Cold War Korean and Vietnam Wars American involvement

Cold War: Korean and Vietnam Wars

American involvement in the KOREAN WAR in the early 1950 s reflected the American policy of CONTAINMENT of COMMUNISM ◦ Containment “American policy of RESISTING the EXPANSION of communism around the world” War lasted 1950 -1953 Korean War

Background §Japanese lost Korea after World War II § 1945 Allies agreed on a TEMPORARY solution = division of Korea at the 38 th PARALLEL SOVIET-occupied NORTHERN zone AMERICAN-occupied SOUTHERN zone § §

Soon a PRO-AMERICAN government formed in SOUTH Korea and a COMMUNIST regime was established in NORTH Korea.

Koreans on BOTH sides of the dividing line wanted to UNIFY their nation JUNE 1950: the Korean War broke out when NORTH KOREAN troops INVADED South Korea over the 38 th parallel border they were determined to reunite Korea BY FORCE War breaks out in Korea

1)Pres. TRUMAN brought the issue of North Korean aggression to the UNITED NATIONS U. S. response

2)Truman ordered American AIR and NAVAL support + GROUND troops to aid the South Koreans.

4) Truman did NOT go to CONGRESS for an official declaration of war (as required by the CONSTITUTION) - Article 1, Section 8: Congress maintains the power to DECLARE WAR

The U. S. chose Gen. Douglas MACARTHUR to be the COMMANDER of the UN forces Americans made up roughly 80% of POLICE ACTION in Korea ◦ Police action: a LOCALIZED military action without declaration of war UN Police Action

American military forces led a United Nations COUNTERATTACK that drove deep into NORTH KOREA itself. Communist CHINESE forces came into the war on the side of North Korea to PUSH BACK UN forces STALEMATE developed between the two sides Waging the War

TRUCE signed in 1953 left Korea DIVIDED at almost the exact same place as before the war near the 38 th PARALLEL

1) Enormous FRUSTRATION in United States 54, 000 dead, 103, 000 wounded for LIMITED results 2) RESISTANCE of Communist forces, containment WITHOUT nuclear war Effects of Korean War

3) Huge INCREASE in MILITARY SPENDING 4) Development of powerful MILITARYINDUSTRIAL complex 5) Permanent MOBILIZATION of troops around the world

American involvement in the VIETNAM WAR also reflected the Cold War policy of CONTAINMENT of communism Vietnam War

“DOMINO theory”: refers to the fear that if one SOUTHEAST ASIAN nation fell to the Communists, the others would also fall Because of its GEOGRAPHIC location, a Communist TAKEOVER of Vietnam posed a THREAT to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand Background

Beginning in the 1950 s and continuing into the early 1960 s, the COMMUNIST government of NORTH Vietnam attempted to install a communist government in SOUTH Vietnam BY FORCE The UNITED STATES helped South Vietnam RESIST Increasing U. S. Involvement

The American military BUILDUP in Vietnam began under Pres. EISENHOWER and Pres. John F. KENNEDY After Kennedy’s ASSASSINATION in 1963, the military buildup was INTENSIFIED under Pres. Lyndon JOHNSON

Gulf of Tonkin August 1964: Johnson announced that North Vietnamese TORPEDOES had attacked U. S. destroyers in the GULF of TONKIN (INTERNATIONAL waters) Johnson asked CONGRESS for authority to take ACTION against North Vietnam Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin RESOLUTION

Fighting the War Nearly 3 MILLION Americans served in the Vietnam War Battlefield conditions were DIFFICULT: ◦ Viet Cong (Communist guerillas) were familiar with LANDSCAPE ◦ South Vietnamese seemed INDIFFERENT ◦ Intense HEAT, jungle climate

Viet Cong lacked sophisticated equipment, so they used GUERILLA warfare tactics ◦ Worked in small groups to launch SNEAK attacks ◦ Hid in elaborate underground TUNNELS ◦ Set BOOBY traps like camouflaged PITS and LAND MINES Ground War

SATURATION bombing: huge B-52 American bombers dropped thousands of tons of EXPLOSIVES over large areas Chemical weapons: ◦ NAPALM: a destructive CHEMICAL, splattered and burned uncontrollably when dropped from airplanes, including on human FLESH Air War

AGENT ORANGE HERBICIDE that killed leaves and undergrowth to expose Viet Cong hiding places; also killed CROPS and caused HEALTH problems

Forrest Gump in Vietnam

Despite the LARGE United States presence in South Vietnam (536, 000 by end of 1968), Communist forces INTENSIFIED their efforts

Tet Offensive ◦ Major offensive launched by VIET CONG and NORTH Vietnamese on January 30, 1968 ◦ Communists were extremely BRUTAL, killing anyone they labeled an enemy ◦ Viet Cong won PSYCHOLOGICAL victory

The country became BITTERLY DIVIDED over the Vietnam War. Some Americans SUPPORTED the American military and the war effort, hoped for military victory Other Americans believed the war was MORALLY WRONG, urged immediate withdrawal Political Divisions

Active opposition to the war occurred especially on COLLEGE campuses Students were among the first to speak out against the Vietnam War: ◦ “TEACH-INS” ◦ DRAFT RESISTANCE ◦ PROTESTS Student Activism

After Johnson declined to seek reelection, President NIXON was elected on his pledge to bring the war to an HONORABLE END. He instituted the policy of “VIETNAMIZATION” WITHDRAWING American troops and replacing them with South Vietnamese soldiers, while maintaining military aid to the South Vietnamese Nixon and “Vietnamization”

January 1973: U. S. , South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and Viet Cong signed FORMAL PEACE AGREEMENTS Nixon FORCED out of office by the WATERGATE scandal (1972 -1974) ◦ Break-in at Democratic National Convention headquarters ◦ Nixon part of illegal cover-up ◦ Nixon impeached, then resigned End of the War

Ultimately “Vietnamization” FAILED when South Vietnamese troops were UNABLE to resist INVASION by the Soviet-supplied North Vietnamese Army April 30, 1975 North Vietnam completed its CONQUEST of South Vietnam North and South Vietnam MERGED under communist control

More than 58, 000 Americans dead 300, 000 Americans wounded More than 2, 500 MIA (MISSING IN ACTION) and POWs (PRISONERS OF WAR) Impact of Vietnam War

LONGEST and LEAST successful war in American history United States spent at least $150 billion on the Vietnam War MORE bombs dropped on Vietnam than on all the Axis powers in WWII DIVIDED the nation more than any other war besides the Civil War

Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D. C.