history conflict and tension in Asia Flashcards
what happened to Korea after the war
After World War Two, Korea had been divided at the 38th parallel into the Soviet-backed communist North Korea, and non-communist, South Korea
who was the leader of north Korea
Kim Il Sung
who was the leader of south Korea
Syngman Rhee
why and when did the Korean war start
In June 1950, with the support of China and the Soviet Union, North Korea launched an attack on South Korea across the 38th parallel.
why did the USA get involved in the Korean war
The USA believed it could win and that China would not intervene.
they also wanted to prevent the
domino effect
The Truman Doctrine had promised to help countries who were threatened by communism.
Why did the USSR get involved in the Korean war?
It was part of Soviet ideology to spread
communism which is what Kim Il Sung was trying to do.
why did china get involved in the Korean war
MacArthur and the UN forces
crossing the 38th parallel worried China. China feared an American invasion.
why was mac MacArthur sacked
General MacArthur called for the use of
atomic weapons to defend Korea but this was denied by President Truman and MacArthur was sacked.
what where the consequences of the Korean war for Korea
3-4 million Koreans died
The relationship between North and South Korea was bitter and tense.
what where the consequences of the Korean war for the US
containment of communism had worked so America increased her commitment to the
Truman Doctrine
The war led to massive American
rearmament.
US-Chinese relations worsened.
give background to the war in vietnam
Vietnam had been a French
colony before it was occupied by the Japanese during World War Two. After World War Two it was returned to French control but many Vietnamese people wanted independence. As a result, in the 1950s the French found themselves fighting a war against the Viet Minh
what was the Viet Minh
an organisation dedicated to getting rid of foreign imperialist
when where the French defeated and taken out of Vietnam
In 1954, the French were finally defeated by the Viet Minh at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. This defeat was formalised in the Geneva Agreement
what happened after the French where defeated
Vietnam was split into two zones at the 17th parallel a northern zone to be governed by Ho Chi Minh and a southern zone to be governed by an anti-communist government led by Diem.
how and why did the USA support Diem
The USA sent military advisors to support Diem, because they believed that if Vietnam reunified under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh and fell to communism, all the surrounding countries would become communist too
talk about Diem
Diem was an unpopular leader with the majority of the South Vietnamese people.
He was a Catholic and openly discriminated against Buddhists (the majority religion in Vietnam at the time). Some Buddhists, for example the Buddhist monk Quang Duc, burnt themselves to death in protest at Diem’s government.
what happened as a result of diems unpopular government
people in South Vietnam began to give their support to an opposition organisation - the National Liberation Front, also known as the Vietcong.
who was the vietcong suported by
The Vietcong was aided and supplied by
communist, North Vietnam and its leader Ho Chi Minh.
what was the strategic hamlets policy
Strategic Hamlets policy had been introduced in 1962. It was meant to create ‘safe villages’, and was supposed to stop the Vietcong from getting their supplies and soldiers from villages.
why was the strategic hamlets unpopular with south Vietnamese people
it meant destroying peasant villages near areas held by the Vietcong and forcefully relocating the people.
why did the USA get involved in the Vietnam war
The non-communist
government of South Vietnam looked in danger of being overthrown by the communist-backed Vietcong
what was the us tactic of search and destroy
From 1965, the American military began a policy of sending soldiers into the jungle and villages of Vietnam. This tactic also led to a high number of civilian casualties, destruction of villages and atrocities like the My Lai Massacre all of which damaged the USA’s reputation.
what was operation rolling thunder
American bombing campaign during the Vietnam War
why was operation rolling thunder a failure
The bombing campaign failed because the bombs often fell into empty jungle, missing their targets. The Vietcong knew the jungle and made use of elaborate underground bases and tunnels to shelter from US bombs
what was the My Lai massacre
In 1968 US soldiers, searching for Vietcong, raided the village of My Lai, killing around 300 civilians, including children.
what was the roll of the media in the Vietnam war
Events like the My Lai Massacre were reported in the US press leading many ordinary Americans to question the war. Film footage of US soldiers burning homes and of the effects of napalm all turned public opinion against the war.
what was the Kent state shooting
In 1970, officers from the National Guard shot at anti-war protestors at
Kent State University, killing four students.
what was the Ho Chi Minh trail
a secrete trail that meant Vietcong members were kept well supplied by a constant stream of food and arms from the North.
what was the Tet offensive
In 1968, the Vietcong used the cover of the Buddhist New Year (Tet) to launch a massive attack on US-held areas across South Vietnam, including the US Embassy in Saigon.
why was the Tet offensive a success for the Vietcong
although ultimately they were driven back by the US Army, it showed the Americans that despite all the soldiers, bombs, and money spent in Vietnam, they were not making progress against the Vietcong or communism.
what where some defensive gorilla warfare tactics used by the vietcong
The Viet Cong camouflaged their camps and placed vital facilities, such as hospitals and command rooms, underground. Lookouts were stationed around each camp so that it could be quickly evacuated if enemy soldiers were spotted.
Another method to protect the camps was the use of booby traps
what where some offensive gorilla warfare tactics used by the vietcong
The Viet Cong tried to avoid fighting the US troops directly.
They led ambushes against US patrols using small teams of well-hidden Viet Cong.
They prepared traps, where they would tempt US troops into a pre-prepared position and attack them.
what where the effects of the vietcong tactics
The US forces experienced an increasing number of casualties. The number reached a high point in 1968, when over 14,000 troops were killed. This had a major impact on the morale of the troops.
what was Vietnamisation
Nixon won the election and became president in early 1969. During his campaign, he had promised ‘peace with honour’ in Vietnam. During the peace negotiations in 1969, Nixon’s plan to secure ‘peace with honour’ became clear. His policy was called ‘Vietnamisation’, which involved:
he gradual withdrawal of US troops from South Vietnam an increase in the number of Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) troops to replace the US forces
the Nixon Doctrine, which was a promise to supply US military equipment to support the ARVN instead of providing US troops
why was there early success with Vietnamisation
Nixon announced a plan to bring back the first of the 538,700 troops in June 1969. By 1970, the number of US troops in Vietnam had dropped to 334,600. At the same time, the ARVN’s forces grew from 820,000 in 1969 to 968,000 in 1970.
what where some problems with Vietnamisation in its early stages
the ARVN’s forces suffered high casualties in conflicts and their morale was low
corruption and poor management of the ARVN
the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops were still a serious threat to ARVN
what was oppiration menue
President Richard Nixon wanted to improve the negotiating position of the USA in the peace talks, so his team planned Operation Menu. The plan was to expand the war into Cambodia and bomb communist bases from the air. The operation began in March 1969.
It was kept secret from the US public, as Nixon feared their reaction would be negative.
It was only discovered in May 1970, when the New York Times exposed it. By that time, the operation was over and the USA was involved in an invasion of Cambodia.
describe the expansion into Laos
In January 1971, forces of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) led an invasion, supported by US troops, of Laos.
The plan was similar to the plan for the Cambodian invasion. The troops were to destroy communist bases and communist supply lines into South Vietnam.
This operation was called Operation Lam Son 719, but it failed as the ARVN forces were defeated and suffered many casualties.
why did Nixon escalate the bombing campaign in north Vietnam
to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh trail and hit Vietcong bases in the neighbouring countries of Laos and Cambodia
to force the North Vietnamese to negotiate after initial peace talks (from early 1969 on) broke down
what where the Paris peace accords
in Paris on January 1973 Henry Kissinger, US National Security Advisor and Le Duc Tho, Member of the Vietnamese Communist Party negotiated an end to the war in Vietnam
what was the outcome of the Paris peace accords
A ceasefire was agreed, and American forces would leave Vietnam. The city of Saigon fell to the communists on 30 April 1975. The final hours of the American presence in Vietnam were a mad scramble to evacuate US personal and South Vietnamese civilians to US navy ships in the South China Sea.
Once American forces were out of Vietnam, the way was open for a communist takeover of the South. In April 1975, the forces of North Vietnam entered the southern city of Saigon and the country was unified under communist leadership.
Consequence of the US ‘defeat’ in Vietnam
The policy of containment had failed militarily: despite the USA’s superior military strength it could not stop the spread of communism.
the atrocities committed by the US military in Vietnam in terms of the number of civilian deaths and the use of chemical weapons, had tarnished America’s image at home and abroad.
The war had cost 58,000 American and 1-4 million Vietnamese lives, affected 700,000 American veterans; cost America over one hundred billion dollars, and damaged reputation and morale at home.
