COLD WAR CONFLICTS UNIT 9: COLD WAR CHAPTER 31 SECTION 3 SE ASIA IN WWII
Pre-WWII, SE Asia colonized by Western powers British Burma, Malaya, Borneo American Philippines French Indochina Indochina = Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia Japan conquered SE Asia during WWII Communist Ho Chi Minh fought to overthrow Japanese forces Minh and US had common enemy; US provided aid Japan loses WWII; Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independent
FRANCE AND VIETNAM
Post-WWII, most SE Asian countries gained independence Philippines independent from US (1946) Burma, Malaya, Borneo independent from Britain (1940s) France refused to give up Indochina; invade to prevent independence France requests US aid; US torn Anti-colonization vs anti-communism After China falls to communists, US provides military aid to France Domino Theory: If one nation falls to communism, neighboring countries will also fall
CONFLICT BROADENS
France suffers major defeat in 1954 Negotiate for peace China, USSR pressure Ho Chi Minh to agree to temporary division of Vietnam; free elections promised at later date North – Communists under Ho Chi Minh based in Hanoi South – non-Communists under Ngo Dinh Diem based in Saigon South Vietnam became US protectorate Diem refuses to hold elections; civil war begins
SOUTH VIETNAM UNDER DIEM
Ho Chi Ming led N. Vietnam army, also formed the Viet Cong Guerilla army in S. Vietnam supported by the North US not directly involved at first; sent advisers to train S. Vietnamese army Diem was corrupt and unpopular Strategic hamlets (containment camps) founded to prevent S. Vietnamese from joining Viet Cong Discriminated against Buddhism US wanted Diem gone Diem assassinated by his generals in 1963 with CIA support
VIETNAM UNDER L. B. JOHNSON
Without Diem, S. Vietnam collapses US must get involved US President Johnson did not want bigger war, but felt he had to stop communism Gulf of Tonkin Incident Johnson claims US ships fired upon by N. Vietnamese boats without warning Incident used as reason to send in US troops; later found to be staged
DIFFICULTIES IN VIETNAM
US arrogant after WWII; thought Vietnam would be easy and quick Vietnamese tactics much different than Japan/Germany in WWII Guerilla warfare Ambushes Booby traps Thick jungle Disease Viet Cong blended with civilians “A war where nothing is ever quite certain and nowhere is ever quite safe.”
US TACTICS Search and destroy Find enemy Bomb enemy Destroy supply lines Napalm Jellied gasoline Operation Rolling Thunder Mass bombing campaign over N. Vietnam; lasted 3 years 4.6 million tons (9,200,000,000 lbs) of bombs dropped Destroyed large % of Vietnam’s towns and villages; killed ~2,000,000 Vietnamese
AGENT ORANGE
Agent Orange Chemical sprayed to eliminate jungle cover Dangerous side effects on civilians and soldiers Birth defects Spina Bifida Cancers Skin disorders
FURTHER DIFFICULTIES
US underestimated Viet Cong VC willing to suffer massive casualties; aided by China and USSR Many Vietnamese unwilling to help US Homes, towns destroyed by US bombs Forests destroyed by Agent Orange Massive civilian casualties and many war crimes committed by US troops War unpopular with US troops and at home; US begins to pull troops out in 1969 N. Vietnam overruns Saigon in 1975; Vietnam now communist