Ending the military conflict in Vietnam
In our Historical Security Council, we’ll be travelling back in time to the year 1968. The Vietnam War is at its turning point, after the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong have launched a massive attack called the Tet Offensive against South Vietnamese Cities and U.S. troops. Though the United States has been able to push back the opposing forces, public support of the war in the U.S. has plummeted and morale among the U.S. army is at an all-time low. A consequence of the low morale is the My Lai Massacre, in which frustrated U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of innocent and unarmed civilians in the town of Son My in South Vietnam. Now, that the war has reached the peak of its violence and intensity due to the massacre, the United Nations Security Council gathers to discuss possible means and solutions to end the military conflict in Vietnam.
General Overview and Historical Context:
The United Nations Historical Security Council aims to prevent any further massacre or mistreatment of civilians, which would also mean to prohibit any farther use of inhumane weapons such as Napalm or Agent Orange, as these cause massive and yet uncertain damage to civilians and soldiers alike. It is unnecessary that there is a continuation of needless and unjustifiable death of thousands of soldiers and civilians.
Historical Context:
After World War II, the United States (US) and the Soviet Union were the two new superpowers in the world. As the Cold War progressed, the ideological battle between capitalism and communism was often fought through proxy wars in countries, which just had gained independence or were fighting for it. One such country was Vietnam, an Indochina region that was historically under French control. After fighting the French for their independence, Vietnam was split into a North Vietnam, which was communist, and South Vietnam, which was under control of a French-backed emperor. As there began to be a growing threat the rise of communism in Southeast Asia through the influence of the Soviet Union and China, the United States feared the “Domino effect” and intervened in Vietnam with financial and later with massive military support, starting in 1964.
Possible Solutions:
The following solutions are supposed to just be some food for thought and should merely set the groundwork for you to build upon:
Create to sovereign Vietnamese States
Set up a vote for a constituent assembly of the Vietnamese people
Sanctioning the United States to weaken their economy and thereby forcing them out of Vietnam
Keep in mind
1. The political position of your country and the state of the world as a whole (Cold War) in the 1960s is very different than the current political situation today
2. We are aiming to achieve different political outcomes than the ones that have actually occurred in our real timeline
It is absolutely necessary that you are familiar with the details and deeper underlying causes of the Vietnam War, so it would be appreciated if you would read through the following article: http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/vietnamwar/summary.html
Sources:
http://www.historynet.com/vietnam-war
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraid=18
