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.
• 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.
Each government claimed the
sole right to rule Korea
NORTH KOREA
SOUTH KOREA
38TH PARALLEL DIVIDING
LINE BETWEEN NORTH
AND SOUTH KOREA
On June 25,
1950, North
Korea
invades
South Korea
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.
– Video - http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war/videos/sherman-pratt-survives-the-korean-war?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false#
• As the Chinese troops drove the UN troops south, MacArthur called
for a nuclear attack against Chinese cities, but President Truman
disagreed.
– Video - http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war/videos/douglas-macarthur?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false
• 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.
II) War in Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh 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
Southeast 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.
II) War in Vietnam
• An international peace conference divided Vietnam at the 17th
parallel, with Minh’s communists in the north and the US
backed anti-communist dictator Ngo Dinh Diem in the south.
• Diem was an unpopular leader, and after he cancelled elections
communist guerillas called Vietcong, gained strength in the
south.
• The United States decided to escalate its involvement by
sending troops to prevent the communist takeover.
• Despite 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.
• Video - http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history/videos/tet-offensive
On Aug. 2nd, 1964, a North
Vietnamese Patrol Boat Fires On The
USS Maddox & misses.
2 Days
later,
another
attack by
Vietnamese
On Aug 7, Congress adopts the
Tonkin Gulf Resolution, granting
Johnson broad military powers in
Vietnam.
In Feb. 1965, Johnson unleashes
Operation Rolling Thunder. The first
sustained bombing of North Vietnam
In March, U.S. combat troops began
arriving in South Vietnam. By June,
50,000 troops were battling the VC
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.
– Video - http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history/videos/dodgingthe-draft?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false
• 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 oppression caused 1.5 million
people to flee Vietnam. 200,000 boat people
died, 70,000 Vietnamese refugees eventually
settled in the US or Canada