Unit 9 Cold War Battlefronts - PowerPoint Presentation

Unit 9 Cold War Battlefronts

The Korean War begins After defeating Japan, the US and Russia split Korea into two zones, Russia occupied the North and US forces the South; America was committed to the Containment Policy, which meant Communism must not expand into South Korea. T he US and Russia trained and supplied the armies of North and South Korea but then pulled troops out of the area; in June of 1950 North Korea attacked South Korea prompting the US to send troops. American troops and UN forces invaded North Korea, but were pushed back as China decided to send troops to aid North Korea.

MacArthur and Korean War Pres. Truman ordered MacArthur to intervene in the civil war and command the United Nation forces. MacArthur was a man of great determination, he advised US and United Nation forces that they would no longer retreat and within two days MacArthur was able to change the whole complexion of the war. The U.S., during a lull in the fighting, announced that negotiations might be possible with both sides separated by the 38th parallel. MacArthur disagreed with negotiated settlement publicly. Truman dismissed MacArthur for his insubordination.

As Chinese forces moved into North Korea, UN and American forces retreated and established a line near the 38 th parallel. The war settled into a stalemate. As American casualties rose Truman lost popularity. Republican Dwight Eisenhower won the 1952 election and stepped up bombing in N. Korea Although a ceasefire was called in 1953, peace treaties were never signed. There was always mixed US feeling as to our involvement in the conflict. Ending the Korean War

Korea Today This undated photo shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, with a senior military officer at an undisclosed location

“The work of Dr. Salk is of highest tradition of selfless and dedicated research” James Hagerty (Secretary to the President) April 22, 1955 Jonas Salk created the vaccination to Polio in 1955 Polio was a feared disease during the 1950s. Complications can lead to lack of movement, lung problems, shock, and paralysis President Roosevelt contracted Polio in 1921 (not putting on timeline) Dr. Jonas Salk

H i pp i es and The Counterculture The 1960’s and early 1970’s a new group of American’s known as ‘Hippies’ emerged. Hippies chose to reject everything connected with mainstream America or ‘the Establishment’. Many Hippies chose to ‘drop out’ of society by joining thousands of new rural communes. Many hippies experimented with mind-altering drugs such as LSD, smoked weed and ‘ shrooms ’.Hippies adopted a unique and colorful style of dress including tie-dyes, beads, bell-bottom jeans, and headbands.

Sounds of the 1960’s 1964 became known as the year of British invasion and included groups like the Beatles (John, Paul, George, and Ringo ) During the 1960’s , folk music gained popularity with artist such as Bob Dylan. Motown (based in Detroit, MI, the ‘motor city’) Music also gained popularity in the 1970’s earning $50 million in 1975. The height of 60’s rock music came in 1969 when some 400,000 young people descended on a rural New York farm for a three day festival known as Woodstock.

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The Vietnam Conflict 1954-1973 The Vietnam War: The United States involvement in the Vietnam War was a direct response to the Truman Doctrine and the resistance and the military commitment of the United States to slow the global spread of Communism (US8D). It was a 15 year long conflict which cost tens of thousands of American lives and pitted war protestors against police and government officials (US2B).

The “decade of change” Vietnam had once been a French colony in Indochina In 1954, Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh, defeated their French rulers At the Geneva Conference that followed, Vietnam was divided into two states: Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese Communists in the north and pro-Western established in the southAfter the Geneva Conference, the U.S. replaced France as South Vietnam’s principal supporter

The War under JFK (1960-1963) According to the Domino Theory: if Vietnam fell to Communism, Southeast Asian countries would also fallKennedy sent aid and US military advisers to assist S. Vietnam in fighting the Vietcong Kennedy also felt that a strong democracy in S. Vietnam might serve as a model for other developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America

The “Climate” of South Vietnam South Vietnam included Communists (Vietcong) that supported N. VietnamThey began a guerilla war against the government of S. VietnamThey would be the ones to overthrow the government and assassinate the president in 1963

President Diem (1955-1963) Ho Chi Minh control N. Vietnam , the US installs a Catholic president in a Buddhist country in S. VietnamVery unpopular, especially with Buddhist monks Diem was assassinated on November 2, 1963 (same month and year as JFK) LBJ inherits the war, “We are not going to send American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves”

The War under Johnson (1963-1968) Under LBJ, the US became even more deeply involved in VietnamGulf of Tonkin Resolution: 1964, N. Vietnamese attacked US ships in international waters in the Gulf of Tonkin Congress gave Johnson “full military powers” to stop N. Vietnamese aggression Years later, it was revealed that US ships were actually in N. Vietnamese waters in cooperation with S. Vietnamese warships that were bombing N. Vietnam

Johnson Escalates the War Although Congress hadn’t officially declared war, Johnson used the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to “escalate” the war He ordered massive bombing raids over N. VietnamHe sent more combat troops to S. Vietnam (by 1968; half a million US soldiers) New weapons like napalm (sticky gasoline-based jelly that burns) inflicted great damage to VietnameseAlso herbicides like Agent Orange destroyed the jungle cover used by the Vietcong to hide

The Tet Offensive (1968) The Vietcong launched a massive offensive throughout S. Vietnam seizing many major cities including Saigon (the capital)The offensive marked a turning point in the war It showed that victory was far away and disproved the rhetoric of the American government – the government said the Vietcong were weak, under-supplied, disorganized, and low on morale

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Roy Benavidez (1935-1998) In May 1968, facing constant enemy fire, he carried wounded members of his platoon to rescue-helicopters.Although critically wounded, he saved eight menAwarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Reagan in 1981 Benavidez died in San Antonio in 1998

Increasing Difficulties By the end of 1968, the US dropped more bombs on Vietnam than all of WWIIThe war cost $25 billion a yearDespite efforts, the US was unable to win for three reasons:Popularity of the Nationalist Cause The difficulties of guerilla warfare Growing discontent: the anti-war movement

Casualty Category Number of Records Accident 9,107 Declared Dead 1,201 Died of Wounds 5,299 Homicide 236 Illness938Killed in Action40,934Presumed Dead (Body Remains Recovered) 32Presumed Dead (Body Remains Not Recovered)91Self-Inflicted 382 Total Records 58,220 Casualty Category as of April 2008

Popularity of the Nationalist Cause N. Vietnamese and many S. Vietnamese saw Ho Chi Minh as the “father” of Vietnam Corruption was widespreadAfter 1967, S. Vietnam was ruled by a military dictator

The Difficulties of Guerilla Warfare American soldiers were unfamiliar with the language, people, or physical environment They couldn’t tell the “friendly” from the enemyVietnam provided ideal cover for guerilla warfare and secret enemy movementsVietnam’s location made it easy for Communists to send a steady flow of supplies to neighboring countries

My Lai Massacre March 16, 1968 “This is what you’ve been waiting for - - search and destroy - - and you’ve got it”The massacre of 300 apparently unarmed civilians including women, children, and the elderlyAn error in the chain of command results in some being shot in the back of the head, others rounded up and shot in ditches, and at least one rape and murder

The Draft In response to an increase of US military presence in Southeast Asia, the draft was reinstituted during the war 26th amendment: reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 – this gave young men being drafted a way to influence policies

The Anti-War Movement The media had a great influence in shaping public opinion President Johnson told Americans they were winning, but journalists reported otherwise = the credibility gapMany Americans lost faith in the government Mass anti-war movements occurred throughout the country American “doves” wanted the US to withdraw The “hawks” supported the war

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The War under Nixon (1969-1973) Division about the war, the assassination of Robert Kennedy , and violent at the Democratic N.C. in 1968 led to the election of Republican Richard Nixon He claimed “peace and honor” in VietnamHowever, the war dragged on for five more years under Nixon

“Vietnamization ” During Nixon’s presidency, Henry Kissinger adopted a complex approach to Vietnam consisting of “ Vietnamization” (increasing bombing and diplomacy) Anti-war protestors were shocked by his escalation of the war with the bombing of Cambodia

Kent State University, Ohio In 1969, national guardsmen shot at and killed four student demonstrators at Kent State UniversityCollege campuses across the nation closed down due to student demonstrations and sit-insStudents engaged in mass marches in Washington, D.C. and other major cities

I n December 1965, a group of students in Des Moines planned a public showing of their support for a truce in the Vietnam war. Students wore black armbands throughout the holiday season and to fast on December 16 and New Year’s Eve. The principals created a policy that stated that any student wearing an armband would be asked to remove it, with refusal to do so resulting in suspension. On December 16, Mary Beth Tinker and Christopher Eckhardt wore their armbands to school …. Tinker vs. Des Moines

The Silent Majority President Nixon insisted that most Americans supported the war They referred to their supporters as the “silent majority”Leaked government papers known as the Pentagon Papers, were published in 1971 The government tried to stop the publication, they showed that several presidents before Nixon lied to the American people about VietnamNone wanted the disgrace of defeat of the Vietnam War

The Fall of Saigon: End of the War After Nixon introduced “ Vietnamization ”, forces were gradually reducedNixon agreed to pull out remaining troops and N. Vietnam agreed to release American POWsAfter the US withdrawal, fighting still continued By 1975 , what remained of the S. Vietnamese Army was incapable of prevention In April 1975, the fall of Saigon (today Saigon is called Ho Chi Minh city)Government officials, military officers, and soldiers faced “re-education camps” or torture, disease and malnutrition

The Legacy of the Vietnam War Death and Destruction: 58,000 Americans died, over a million Vietnamese killedImpact: End of the Great Society, government is affected by public opinion, crisis of American self-confidence , made aware of limits of US power Limits on Presidential Power: War Powers Resolution (1973) set limits on presidential power during conflict – after 60 days must have Congressional approval

Post-War Literature, Art, and Music The Beat Generation (1950s) rebelled against conformity , founded by Allen Ginsberg and Jack KerouacJoseph Heller’s Catch 22 (1961) and Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) challenged mainstream thinking by exposing the absurdity of armed conflict Philip Roth’s American Pastoral (1997) and Portnoy’s Compliant (1969) dealt with human consciousness, sexuality, and middle class radicalism in the 1960s

Visual Arts Perhaps more than literature and popular music, the visual arts went in diverse directions “Action painters” like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko expressed feeling with movement of color and texture Andy Warhol created “Pop Art” by using symbols from mass-produced consumer culture Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein were also pop artists

Vietnam Memorial http :// www.history.com/interactives/vietnam-veterans-memorial “The Wall” 1. be reflective and contemplative in character; 2. harmonize with its surroundings; 3. contain the names of those who had died in the conflict or who were still missing; 4. make no political statement about the war.