Download Chapter 17-3

Chapter 17-3
• War in Korea and Vietnam
– I) War in Korea
– II) War in Vietnam
I) War in Korea
• After World War II Korea became a divided nation. North
of the 38th parallel, Japanese troops surrendered to the
Soviets, south they surrendered to the Americans.
• Communist North Korea invades South Korea in a
surprise attack in June of 1950, penetrating deep into the
south.
• Zhou Enlai: “China will not stand idly by & let U.S. come
to the border”
• The united Nations sent an international force to Korea
to stop the invasion under the leadership of General
Douglas MacArthur.
• MacArthur launched a surprise amphibious landing
behind the North Korean troops at Inchon, causing about
half the troops to surrender, while the rest retreated.
I) War in Korea
• By late November of 1950 the UN troops had pushed the
North Koreans almost to the Yalu River at the border of
China.
• The Chinese felt threatened and sent 300,000 troops to
aid North Korea.
• As the Chinese troops drove the UN troops south,
MacArthur called for a nuclear attack against Chinese
cities, but President Truman disagreed.
• After 3 years of fighting, a cease fire agreement is
signed, setting up the border between North and South
Korea back on the 38th parallel, but approximately
5,000,000 people had died.
I) War in Korea
• Since the war Korea has remained a divided country.
• The Communist north, under dictator Kim Il Sung
established collective farms, built up heavy industry, and
military arms.
• Under his son Kim Jong Il, North Korea developed
nuclear weapons, but continues to struggle with
shortages of energy and food.
• South Korea free market economy prospered thanks to
massive aid from the United States, concentrating on
developing industry and foreign trade.
• After a succession of dictators, South Korea adopted a
democratic constitution in 1987 and had free elections.
I) War in Korea
• Capital of North Korea is Pyongyang
• Capital of South Korea is Seoul
• NSC – 68 (April 1950)
Classified report written by Paul Nitze and
issued by the U.S. National Security Council
• Called for a massive buildup of and an increase
in funding for armed forces to contain Soviets.
II) War in Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh (He who Enlightens) leads Vietnam
in a revolt against France to gain their
independence.
• Ho turns to the communists for help after United
States President Eisenhower backs the French
because of his domino theory, which said if one
Southest Asian nation fell to the communists,
others would follow.
• After the French suffered a major military defeat
at Dien Bien Phu, they surrendered to Ho.
• In 1941, (year after Japan takes control) Ho Chi
Minh returns home as a communist & joins with
other groups to form The Vietminh. Who seek
Vietnam’s independence from foreign rule.
• domino theory :
idea that countries bordering communist
countries were in danger of falling to
communism like dominos
II) War in Vietnam
• An international peace conference in Geneva, Switzerland
(Geneva Accords) divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel, with
Ho’s communists in the north and the US backed anticommunist dictator Ngo Dinh Diem in the south. Elections were
planned.
• Diem was an unpopular leader, and after he cancelled elections
communist guerillas called Vietcong, gained strength in the
south.
• The United States decided to get escalate its involvement by
sending troops to prevent the communist takeover.
• Despite being the most advanced army in the world, the United
States face two major problems
– 1. They were fighting a guerilla war in unfamiliar territory.
– 2. The South Vietnamese government defending was unpopular.
II) War in Vietnam
• During the 1960’s the war became increasingly
unpopular in the United States, and by 1969
President Nixon decided to begin withdrawing
troops.
• His plan called for Vietnamization, or gradually
pulling out US troops and replacing them with
South Vietnamese troops.
• The last US troops left in 1973 and two short
years later the North Vietnamese communists
overran the South.
II) War in Vietnam
• The communist Khmer Rouge take over
Cambodia and under the leadership of Pol Pot
slaughter 2,000,000 people.
• More than 1,500,000 Vietnamese had been
killed and 58,000 Americans lost their lives.
• Communist oppresio0n caused 1.5 million
people to flee Vietnam. 200,000 boat people
died, 70,000 Vietnamese refugees eventually
settled in the US or Canada