Transcript US supported South Vietnam

Independence Struggles in Southeast Asia
Independence Struggles in Southeast
Asia
Main Idea
Long under colonial domination, many Southeast Asian nations
achieved independence in the postwar years. The transition,
however, was not always a smooth one.
Reading Focus
• How did independence come to Southeast Asia?
• What were the main causes of the Vietnam War?
• How has Southeast Asia changed in recent decades?
Independence in Southeast Asia
Colonial Powers
• Before World War II, Southeast
Asia controlled by major colonial
powers
• Burma, Malaya controlled by
British; Philippines by United
States; Indonesia was Dutch
colony
• Modern day countries of
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia part of
French colony, French Indochina
End of Colonial Presence
• During war, Japanese occupied
these Southeast Asian colonies
• Occupation helped weaken grip
of European, American powers
• Some nations decided to end
colonial presence in region at
end of war
• U.S. granted independence to
Philippines; British gave up
Burma
Struggles
• Communist rebels in Malaya fought British before
achieving independence
• Group known as Vietminh fought French troops to win
Vietnamese independence
– Vietminh leader, Communist Ho Chi Minh
– Received assistance from China, Soviet Union
– Major goal was independence, not expansion of communism
– After years of fighting, Vietminh defeated France; French control
of Indochina ended
Make Generalizations
How did Southeast Asian nations achieve
independence?
Answer(s): In some areas, Japanese occupation
during World War II helped weaken the grip of the
European and American powers in the region. In
others, independence came with struggle.
The Vietnam War
Fighting with France was over, but conflict was not—Ho Chi Minh’s
dream of a united, independent Vietnam would be achieved only after
years of war.
Vietnam’s Future
• 1954, representatives from
France, Vietnam, U.S., Soviet
Union, other nations met to
establish peace agreement for
Vietnam
• Talks reflected Cold War tensions
• Worried about spread of
communism, Western powers did
not want Ho Chi Minh,
Communists, to have complete
control of Vietnam
Domino Theory
• Vietnam temporarily divided into
northern, southern halves
• Communists would control north
• Voters to choose government for
reunited Vietnam in 1956
• President Eisenhower warned if
Vietnam fell to communism, other
Southeast Asian nations would
quickly follow
• Belief that communism would
spread called domino theory
Fighting Begins
U.S. supported South Vietnam
• U.S. supported South Vietnam to keep from being taken over by North
• South Vietnam leader Ngo Dinh Diem prevented 1956 election
• Also made enemies with corrupt, brutal rule
Vietcong
• Diem’s enemies formed Vietcong, “Vietnamese Communist”—not all
Vietcong Communists; all shared goal of overthrowing Diem, reuniting
Vietnam
• Soon North Vietnamese entered South Vietnam, fought alongside Vietcong
Fighting Escalates
• As Vietcong influence spread, U.S. increased aid to South Vietnam
• Also sent thousands of military advisors to help South Vietnamese forces
• August 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson informed Congress two U.S.
Navy ships subject of unprovoked attack by North Vietnamese gunboats
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
• True, one U.S. ship fired on by North Vietnamese; second attack
seems to have been misunderstanding
• Johnson did not mention full facts, Congress passed Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution—gave Johnson power to expand U.S. involvement
without formal declaration of war
American Presence in Vietnam
• American military presence in Vietnam grew quickly, hundreds of
thousands of combat troops sent to region
• Increased U.S. involvement forced North Vietnam, Vietcong to
change military strategy
• Rather than press for quick victory, focused on outlasting enemies
Tet: A Turning Point
• 1968, North Vietnamese army, Vietcong carried out daring strike
against cities, other targets across South Vietnam
• Attack began on Vietnamese New Year, called Tet—came to be
known as Tet Offensive
• Offensive military setback for Vietcong; still delivered heavy political
blow to U.S., South Vietnamese effort
Weakened Support
Opposition Grew
• American leaders had claimed
victory in Vietnam close at hand
• After Tet Offensive, war
expanded into Laos, Cambodia
• Tet Offensive dramatically
showed this was not case
• North Vietnamese had supply
network—Ho Chi Minh Trail
• Attacks greatly weakened
American public support for war
• U.S. efforts to destroy trail failed
• More Americans opposed war
Vietnam War Ends
End of War
• 1973, after long negotiations, U.S. reached peace agreement with North
Vietnam, withdrew military support; without support, South lost ground
• 1975, North Vietnamese tanks rolled into Saigon, ending war
After the War
• 1976, Vietnam reunited officially, but faced major problems
• Millions dead or made homeless; Vietnamese economy severely crippled
• 1980s, abandoned Soviet-style planned economy, made economic reforms
Still Communist Nation
• 1995, U.S. formally recognized united Vietnam
• Two nations agreed to improve trade relationship
• Many economic reforms; political reforms slow for Communist nation
Make Generalizations
Summarize the course of the Vietnam War.
Answer(s): United States feared Communists
would take control of South Vietnam; war began
and U.S. involvement increased; American public
opposition to the war grew; United States
removed troops; North Vietnamese took control of
South Vietnam.
Changes in Southeast Asia
Some of the political and social forces that tore apart Vietnam were
also at work elsewhere in the region. After World War II, other nations
in Southeast Asia struggled to build stable independent nations.
Indonesia
• Over 13,000 islands
spread across Indian,
Pacific oceans
• Had been Dutch
colony known as
Dutch East Indies
before being taken
over by Japan during
World War II
Independence
Soviet Ally
• Dutch tried to regain
control after war
• Sukarno became first
Indonesian president
• Dutch faced
independence
movement led by
Sukarno
• Tried to stay out of
Cold War; eventually
allied with Soviet
Union, supported
growth of Indonesia’s
Communist party
• 1949, Indonesia
finally won
independence
• Sukarno almost
bankrupted nation
Coup d’Etat
In 1965 a group of army officers and Communists tried to seize power
in a coup d’état. The head of the army, General Suharto, fought back.
In the struggle for power that followed the attempted coup, hundreds of
thousands of Communists and alleged Communists were murdered.
Suharto In Control
• Suharto took control of country
when struggle ended
• Ruled Indonesia for many years
• Authoritarian regime corrupt,
but Indonesian economy
revived
Suharto Loses Control
• 1980s, some Indonesians
turned against Suharto,
resented corruption, use of
power
• 1997, economy collapsed;
protests, riots broke out
Suharto stepped down the following year. In subsequent years, a series of
democratic governments worked to rebuild the nation’s economy.
Indonesia Today
Population
• Today Indonesia has fourthlargest population in world
• Home to over 300 ethnic groups
Diversity
• Muslim majority
• Large Christian minority; also
Hindus, Buddhists
• Diversity has led to conflict
Conflict
• On island of Sulawesi,
thousands died in fighting
between Christians, Muslims
• 2000s, Muslim radicals linked to
terrorist attacks in Indonesia
Tsunami
• 2004, devastating tsunami
struck Indonesia
• Over 225,000 people killed,
destruction widespread
East Timor and Cambodia
East Timor
• 1975, Indonesia seized control of East Timor, former Portuguese colony
• East Timorese fought against Indonesian invasion for nearly three decades
• Over 100,000 people died; 2002, finally won independence
Myanmar
• 1948, Burma, now known as Myanmar, won independence from Great Britain
• Faced many difficulties: weak central government, severe ethnic tensions
• 1960s, military dictatorship seized power; still controls Myanmar today
Peace Prize Winner Imprisoned
• 1991, opponent of government, Aung San Suu Kyi won Nobel Peace Prize
for her efforts to promote democracy in Myanmar
• Government has held her in prison, or under house arrest, for much of time
since late 1980s
Cambodia
• Cambodia endured years of struggle after winning independence
from France in 1953
• In 1975 Communist Khmer Rouge gained control of country
• Khmer Rouge established Communist government led by Pol Pot
• Renamed country Kampuchea
• Began radical program to rebuild Cambodian society
Rebuilding Society
• Goal: country of simple peasants
• To achieve goal, all influences of
urban life, modern civilization had
to be destroyed
• All opposition destroyed
• Anyone educated killed
• 1.5 million died
Constitutional Monarchy
• Conflict between Khmer Rouge,
Vietnam turned into war
• 1979, Vietnam invaded Cambodia,
forced Pol Pot from power
• Pol Pot led Khmer Rouge guerrillas
in civil war throughout 1980s
• Now rebuilding
Make Generalizations
How have nations in Southeast Asia
changed?
Answer(s): Many of its nations have gained
independence from colonial rule, but have
struggled to build stable, independent
governments.