Extension of the Cold War outside Europe: Case study of Vietnam War, 1954-1975
G3 Full History - syllabus K330, 2027
Why did Vietnam stay divided after 1954, and why could US military power not save the South? Diem, the insurgency, escalation, Tet and 1975.
- Why Geneva did not reunite Vietnam
The 1954 Geneva settlement split Vietnam for a short time and planned elections for 1956, but the elections never happened.
- Two governments, two struggles for support
The North tightened communist control, while Diem's harsh and unfair rule in the South turned many people against him.
- A local war becomes a Cold War war
Anger at Diem, help from the North and aid from the superpowers turned a local revolt into a long Cold War conflict.
- Why the USA sent more and more
Fear of losing the South, and of allies losing trust in US promises, drew the USA from sending advisers to full-scale war.
- How Tet changed US policy
The 1968 Tet Offensive failed on the battlefield, but it convinced many Americans that the war could not be won soon.
- The war ends in 1975
After US troops left, the North defeated the South in 1975, while detente between the superpowers had already begun.
- Put it together: What kind of victory?
Decide what a claim means by success: holding territory, ending American combat, or achieving a government's political aim. Then compare that aim with what actually happened.
What you will be able to do
I can weigh up how the rise of communist China in 1949 raised Cold War tensions in Asia.
Syllabus K330, The Cold War, Learning Outcomes. Assess the impact of the emergence of communist China on Cold War tensions.
Taught in A local war becomes a Cold War war
I can weigh up why the Korean War and the Vietnam War broke out, and what followed each war.
Syllabus K330, The Cold War, Learning Outcomes. Assess the reasons for the outbreak of the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and their aftermath.
Taught in Why Geneva did not reunite Vietnam, Two governments, two struggles for support
I can judge how far the superpowers got involved in the Korean and Vietnam wars, and what difference it made.
Syllabus K330, The Cold War, Learning Outcomes. Evaluate the extent and impact of superpowers involvement in civil wars with reference to the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Taught in A local war becomes a Cold War war, Why the USA sent more and more, How Tet changed US policy
I can examine how the end of the Korean War and of the Vietnam War changed the Cold War.
Syllabus K330, The Cold War, Learning Outcomes. Examine the immediate aftermath of the Korean War and the Vietnam War on Cold War developments.
Taught in The war ends in 1975
Sources and context
Background reading for this chapter.
- FRUS: Geneva declaration paragraph 7
Paraphrase of paragraph 7 of the Geneva conference declaration as transmitted by the US delegation on 20 July 1954; FRUS diplomatic record.
- National Archives: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Paraphrase of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by the US Congress, 7 August 1964; National Archives transcript.