Vietnam War

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Vietnam War
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Imperialism

• 1893 Cambodia, Laos, and areas of Vietnam
  formed French Indochina
• WWII Japan overran Indochina
• After the war, French wanted to regain control
  Laos and Cambodia accepted
• Areas of Vietnam refused wanted complete
  independence
• 1946-1954 bitter fighting between French and
  Viet Minh

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Viet Minh

• Communist group supported by the Soviet Union
  and Communist China
• Leader Ho Chi Minh

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17th Parallel

• 1954 Vietnam was divided on the 17th parallel
• North Vietnam Communists Ho Chi Minh
• South Vietnam pro French government
  supported by the US and UK

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Viet Cong

• South Vietnamese leader (Diem) was unpopular
• Communist rebels called the Viet Cong fought
  against the southern government
• Soon controlled all of the countryside
• 1963 Diem was assassinated
• By 1964 the regular army of the north
• invaded the south

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Ho Chi Minh Trail

• Northern army traveled along this trail that ran
  through Cambodia and Laos

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US Involvement

• US became alarmed hundreds of thousands of US
  military personnel were sent to Vietnam
• 1969 - 543,000
• Millions of US dollars was spent to boost the
  souths economy

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US looses support

• By 1968, US causalities have increased and
  support for the war has decreased
• Civil Rights Movement has begun and protests are
  heavy in almost every city in the US
• Protests for the Vietnam War were some of the
  most common

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Kent State
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Vietnamization

• Began reducing the number of American forces in
  Vietnam
• Turning the fighting over the south Vietnamese
  troops
• However, the communist forces were too strong
  and overran the south in 1975

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Communism in Southeast Asia

• After the war, Laos and Cambodia set up
  communist governments
• Laos was a strong ally of North Vietnam
• Cambodia used extreme measures create a
  pre-industrial society
• Killed teachers, businessmen, industrialists and
  other educated people
• Genocide 2 million killed