Explain in 3-4 sentences the causes and impacts of the proxy wars in Korea and Vietnam (6 points)
The Korean War (1950-1953) was a proxy war resulting from Cold War tensions, as North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, sought to impose a communist government in the whole peninsula, while South Korea, supported by the United States and other Western allies, resisted to maintain its non-communist government. The impact of this conflict was the cementing of the division of Korea into two separate states with vastly different political and economic systems, leading to ongoing tensions and a heavily militarized border.
The Vietnam War (1955-1975), similarly, was fueled by Cold War dynamics where the communist North Vietnam, supported by the Soviet Union and China, sought to unify the country under its governance, while the non-communist South Vietnam, backed by the United States and other anti-communist allies, opposed this unification. The war resulted in significant loss of life, widespread destruction, the eventual unification of Vietnam under communist rule, and a profound impact on American domestic politics, foreign policy, and society.