Understanding America in the Korean and the Vietnamese Wars

Surname 1
Understanding America in the Korean and the Vietnamese Wars
Student Name
Professor’s Name
Course Title
Date
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Wars in Korea and Vietnam
War is a state of armed crisis between groups, societies, and states, characterized by
excessive destruction, mortality, and aggression by use of regular or irregular military troops.
Korea and Vietnam had similar beginnings as far as revolutions are concerned. Japan had
occupied Korea, and France invaded Vietnam. Communists China and the Soviet Union gave
their support to both Vietnam and Korean wars.
1
America was facing problems with a fact
China becoming a nuclear power. Therefore, they had to fight the Soviet power first, as a
fight with China would result in the World War III. The United States got involved in both
Korean and Vietnamese wars with a goal to stop communism.
The Korean and the Vietnam Wars were proxy wars. These refer to a situation where
two opposing powers use other countries as a substitute to fight each other. For example, the
United States and the Soviet Union became so dominant after World War II and were
powerful besides having varying forms of government systems.
2
The United States had a
democratic republic where citizens vote and elect representatives in government unlike in the
Soviet Union where it was a communist form of government. The United States was against
communism where it engaged in Vietnamese and Korean wars.
The domino theory, a theory that stated that if a country turned a communist, a set of
dominos would fall under the communist. Communism and democracy reasons led to the
fights in both countries among other reasons. In a communist form of government, ownership
of all kinds of productions becomes general and not individual. It replaced private property
and income-based economy with public ownership and controlled communally. The United
1
Cumings, Bruce. "Getting North Korea wrong." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 71, no. 4
(2015): p.65
2
Belletto, Steven. "The Red Sun in Our Hearts." Contemporary Literature 55, no. 4 (2014):
p.809
Surname 3
States did not want the southeast countries communized since China, and the Korean
peninsula had already lost into it. They feared that the domino system was happening in Asia.
The Korean and Vietnamese fought a limited form of wars. Limited war refers to the
failure to assemble as a nation to administer a battle while Total conflict relates to the
reinforcement of the whole state in execution of a fight. Examples of total wars include
World War I and World War II. Examples of limited war include the Korean, Vietnamese,
and Iraq wars.
In the twentieth century, Korea a country that lies between China and Japan was
independent and united under the ruling of the Yi dynasty. In 1910, Japan her neighbor took
over to colonize. Japan wiped out the sense of national identity to the Koreans.
3
The Japanese
language became necessary for use sectors like business, in government, and in higher
education. Only a few who collaborated with Japanese rule benefited.
Japan in 1930, moved to expand its Asian territory and occupied Manchuria across
northern Korean border and further china. Japan expansion to the China territory resulted in a
full-scale war. The United States and Britain backed Chiang’ Kai Shek the then China leader
of China. The fight between Japan with the United States and Britain began which resulted in
the World War II in 1939-1945.
4
Japan became victorious following a series of defeat where
it occupied a large area of Asia like Indonesia, Philippines, and, Malaysia. Later the United
States and other allied forces turned the tide of war against Japan where Japan got defeated in
1945.
3
Cumings, Bruce. "Getting North Korea wrong." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 71, no. 4
(2015): p.70
4
Cumings, Bruce. "Getting North Korea wrong." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 71, no. 4
(2015): p.69
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A majority of Koreans expected, however, immediate independence but in 1945,
United States had facilitated a plan with the victorious allies on occupying Korea. The
Koreans who had been living in exile returned after Japan was defeated and since the two
foreign powers did not want Korea to rule itself, they had to find each a former exile to back
as a future leader. General John R. Hodge an American who led the occupation welcomed
Syngman Rhee, a Korean nationalist who was living in the U.S as an exile. The Soviets
backed Kim II-sung; a 33years old Korean communist following that he had spent most of
World War II in the Soviet Union.
5
The superpowers one under a communist and the other under a capitalist began to
have radically different ideas about making Korea united fading the agreement they had
made. In 1949, the Soviets and the U.S were open enemies, which resulted at the beginning
of Cold War.
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The communist wanted to expand their territory of communism in Korea. On
the other hand, the Americans wanted to encourage the establishment of democracy in the
south. Additionally, they emphasized the benefits of containment; a policy carried out to
prevent the spread of communism.
In 1950, the north under the control of the Soviet Union and China invaded the South
Koreans under the command of the United States. This battle was the first in the cold war and
the first proxy war. A proxy war is where A proxy war refers to a way where one or more
opposing powers instigates war and then uses third parties to fight on their behalf. At first, the
Americans did not have strategies, and its soldiers faced difficulties with the terrain and
extreme weather condition. As a result, North Koreans advanced and successfully captured
5
Cumings, Bruce. "Getting North Korea wrong." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 71, no. 4
(2015): p.76.
6
Belletto, Steven. "The Red Sun in Our Hearts." Contemporary Literature 55, no. 4 (2014):
p.808
Surname 5
Seoul the capital of South Korea. Later, United States turned the North Koreans by the use of
its arsenal-sophisticated weaponry. Also, Truman, the then South Korean president had
authorized General MacArthur supreme commander of the united nation forces, to help push
the enemy back past the 38th parallel.
During the end of the war, truce talks began in 1951. It refers to an agreement to stop
the fight for a while. Korea remained divided while the border that still existed before the war
continued. The United States in the whole process was trying to unite Korea, but after all,
there was no real winner.
7
Two division still endures in Korea, a communist North Korea
government, and a non-communist South Korean government. Therefore, with support from
the United Nations, the United States moved to create peace, and remove the communist
invaders from South Korea.
Korean War drove to some impact. It brought into a discovery that UN could stop a
fight on a member country. China discovered to have the ability to hold itself in a battle not
involving atomic weapons. Research also showed that War between the superpowers had to
continue.
8
The U.S since 1953 has been supporting South Korea, which has remained to
become an industrious powerhouse in Asia while North Korea continues as a communist and
still struggles to feed itself. She always threatens with military actions to its neighbors. The
fighting stopped, but the war did not officially end. Instead, a truce- temporary peace exists
between the two warring sides.
The Korean War also influenced positively in Japan and China. It led to an economic
and political recovery of Japan after the devastation of World War II. Japan supplied the
7
Cumings, Bruce. "Getting North Korea wrong." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 71, no. 4
(2015): 64-76.
8
Nguyen, Viet Thanh. "Just memory: War and the ethics of remembrance." American
Literary History 25, no. 1 (2013): p.146
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needs of the UN war machines hence its industries expanded rapidly. She also became
America's valued friend from the most hated enemy of World War II. America confirmed its
friendship with the Chinese nationalist on Taiwan although, American’s relation with China
remained a hostile until the 1970s. However, in 1971, Beijing government represented China
at the UN.
The war also affected negatively. It became a catastrophe for Koreans on both sides of the
ceasefire line since around one out of ten died in the Korean population. There was the
destruction of roads, factories, dams, and railways Cities while towns became heaps of ruin.
Political oppression worsened the economic hardship because of the previously mentioned
destruction. By then, there was no democracy nor freedom in the North and South Korea.
9
In Korea, tactics involved the communist was having Morale and discipline such that
they were willing to die for their country. They did not make unnecessary movements unless
at night to avoid US attacks. The Chinese did infiltration assault. They could also dig holes
during the day to protect themselves from UN air attacks. They challenged in open grounds
where they fought on the plain, an open ground where shots, air strikes, and other military
movements could be quick and efficient. The war in Korea drowned to the end dividing it
into halves at the 38th parallel. Finally, Korean citizens did not support the war on its soldiers
unlike the Vietnamese.
America lost almost 34,000 lives in the war, which brought anti-communist sentiment
to its highest pitch.
10
There was no ceremony for the Korean War ex-soldiers in Washington
D.C. The Eisenhower administration got involved in a limited war, which was a severe
9
Cumings, Bruce. "Getting North Korea wrong." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 71, no. 4
(2015): p.74
10
Cumings, Bruce. "Getting North Korea wrong." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 71, no. 4
(2015): p.75
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mistake that could lead to the immediate response using nuclear weapons. In the 1960s, U.S
was fighting another war in Vietnam on the ground of Asia in policy to keep war limited
hence a similar massive number of casualties.
Again, Vietnam divided into two, the communist side, and the non-communist.
Earlier, Nationalist independence movements after World War II spread across Southern
Asia. However, U.S gave the Philippine island independence. The Netherlands gave
Indonesia freedom. France failed to release its wild lands in the “Indochina” the area of South
East Asia, which resulted in Vietnamese war, which took so long. It lasted for 15years since
1960.
The Vietnamese ruled then by Ho Chi Minh fought against Japanese since Japan had
conquered Indochina during World War II. Ho Chi Minh wanted Vietnam to become
independent after the war and not a colony of France. He fought a guerrilla-style war against
the French where the French got assistance from the United States since the U.S did not want
another communist government in Asia.
11
Vietnamese communist captured a French fort,
which resulted in French deciding that it could not win the war.
Vietnam divided into two areas a decision made by Ho Chi Minh and French. North
Vietnam became the communist area, and South Vietnam became non-communist area.
12
Cambodia and Laos became independent. South Vietnam was to hold an election for the
division did not mean to be permanent. Elections never took place despite the choice of unity
the Vietnamese wanted to choose. A guerrilla war began in northern Korea inside South
11
Nguyen, Viet Thanh. "Just memory: War and the ethics of remembrance." American
Literary History 25, no. 1 (2013): p.145
12
Belletto, Steven. "The Red Sun in Our Hearts." Contemporary Literature 55, no. 4 (2014):
802-810.
Surname 8
Vietnam to bring uniformity in the whole Vietnam peninsula to make it one communist
nation.
Vietcong- the Vietnamese living in south joined this struggle against South Vietnam
government. In 1960, military advisors went to help in southern Vietnam sent by the U.S.
This led to a fight in South Vietnam with America having nearly 500,000 troops. American
citizens protested against its involvement in this war.
13
In 1969, the U.S started to withdraw
its forces from South Vietnam. Vietnamization a plan that meant to turn the fight of the entire
war over the South Vietnamese army is what Americans wanted.
In 1975, the U.S had pulled off all its forces from Vietnam. The South Vietnamese
government collapsed, and for that reason, the North Vietnamese took control over Saigon-
south Vietnam’s capital city. A year later, The North and South Vietnam consolidated into
one socialist country called the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
14
Saigon then renamed it as
Ho Chi Minh City. The American wanted to unite the Vietnamese by eradicating
communism.
Years later, the U.S and the Social Republic of Vietnam found ways of working
together. The trade between U.S and Vietnam increased, and U.S investment in Vietnam
grew. To date, tourism and travels in Vietnam are large numbers, and even an effort is has
started on locating the American soldier who went missing in Vietnam during the war.
15
Unlike in the Korean War, in November 1982, Vietnam veteran’s memorial was unveiled to
13
Nguyen, Viet Thanh. "Just memory: War and the ethics of remembrance." American
Literary History 25, no. 1 (2013): p.150
14
Belletto, Steven. "The Red Sun in Our Hearts." Contemporary Literature 55, no. 4 (2014):
p.804
15
Nguyen, Viet Thanh. "Just memory: War and the ethics of remembrance." American
Literary History 25, no. 1 (2013): p.160
Surname 9
remain as a typical war monument. It has a V-shape wall inscribed with over 58,000 names of
the U.S names of soldiers who died during the war.
Vietnamese used tactics such as a guerrilla war, booby trap setting, US patrol ambush,
landmines and, bomb planting in towns.
16
They interacted with peasants wearing ordinary
clothes to hide their identity to the Americans. Russia and China supplied them with rockets
and weapons. They stayed close to the Americans their enemy, so there were no uses of air
back up to avoid killing their men. Americans used hi-tech war by use of b52 bombers,
helicopters, napalms, and defoliants. They forced the peasants to leave Vietcong controlled
areas for loyally defended areas. They patrolled in search and destruction of any Vietcong
though visible and easily ambushed. Americans wanted to stop communism in Vietnam.
Korean War considered justified. Among the reasons for these is the maintained
Korean status quo. The U.S ignored to accord and preferably implemented a permanent
fracture in Korea. The U.S believed that they could accomplish the same in Vietnam like in
Korea. Vietnam War was not justified.
17
The US blatantly ignored the Vietnamese
democratic side. Therefore, Vietnam sought for Russian and chines assistance, as she wanted
to gain independence from the French. Communist’s war began because of how they were
organized and ruthless of the independent groups.
Finally, Vietnam had been a unified country, but in the 1954 Geneva at the 17th
parallel, it divided. These resulted from the American involvement. Should America not have
involved Vietnam could remain united in the 1956 elections. America engaged in these wars
due to political motivation. The U.S officials believed they were justified by sending their
16
Belletto, Steven. "The Red Sun in Our Hearts." Contemporary Literature 55, no. 4 (2014):
802-810.
17
Nguyen, Viet Thanh. "Just memory: War and the ethics of remembrance." American
Literary History 25, no. 1 (2013): 144-163.
Surname 10
soldiers into Vietnam. Americans do not understand why American soldiers died in Vietnam
in an unjust war. A theory called just war states that Wars fought for political interests are
unjust. Unlike in Korea, pro-US interest eliminated in Vietnam.
18
That became the reason
why American could not succeed. Hope that the U.S. government has learned from the
conflict in Vietnam and will endanger the lives of its soldiers for only a just cause in the
future. They did not for this case review the domino theory that Americans believed in, that if
a country turned a communist, a set of dominos would fall under the communist. However,
Americans had a goal to set peace in Vietnam in addition to the fight against communism.
To compare the Korean and the Vietnamese wars, it is evident that they both had a
foreign intervention. That is the United States and the Soviet Union. Some of the
intermediary countries intervened because of the domino system an American belief that
when one falls into communism, others will follow. Communism and democracy reasons led
to the fights in both countries among other reasons. An occurrence of the wars in both
countries raised during the cold war. In both, a negotiation was involved in bringing the end
of the wars. The fights were internal fights for both. That is a half vs. the other half.
Vietnam fought using guerrilla style, which involved hit and runs surprising attacks.
The war in Vietnam started at a significant time- from 1960-1970. At the very end, North
Vietnam won the battle when they convinced the enemy to sign a treaty, which was an
advantage to themselves, and since the Americans were getting tired in war.
19
The United
States citizens did not like America getting involved in the Vietnamese war. Vietnamese
18
Nguyen, Viet Thanh. "Just memory: War and the ethics of remembrance." American
Literary History 25, no. 1 (2013): p.162
19
Belletto, Steven. "The Red Sun in Our Hearts." Contemporary Literature 55, no. 4 (2014):
p.809
Surname 11
citizens supported the war and its soldiers calling the war a “people’s war.” They used to
house, supply, and other necessities to soldiers.
Korea on the other hand, challenged in open grounds where they fought on the plain,
an open ground where shots, air strikes, and other military movements could be quick and
efficient. In Korea, the war did not take a significant time unlike in Vietnam since it started in
1950-1953. The war in Korea drowned to the end dividing it into halves at the 38th parallel.
20
Unlike in the Vietnamese war with the Americans, the U.S citizens neutrally helped Korea in
the battle for democracy. However, Korean citizens did not support the war on it soldiers
unlike the Vietnamese.
In conclusion, the Korean and Vietnamese wars were for making peace. It is evident
in virtue of U.S global strategy and China's security concern. There is an identification of
remarkable commonalities in the U.S and China in the Korean and the Vietnamese war
experiences. The leaders in both consider the outbreak of the fight as credible and relevant
tests. Despite the view in Washington and Beijing that each was the main in the battles, they
decided to keep the disputes from expanding into China while the U.S avoided the use of
nuclear weapons. There is much desire of the decision left when the U.S leaders here
commended for rejecting total wars and instead improves crisis communication.
20
Cumings, Bruce. "Getting North Korea wrong." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 71, no. 4
(2015): p.75.
Surname 12
Notes
Cumings, Bruce. "Getting North Korea wrong." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 71, no. 4
(2015): 64-76.
Belletto, Steven. "The Red Sun in Our Hearts." Contemporary Literature 55, no. 4 (2014):
802-810.
Nguyen, Viet Thanh. "Just memory: War and the ethics of remembrance." American Literary
History 25, no. 1 (2013): 144-163.

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