The Cold War tensions between the US and Soviet Union extended beyond Europe to Asia. In 1949, these tensions were exacerbated by two events: the Soviet Union developed a nuclear bomb and China became communist under Mao Zedong. This prompted American fears around communism expressed through McCarthyism. Meanwhile, conflicts emerged in Korea and Vietnam between communist and non-communist factions. North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, leading the UN (mainly the US) to intervene on behalf of South Korea in the Korean War. In Vietnam, the US increasingly supported South Vietnam after France's withdrawal left a power vacuum, hoping to prevent the spread of communism throughout Asia under the "domino theory."
2. Conflict during the Cold
War was not limited to
Europe; the Soviets and
US would confront each
other in large parts of
Asia too.
The Asian conflicts are
largely based on
empires.
3. In 1949, the USA
suffered two huge
scares.
1) The Soviet Union
developed a working
nuclear bomb
2) China, the world’s
largest country, became
Communist.
4. Americans were also
worried because of the
Red Scare and
McCarthyism.
This was a fear that
America was overrun with
Communists. It was
spread by US politician
Joseph McCarthy.
5. China had been in a civil
war since the 1920s.
After years of fighting,
the Communists finally
beat the Nationalists.
Some said this was
because the USA did not
do enough to help the
Nationalists.
6. This meant that Asia was now largely Communist. The
Americans could not let this continue.
7. Japan had controlled large
parts of Korea. After WW2
it was temporarily divided
in two.
The plan was to eventually
bring the two parts back
together, but the North
was Communist and the
South Capitalist.
8. In 1950, North Korea
invaded South Korea.
Many in the US feared
that was due to the
Soviet Union and China
trying to spread
Communism.
Something had to be
done.
9. The result was the
Korean War.
Officially it was the
United Nations that
sent soldiers to
protect South Korea.
However, 9/10 of
these soldiers were
American.
10. The Korean War lasted
until 1953.
There was no real
winner; simply an
agreement to keep the
two parts of Korea
divided in two.
It is sometimes called
the ‘forgotten war’.
11. France was also a
colonial power in Asia,
controlling an area
known as Indochina.
Japan had taken over
this area during WW2.
Now that war was over
the French wanted to
control it again.
12. However because of the
cost of WW2, France did
not have the resources
to properly do this.
Eventually the French
had to give up power.
This left a dangerous
split in Vietnam between
Communism and
Capitalism.
13. Communist North Vietnam
(capital city: Hanoi)
was recognised by China
and the Soviet Union as
the real country.
Capitalist South Vietnam
(capital city: Saigon)
was recognised by the
USA and the west as the
real country.
14. Elections were planned
but not held in 1956 to
reunite the entire
country.
The USA feared that if
Vietnam became fully
Communist, the rest of
Asia would follow. This
is called the ‘domino
theory’.
15. For many years the USA
supported South Vietnam
by sending millions of
dollars of economic aid.
America also then
decided to send
‘military advisors’
(soldiers) into Vietnam,
officially to train the
South Vietnam army.
16. Many Americans –
including senior
politicians – were
opposed to getting more
involved in Vietnam.
They feared that the war
would cost American
soldiers’ lives and also
too much money.
17. In 1964, the USA claimed
(wrongly) that its navy
had been attacked in the
Gulf of Tonkin by North
Vietnam.
This led to the US
Congress voting to
hugely increasing the US
military presence in
Vietnam.
18. In summary, the US entered Vietnam’s war because:
• France leaving Indochina left a power gap
• It wanted to stop Communism in Vietnam,
especially due to US fears about Communism
• It feared the ‘Domino Theory’ of Communism’s
spread across Asia if Vietnam fell
• It had failed to act in China, leading to a
Communist regime
• Its role in stopping Communist spread in Korea
encouraged it to get involved elsewhere
• The Gulf of Tonkin incident caused US anger
