During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union - allies vs Axis powers. Americans had long been suspicious about Soviet communism and concerned about Russian leader Joseph Stalin’s tyrannical rule of his own country. For their part, the Soviets resented the Americans’ decades-long refusal to treat the USSR as a legitimate part of the international community as well as their delayed entry into World War II. Soviet propaganda: America

During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union - allies vs Axis powers. Americans had long been suspicious about Soviet communism and concerned about Russian leader Joseph Stalin’s tyrannical rule of his own country. For their part, the Soviets resented the Americans’ decades-long refusal to treat the USSR as a legitimate part of the international community as well as their delayed entry into World War II. Soviet propaganda: America - interventionist power

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The Korean War (June 25, 1950 - July, 27, 1953)

Korea - former Japanese posession - now was at the hands of USA, USSR and China who were to decide her fate

1945 - Korea divided across 38th parallel, north - USSR, Kim Il Sung, south - US, Syngman Rhee

pre-war border skirmishes, 10,000 dead

June 25, 1950 - 75,000 DPRK Army soldiers cross 38th parallel - The first military action of the Cold War. By July, US gives S.K. full support

Defensive war was failing. DPRK - disciplined, well-trained, South - reluctant to fight, frightened, confused, water running out, Americans are forced to drink form rice paddies (intestinal disease)

April 1950, a National Security Council report known as NSC-68 had recommended that the United States use military force to “contain” communist expansionism anywhere it seemed to be occurring

By late summer - Truman and General Douglas MacArthur, decide on making the war an offensive one: liberating the North from the communists.

New strategy works: DPRK repelled beyond 38th parallel. US troops near the DRPK - China border, Mao threatens full-scale war on US.
Truman and his advisers were sure such a war would lead to Soviet aggression in Europe, atomic weapons deployment, millions of deaths. General MacArthur - vicyory at any cost, “There is no substitute for victory” against international communism. On April 11, the president fired the general for insubordination.

July 1951 - Truman and his new military commanders start peace talks at Panmunjom, both sides want a ceasefire, could not agree on whether POWs should be forcibly “repatriated” (China, DPRK for; US against). July 27, 1953 - peace treaty signed, POWs could chose to stay where they liked, ; a new boundary near the 38th parallel that gave South Korea an extra 1,500 square miles of territory; 2-mile-wide “demilitarized zone” that still exists today.

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5 million people died. More than half of these–civilians. Almost 40,000 Americans died in action, over 100,000 wounded.

The Vietnam War = Second Indochina War

NV, Viet Cong, Khmer Rouge, DPRK, China, USSR, Poland vs US, South Vietnam, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines,
1 November 1955 - fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975,
US involvement ending 1973.

Background
WW2 - Japan invades and occupies French Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh forms the Viet Minh, or the League for the Independence of Vietnam, to fight both Japan and France. Japan withdraws in 1945. Ho's Viet Minh forces rise up immediately, seizing the northern city of Hanoi, declare a Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) with Ho as president. France sets up the state of Vietnam (South Vietnam) in July 1949, Saigon as capital. 1954 - French defeat by Viet Minh forces. Geneva negotiations split Vietnam along the 17th parallel (with Ho in control in the North and Bao in the South) and called for nationwide elections for reunification to be held in 1956.
1955 - Ngo Dinh Diem seizes power in the South.

1955 - President Eisenhower had pledged his firm support to Diem and South Vietnam.
With training and equipment from American military and police, Diem's security forces arrested some 100,000 people, many of whom were tortured and executed.

1957 - Vietkong strikes back, targeting government officials

1960 - opposition to expressly pro-Catholic dictator Diem form National Liberation Front

US - domino principle - by 1962,under Kennedy, U.S. military presence in South Vietnam had reached some 9,000 troops

1963 - Diem and Kennedy are killed, Johnson takes over, increases military and economic support,

August 1964 - after an attack on US navy in the Gulf of Tonkin, USS Maddox incident, Johnson orders a retaliatory bombing strike on a number of targets in North Vietnam,

1964 - Congress soon passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave Johnson broad war-making powers, and U.S. planes began regular bombing raids the following February,

1965 - Johnson decides to send US military into action, sends 100,000 despite all warnings, then, in 1966, another 100,000. South Korea, New Zealand, Australia committed their forces.

Strategy of Attrition in South Vietnam:
aiming to kill as many enemy troops as possible rather than trying to secure territory.

1967 - 500,000, casualties: 15.000; wounded: over 100.000, mistrust, drug use, mutinies. The first televised war, people bombarded by horrific images. A mass demonstration near Pentagon.

January 31, 1968 - Tet Offensive, 70,000 in manpower, the attack was quickly repelled.

March, 1968 - US stops bombings.

May, 1968 - peace talks in Paris open, come to an impasse.

1969 - Nixon is US President - Vietnamisation