Korea and Viet Nam

LTC Joel Johnston, US Army

Rules of Engagement• I am not a recruiter.

• A Soldier’s political opinion ends with “GO.”

• Disagreement is not disrespect.

• All material obtained Open Source: nothing classified.

• After the presentation, you will have a chance to ask me questions on Homeland Security, War on Terror, the Army, etc. etc.

The Korean War

The Korean War 1950-53• “Power Vacuum” left after WWII.• US and Soviet border at 38th Parallel.• North Korean Attack 25 JUN 50.• Communism vs. Democracy.• UN Resolution 82; US and 20 Allies.• Terrain of Korea:

– Mountainous– Many choke points at bridges and

mountain passes– Most forest vegetation cut down by

Japanese during WWII.– Extreme weather

Participants in Korean War

• South Korea• United States• Australia• Belgium• Canada,• Columbia• Ethiopia• France • Greece• Luxembourg• Netherlands

• New Zealand• Philippines• South Africa• Thailand• Turkey• England• Denmark (Medical)• Italy (Medical)• Norway (Medical)• Sweden (Medical)

• North Korea

• China

• Soviet Union

Total 1,139,518 Total: 1,066,000

5 Phases of the War:•North Korean Invasion•Pusan Perimeter & Inchon Landing •Chinese Direct Intervention•Struggle for the boundary•Cease Fire at the DMZ

Korean War in a Nutshell

Korean War LegacyDid We Win?

• The first of many engagements in the “Cold War”

• Superpower “Limited War”

• Communist Threat Motivates Western Europe to Re-Arm and form NATO.

• Continued US Presence in Korea.

• Split of China and Soviet Union

• Communism Containment

The Human Cost of the Korean War

South Korea: 673,000

USA: 36,516

England 1,078

Turkey 721Total: 711,315

Civilians: 1,271,244

North Korea: 200,000

China: 171,687

USSR 315

Total: 372,002

Civilians: 1,858,000

Korean War Lexicon Test

• DMZ• TF Smith• Operation Chromium• Pusan Perimeter• Inchon Landing• T-34• ROK Army• 38th Parallel• Yalu River

• DPRK• F-80 and F-86• Chosin Reservoir • MiG-15• Operation Paul Bunyan• MiG Alley• “police action”• Truman Doctrine• Integrated Combat Units

War in Viet Nam

Vietnam War Era Timeline

1954- French defeated Dien Bien Phu

1959- First US casualties1963- Escalation--US sends

15,000 military advisors (up from 700 in 1962)

1968- US troop numbers reach peak of 540,000;

Tet Offensive 1969- Troop numbers reduced to

under 500,000; 1971- Troop numbers reduced to

140,0001973- Cease-fire signed; last US

troops withdrawn1974- Communists build up

power in South Vietnam; 1975- Last Americans are

evacuated as communist forces capture Saigon

Terrain: Conducive for Guerilla War

Stanley Karnow, Vietnam: A History

Vietnam War Participants

• US• South Korea • Thailand • Australia • New Zealand • Phillipines• Not Involved

– Britain– Canada

• Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam)

• National Liberation Front (Viet Cong)

• USSR • People’s Republic of

China

Did We Win?

• Failure to achieve a war’s political objective(s)—which may not mean military defeat.

The United States was never militarily defeated inVietnam, but nonetheless lost the war because itfailed to achieve its declared political objective:the preservation of an independent, non-Communist South Vietnam.

4 Ways to Slay Goliath

# 1. Stronger Political Will (Andrew Mack, “Why BigNations Lose Small Wars,” World Politics, 1975).

# 2. Superior Strategy (Ivan Arreguin-Toft, How the Weak Win Wars, 2005).

# 3. Regime Type (Gil Merom, HowDemocracies Lose Small Wars, 2003).

# 4. Access to External Assistance (“Why the Strong Lose,” Parameters, 2006)

Recipe for Upset• North Vietnam manufactured no military goods(except helmets).• China, Soviet Union, & other Communist Blocstates supplied all of North Vietnam’s militaryhardware.• Chinese & Soviets constructed & operated NorthVietnam’s integrated Air Defense system.• 170,000 Chinese logistics troops operated &maintained North Vietnam’s RR system.• North Vietnam conducted a guerilla war.• Vietnamese jungle conducive for hit and run tactics.• An unarmed North Vietnam could have defeatedneither the United States nor South Vietnam.

Bottom Line: The Will to Win

The Vietnam War• Military Dead / % of Total Population:

US: 58,000/194,000,000 = 0.02%VC: 1,100,000/ 20,000,000 = 5.50%

• (5.5% of U.S. population today: 16,000,000+)

• US Civil War: 600,000/31,000,000 = 1.9%

• French losses in World War I: 1,400,000/42,000,000 = 3.4%

Viet Nam War Lexicon Test

• Rolling Thunder• Linebacker• Ho Chi Mihn Trail• Armalite• Agent Orange• Hanoi Hilton• Vietnamization• SAM• Tet Offensive• SKS

• Foo Gas• Claymore• My Lai• Kmer Rouge• Fragging• Dien Bien Phu• 7.62 FMJ• Thud• BLU-82 Daisy Cutter• Punji stick

QUESTIONS?