COLD WAR CONFLICTS Korean War and Vietnam Conflict 5/1/15

Why did we fight these wars?  Containment- stop the spread of communism  Domino Theory- if one country fell to communism, the neighboring countries would fall to communism as well.  Korean- North Korea and China(communist) vs. U.S. and South Korea (democracy)  Vietnam- North Vietnam (communist) vs. U.S. and South Vietnam (democracy)

Korean War Background  During WWII, Japan controlled the Korean Peninsula  After WWII, U.S.S.R. controlled Korea north of 38 th parallel and U.S. controlled Korea south of 38 th parallel

Korean War “The Forgotten War” ( )  Started in June 1950  North Korea invaded South Korea  U.S. appealed to the United Nations  16 nations came to help South Korea

Korean War  North Korean advanced all the way to Pusan.  Americans pushed the North Koreans back north to the Yalu River  China comes to the defense of North Korea  Fighting was at a deadlock  Cease fire in July 1953

Results of Korean War  Korea divided at 38 th parallel (North and South Korea)  U.S. casualties:  178,000 KIA  566,000 wounded  North Korea/China:  367, ,000 KIA  686, ,000 wounded  Civilians: 2.5 million killed/wounded

Leaders in Vietnam  Ho Chi Minh (North Vietnam)  Ngo Dinh Diem (South Vietnam)  Agreed to unify Vietnam in 1956  Diem refused to hold elections because Ho Chi Minh would win (U.S. backed his decision)

Start of Vietnam conflict  Communist rebel group opposed Diem (Viet Cong)  Gulf of Tonkin Incident  U.S. war ships reported taking fire from the North Vietnamese.  President Johnson uses this incident to send more American troops  By 1968, 536,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam

Tet Offensive  January 30 and 31 st, 1968  Surprise attack on more than 100 cities throughout Vietnam on their lunar New Year.  Turning point of the war (losing battle for the U.S.)

End of the conflict  Conflict was very unpopular in the U.S.  Jan the U.S. agreed to withdraw all of its troops  April 30, 1975 North Vietnamese captured Saigon (war was over)

Vietnam War Casualties  U.S.-  58,000 KIA  300,000 wounded  South Vietnamese-  200, ,000 KIA  North Vietnamese-  500,000-1 million