1 / 22

War in Southeast Asia

War in Southeast Asia. Dates to Remember. WWI (1914-1919) France, Great Britain, USA v . Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire WWII (1939-1945) Great Britain, USA, USSR v . Germany, Italy, Japan Indochina Wars (1945-1954) France v . Vietnam Korean War (1950-1953)

ziarre
Download Presentation

War in Southeast Asia

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. War in Southeast Asia

  2. Dates to Remember • WWI (1914-1919) • France, Great Britain, USA v. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire • WWII (1939-1945) • Great Britain, USA, USSR v. Germany, Italy, Japan • Indochina Wars (1945-1954) • France v. Vietnam • Korean War (1950-1953) • USA, South Korea v. China, North Korea • Vietnam War (1956-1975) • USA, South Vietnam v. Viet Cong, North Vietnam • Cold War (1947-1991) • USA v. Soviet Union (USSR) **Blue denotes victor Cold Vietnam WWII WWI Korea Indochina

  3. Map #1

  4. Prelude to Conflict • WWI ends in 1919- Woodrow • Wilson wants treaty ensuring • all people self-determination • Ho Chi Minh travels to • Versailles • Leaves disappointed

  5. Ho Chi Minh • Trained in USSR • Most popular man in Vietnam • Seen as responsible for releasing them • from Japanese and then French • colonial forces • 1946- U.S. see Ho as a tool of the USSR • Two goals: (1) communist movement & (2) • win independence • 1954- Defeats France “You can kill ten of our men for every one we kill of yours, but even at those odds, you will lose and we will win.”

  6. Communism • On the rise • Seen as solution for third world countries • Can be tied to social reform to deal with peasantry • Domino Theory: If one nation falls to communist forces, neighboring nations would also become communist

  7. Command Economy Philosophy • Produce needs, not wants • Make needs as close to free as possible • Treat workers better (safe, high wages, benefits) • No private property • Economic equality • Central planning of production • No entrepreneurs

  8. Advantages of the Planned Economy • Income & wealth more evenly distributed • Little unemployment • Experiences fewer booms and busts in economy • Profits used to expand production • Production of goods and services is planned to meet society’s needs • Consumers receive basic necessities

  9. Disadvantages of the Planned Economy • Lack of incentive • Lack of technological progress • Bureaucracies (planning creates inflexibility) • Black markets • Loss of individuality • Inefficient and widespread waste of resources

  10. Prelude to Conflict • WWII ends, Soviet Union and United States immediately at odds • Strategic objectives: • Military might and global influence • Dominant control over resources • Self-righteousness • Global economic ties • 90 countries between 1943-1993 become independent

  11. A Divided Nation • Geveva agreement temporarily divides Vietnam at the 17th parallel • Communist North, non-communist South • North- Ho Chi Minh, South- Ngo Dinh Diem • Within 2 years, elections would be held to reunite Vietnam • Southern communists form underground army Viet Cong

  12. Viet Cong • Guerilla warfare • Series of extensive tunnels, traps, etc.

  13. American Involvement • Initially only sent military advisors to South Vietnam • Ho Chi Minh retaliates by sending North Vietnamese troops to assist Viet Cong in South Vietnam • Ho Chi Minh Trail  Supply routes of North Vietnamese in Laos and Cambodia

  14. Gulf of Tonkin Incident • Sea battle between destroyer USS Maddox and North Vietnamese Torpedo Ships • 280 shells + bombs? • President Johnson used as an opportunity to escalate the conflict • “Take all necessary steps including • the use of force” • Unanimous vote in Congress Iraq? • Johnson’s first major speech on Vietnam: • “Innocent American sailors suffered an unprovoked attack…” • …Didn’t mention conflicting reports, “Tonkin Ghosts,” or electronic spying • 2005= US admits false reports on second attack, US fired first (warning shots)

  15. What is “Victory?” • Goal of the U.S. was not to conquer North Vietnam, but rather to ensure the survival of the South Vietnamese government • Measuring progress was difficult. • U.S. Army used body counts, rather than conquered territory, to show it was winning the war. • “Attrition Warfare” • More bombs dropped in Operation Rolling Thunder than in all of WWII Agent Orange Estimated Death Toll: North Vietnam: 1 million U.S.A.: 58,000 South Vietnam: 171, 331 Attrition (n): process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure

  16. The Draft

  17. Turning Point • Tet Offensive (1968) • Tet: Vietnamese New Year • Viet Cong simultaneously attacked tons of places • Surprise attack during cease fire • Devastating military failure for the Communist forces • Yet, shatters confidence in America’s ability to end the war • American thought Communists were incapable of such a large scale attack • Causes moderates to turn against war

  18. Press Impact on the War • Only 2% of American’s had a TV during the Korean War (1950-1053) • Now TV is universal, big newscasts that lasted 30 minutes (CBS, NBC, ABC) • Televised dramatic battles of Tet Offensive • TIME featured graphic pictures of piles of Americans dead • Shows US not winning, but rather, a stalemate • Walter Cronkite declares war unwinnable

  19. Public Opinion • General population wanted to send more bombs, more troops, etc in 1964-66, but public opinion shifted towards end of 1960s • College campuses • Stage for demonstrations • Believed in, at times, glorified violence • UIUC • Average person not focused on the immorality of war, but rather practicality or war • Is it worth it?

  20. Anti-War Public Opinion Anti-War Activitists

  21. A Slow Return to Peace • 1969—Nixon begins to withdraw troops • Sought “Peace with Honor” • 1975—Fall of Saigon • Communists surround capital of South Vietnam, and South Vietnam surrenders • Vietnam reunites under communism • Economy crumbles • Pg. 279

More Related