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The Korean War

The Korean War. 1950 – 1953 Global Development and impact of the Cold War. Korea divided. Divided at the 38th parallel at the end of WWII when Japanese forces surrendered to Soviets in the North and the Americans in the South .

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The Korean War

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  1. The Korean War 1950 – 1953 Global Development and impactof the Cold War

  2. Korea divided • Divided at the 38th parallel at the end of WWII when Japanese forces surrendered to Soviets in the North and the Americans in the South. • Unification would be through elections overseen by the UN. • However, two distinct governments arose: A communist dictatorship under Kim Il Sung A corrupt democracy under President Syungman Rhee • These regimes became rivals with each claiming sovereignty over the entire country, thus making unification impossible. • In 1948, The Soviet Union declared the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (9 million people with 90,000 troops) • The USA responds by creating the Republic of Korea (21 million, 65,000 troops)

  3. Upon the creation of the two Koreas, the Soviets and the USA removed their own forces, but advisors and weapons are left behind. • Although the North had a military advantage the USA did not think that war was probable in 1950. In fact , Sec. of State Dean Acheson states in a speech that South Korea was not in America’s defensive perimeter (Perimeter Speech). • US policy in South Korea in early 1950 under Truman encouraged reform policies to lessen internal discontent. Life under Rhee was oppressive and Rhee believed that the US could not afford to abandon him whatever his policies. • War breaks out on June 25, 1950: North Korean troops invade across the 38th parallel and quickly take the southern peninsula and Seoul.

  4. The United States and South Korea are taken by surprise! But the US acts quickly. It refers the matter to the UN which agrees to take military action. The USSR had been boycotting the UN over China and thus cannot veto the action. • 15 countries agreed to send troops but the majority were Americans. UN forces were led by General Douglas MacArthur. • By October MacArthur successfully had driven back the North Koreans beyond the 38th parallel all the way to the Yalu River, the border with China.

  5. China • The arrival of US troops and ships to South Korea angered China. As US forces pushed northward, they issued a warning in early October. China will intervene if the US continues to advance. MacArthur did not believe in a large-scale Chinese intervention and convinces Truman of this, but he miscalculates! • He crossed the border into China without Truman’s consent. For MacArthur, containment was not his goal, but a roll-back of communism. • Oct 26th: The Chinese army crossed the Yalu River and overran US positions in most of N. Korea. • US humiliation! By January 1951 the US is pushed back beyond the 38th parallel.

  6. End ofWar • Truman fires MacArthur in April 1951 • In Korea, a stalemate results. Armistice talks, but battle line stabilizes at the 38th parallel. • During 1951-1953: sporadic battles and cease fires. The main conflict was POWs. • July 27, 1953 Ceasefire • The UN, China and North Korea agree to the borders. South Korea refuses to sign. • Eisenhower is president now. Wins election partially based on withdrawal from Korea. In 1953, both USA and the USSR have new leadership!

  7. Effects and outcomeofwar • No change in status of Korea; still divided at 38th parallel • Kim Il-sung remains in power in North Korea until he dies in 1994. Isolationist policy and enforcement of a cult of personality. Rhee remains in power until he resigns in 1960 after massive protests against him. • UN collective security proves effective. • The Korean War affected the international scene by intensifying the Cold War in Europe.

  8. Effectscon’t • In Asia, the US draws closer to Japan and Chiang Kai-shek to contain communist China. This will lead to intervention in Southeast Asia. • China gains prestige for helping save North Korea from the West, yet she is cautious with the US. Worsening Sino-American relations were not unwelcome by the Soviets. American hostility towards China keeps her commercially isolated from the West and the UN. • US military spending increases drastically, from $13.5 billion to $50 billion, thus pushing the USSR into an arms race that she can’t afford.

  9. To what extent were the USA and the USSR to blame for the war? Some arguments: USA • The traditionalist view: a simple case of communist aggression • The US would certainly welcome a united and pro-western Korea. • There was an awareness not to repeat the mistakes of the 1930s (appeasement). Aggression must be punished! • The US see the attack as a Soviet attempt to drive a wedge between the US and her European allies. To back down now would hurt US prestige and power.

  10. Soviet and Chinese intervention seemed unlikely. It was presumed that China was preoccupied with internal economic and political problems to intervene. The US/UN had a blind eye to Chinese troop movements and explicit warnings through New Delhi. • There was a desire in Washington to win a real victory over communism and growing support to use the events in Korea to provide such an opportunity. • This was a test of US willpower by the Kremlin. Inaction would only encourage further communist moves elsewhere in Europe or Indo-china.

  11. Soviet Union is toblame • North Korea would not attack on its own. Soviets had armed the North Koreans for an offensive attack, there was an increase in Soviet supplies in Vladivostok prior to invasion. By her absence in the UN, she hoped to impede a UN intervention. • Stalin interpreted American policy (through Acheson’s Perimeter Speech) as a signal that she would not intervene , that she lacked the means and incentive to act. • The invasion was prompted by fears of American influence in Japan. Afterall, the USSR had been denied a part in her occupation. Korea under a communist regime would compensate and encourage a neutral Japan.

  12. Officially neutral in the conflict but now it is known that Stalin was unwilling to accept a communist defeat in Korea. This complicated armistice talks. When Stalin did in 1953, an agreement could be reached. • However, according to Kruschev it was Kim Il-sung who wanted to invade South Korea and that Stalin carefully thought about the decision to approve and support him.

  13. Korea started it • The war was a result of a local rivalry between Syungman Rhee and Kim Il-sung. A bid for control would sooner or later lead to civil war unless held back by the US and the USSR. • Officially neutral in the conflict but now it is known that Stalin was unwilling to accept a communist defeat in Korea. This complicated armistice talks. When Stalin did in 1953, an agreement could be reached.

  14. A LimitiedWar: Korea • A limitedwar is a conflict in which the belligerentsparticipating in the war do not expend all ofeachof the participants' availableresources at theirdisposal, whether human, industrial, agricultural, military, natural, technological, or otherwise in a specificconflict. • Thismay be to preserve thoseresources for other purposes, or because it might be moredifficult for specificparticipantsto be abletoutilize all of an areas resourcesratherthan part ofthem. • Limitedwar is the oppositeof the conceptof total war.

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