. (Selective Service Archive)

How to avoid being drafted: Student or medical

deferments Other reasons

(hardship) Volunteered Fled to Canada

Kent State – May 4, 1970 When Pres. Nixon

okayed the inva-sion of Cambodian to destroy Viet-namese Commu-nist bases

U.S. nationwide protest on college campuses

Military was sent to Kent State

4 students died 9 wounded U.S. was shocked

**** You Tube

Kent State Shooting: 40 years later 3:59

Vietnam Memorial – Wash. DC

*** L360 U.S. Wars: Vietnam War 28:27

Assignment:

Draw a Venn diagram and compare and contrast the Korean and Vietnam Wars.