COLD WARPROXY WARS – KOREA AND

VIETNAM

KOREAN WAR-Containment-

KOREAN WAR

NORTH KOREA• Communist• Kim Il Sung• Invaded South

Korea on June 25, 1950

• Ally of USSR• Goal: re-unite

Korea

SOUTH KOREA• Syngman Rhee• Backed by USA• UN sent in troops

(US soldiers – protection)

• Goal: hold the 38th parallel (division)

UN sends in troops…

• Led by General MacArthur – scared Mao

• China sent troops in to help North Korea

• Ends in a stalemate (armistice in 1953)

• No peace treaty• 38th parallel is a DMZ

(demilitarized zone)

Results…

• 905 Americans were still there• U.S. aided South Korea• USSR and China helped North Korea• Proxy war• Agreed to end nuclear weapons program

in exchange for oil and aid

CONTAINMENT & DOMINO EFFECT

VIETNAM WAR

North Vietnam vs. South Vietnam

North Vietnam• Ho Chi Minh• Communist• Ho Chi Minh Trail• Backed by Chinese,

Soviet Union

South Vietnam• No Dinh Diem• Non-communist• U.S. puppet• Corrupt• Was going to hold

elections, but didn’t due to fear of a communist being elected

1959 North invades South

Fear:Domino Theory – if one falls, other nations will also fall to communism

Results….

U.S. AID• Military advisors• Troop training• Actual troops• U.S. leaves

(Vietnamization) (1969-73)

• War continues…communists win (1975)…united Vietnam

• Civil War?• U.S. got involved – very unpopular at

home• Distrust of American government