#706: The Global Cold War: Korea and Vietnam

Preparation: #706

Opening discussion:

• In what sense was the Cold War “cold”? In what sense was it a “war”?
• How might viewing the Cold War from the perspective of Asia complement, contradict, or simply complicate a European-centered narrative?​​

Key question:

• Our main focus will be to understand how U.S. leaders justified costly U.S. involvement in the Korean and Vietnam Wars: What did U.S. leaders hope to achieve? How does their logic become clearer within the larger Cold War context?

Korean War (1950-53):

• Korea divided between North and South at the 38th parallel (September 1945)
• Well-armed Soviet-backed North invaded South in attempt to unify country (24 June 1950)
• While Soviets boycotted the United Nations Security Council over its refusal to recognize People’s Republic of China, UN backed armed defense of South Korea (27 June 1950).
• UN forces under command of General Douglas MacArthur rapidly advanced north from surprise landing at Inchon (15 September 1950) to Pyongyang (19 October 1950) and approached Chinese border at the Yalu River
• Over 100,000 Chinese “volunteers” joined the war (4 November 1950), capturing Southern capital at Seoul.
• From July 1951 until March 1953, two sides stalemated near the original border at the 38th parallel until an armistice ended the fighting in March 1953. Over 1,000,000 Koreans, 114,000 Chinese, and 54,000 Americans killed.

Source examination and discussion:

• Examine primary source selections from June and November 1950.
• Discuss (first with a partner and then around the table):
  • How did President Truman and General MacArthur portray the stakes for U.S. involvement in Korea? What assumptions do you think underlie these concerns?
  • How did their views begin to diverge after the Chinese intervention in 1950? Recalling our discussion of the Constitution, what should happen if there is a disagreement between the military and the president?
  • How could the United States openly go to war in the Korean War without making the Cold War “hot” or starting World War III?
  • Why was the United States content to have Syngman Rhee rule over South Korea, even if he was a military strong man?

The Vietnam War:

• ​France colonized Vietnam from 1862 to 1941, when Japan seized the territory during World War II.
• After Japan was defeated, nationalist leader Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence in an address that began: “All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
• The United States supported French efforts to restore colonial rule, an effort that collapsed in military defeat in 1954.
• The Geneva Convention (1954) split the country into North and South, and set out plan for reunification and free elections. The United States instead backed an independent South Vietnam led by the unpopular, repressive Ngô Đình Diệm who was later assassinated in a U.S.-backed coup.
• Under new weak South Vietnam government, support for communism grew; North Vietnam smuggled weapons into South Vietnam to support communist insurgents through a network of trails through Laos and Cambodia (the Ho Chi Minh trails).
• In August 1964, President Johnson seized on fake attack by North Vietnamese forces to secure Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to authorize open-ended U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.

​View President Johnson speaking before Congress about Vietnam in 1967 (0:42-4:14):

Discuss as a class:

• Why does President Johnson believe the United States should be involved in Vietnam?
  
• Do any of his justifications echo those of President Truman or General MacArthur?
  
• How do you think you would have reacted at the time? To which of his arguments do you think you might have been sympathetic? Critical? Why?
  
• How might you view these arguments differently from the benefit of twenty-first century hindsight?