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BELLWORK. Why did President Nixon expand the Vietnam War into Cambodia? Why did it take so long to establish a peace negotiation in Vietnam? What were the terms of the Paris Peace Treaty? To what extent was containment successful in Vietnam?
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BELLWORK • Why did President Nixon expand the Vietnam War into Cambodia? • Why did it take so long to establish a peace negotiation in Vietnam? • What were the terms of the Paris Peace Treaty? • To what extent was containment successful in Vietnam? • THINKER: Just like Vietnam was the “hot spot” for the Cold War in Asia, Germany was the focus in Europe. Why do you think Germany was such a source of tension between the superpowers?
War spreads to Cambodia In 1970, Nixon authorized the invasion of Cambodia in order to clear out Communist camps.
Paris Peace Treaty • Evident that neither side would back down…… “Peace with honor!” • In January 1973, the U.S, South Vietnam, North Vietnam and the Viet Cong signed a peace agreement in Paris. • The provisions of the agreement were: • The U.S. would withdraw from Vietnam within 60 days. • All prisoners of war would be released. • All parties would end military activities in Laos and Cambodia. • The 17th parallel would continue to divide North and South Vietnam.
End of Vietnam War After the U.S. left Vietnam in 1973, the south and north continued to fight for two more years. The Vietnam War officially ended in 1975 when the whole country of Vietnam fell to communism. Cambodia and Laos also fell to communism in 1975……………..why? To what extent was containment successful in Vietnam?
What happened to Cambodia? • Khmer Rouge: Communist party of Cambodia • Formed in 1968 as a faction of the Peoples’ Army of North Vietnam • Ruled from 1975-1978 • Led by Pol Pot
Rule of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge • Attempts at agricultural reform led to widespread famine • Forced evacuation of urban populations (“New People”) in an attempt to create agricultural communism (“Old People”) • Insisted on absolute self-sufficiency = complete isolation • Severe restrictions on individual rights (religion, privacy, communication, etc.) • Mass executions of dissenters, intellectuals, foreigners or “New People” led to the Cambodian Genocide. • Maintained support through social engineering
Crimes Against Humanity • The Khmer Rouge arrested, tortured, and executed anyone suspected of belonging to several categories of supposed "enemies:” • Connections to former or foreign governments • Professionals & Intellectuals (In practice, this included everyone with an education) • Artists, musicians, writers • Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists • Ethnic Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai populations • “Economic Saboteurs:” former urban populations • Death toll is estimated between 1.4M-3.2M
Fall of Khmer Rouge • By December 1978, due to several years of border conflict and the flood of refugees, relations between Cambodia and Vietnam collapsed • Vietnamese forces invaded and captured the capital, Phnom Phen, in January 1979 (left) • During period of Sino-Soviet tensions: USSR supported Vietnam & China supported Cambodia • Occupation and fighting continued until a provisional government was established in 1996 • Pol Pot died in 1998