korean war

• The governments of both North Korea and South Korea claimed to be the rightful rulers of the whole of Korea. There were often border clashes between their troops
• In early 1949, North Korean leader Kim Il-sung believed that South Koreans would welcome an invasion by North Korea. He visited Soviet leader Stalin to ask for his support
• Stalin did not think the time was right - US soldiers were still based in South Korea and an invasion by North Korea might pull Soviet soldiers into a fight with US troops
• In the spring of 1950, Stalin believed the situation had changed because:

  • US troops had left Korea
  • communists had won the civil war in China
  • the Soviets had developed their own nuclear weapons and felt more equal to the USA
  • the Soviets had cracked secret US codes used to communicate with other governments around the world; they were convinced that the USA would not interfere in Korea
• The USSR began to supply tanks, artillery and aircraft to North Korea, and began to train their soldiers.

  South Korea had not developed its own army because they had relied too heavily on US troops
• In April 1950, Stalin gave Kim II-sung permission to invade South Korea - but made it clear that Soviet troops would not be directly involved. He said that if reinforcements were needed, they must come from China, not from the USSR
• On 25 June, North Korean troops invaded South Korea
• On 27 June, President Truman declared that the USA would go to the aid of South Korea. He also said that the UN Security Council must meet quickly to decide how to respond
• UN response:

  • the security council met quickly
  • the US suggested that the UN assembles an army to help south korea
  • USSR could’ve vetoed but refused to attend meetings
  • remaining members of security council ordered north korea to leave the south
  • north korea ignored so the UN agreed to take military action
• UN invasion force:

  • Sixteen UN member states sent troops to fight including the USA, France, Turkey, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, Britain and Ethiopia
  • The USA provided the most: 50% of the armed forces, 86% of the naval forces, and 93% of the air force
  • General MacArthur from the USA was given the title 'Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command"
• The US response

  • President Truman was facing elections in November 1950and wanted to show the US public that he was trying to 'contain' communism.
  • He ordered US 7th Fleet to patrol the seas around North Korea and South Korea, and sent troops and supplies to help South Korea.
• The Soviet response

  • The USSR openly criticised the UN, saying that their charter (list of rules) stated that the UN was not permitted to get involved in 'internal events'.
  • They said that the USA wanted to make Korea an 'American colony' which could be used as a US military base.
  • The USSR confirmed they would not interfere with events in Korea.
• • By 14 September 1950, North Korean forces had pushed the South Korean army back to the area around Pusan
  • On 15 September, UN troops launched attack from Inchon
  • Inchon was quickly captured by the UN forces, who then pushed inland to recapture Seoul, the South Korean capital
  • At the same time, other UN forces and South Korean troops in the south, near Pusan, advanced north
  • The two UN forces then moved towards each other, attacking the North Korean army from two sides
  • By early October, all North Korean troops had been driven out of South Korea, back behind the 38th parallel
• Advance into North Korea

  • In early October 1950, UN forces crossed the 38th parallel into North Korea. The UN approved this action, hoping that North and South Korea could be unified. The North Korean army was driven further northwards.
  • China issued warnings that if UN forces continued to move north (towards China), China would join the war on North Korea's side.
  • General MacArthur met with President Truman and confidently told him that China would not enter the war.He was wrong about this.
• China enters the war

  • When UN troops drove North Korean forces back towards Yalu River, around 200,000 Chinese troops joined the North Koreans to fight back.
  • Chinese troops attacked with astounding force. They had the latest tanks and planes, supplied by the USSR, and an army committed to communism.
  • Chinese and North Korean forces pushed the UN forces back into South Korea, and re-took Seoul.
  • By March 1951, the advance had been stopped. Seoul was re-recaptured by UN forces once more. The two sides were roughly back where they had started - around the 38th parallel.
• • Truman was furious with MacArthur and sacked him from his position as Commander-in-Chief of the UN troops.
  • Truman ordered him back to the USA.The decision was met with uproar among the US public (because MacArthur was a well-known war hero), but Truman stood by his decision.
• After the advances and retreats made by UN troops and by Chinese and North Korean troops, by the middle of 1951 both sides were again facing each other from heavily fortified positions over the 38th parallel.
• To try to break the stalemate, the USA decided to use their vast airpower. US planes began bombing North Korean towns, cities, transport systems, factories and military bases with high explosives and napalm. As many as one million people - both soldiers and civilians - were killed.
• Soviet involvement

  • Before China had become directly involved in the war, Chinese politicians had met with Stalin, the Soviet leader, to ask for his support.
  • Stalin agreed to send military equipment and ammunition to help the Chinese and North Korean forces.
  • He agreed to provide Soviet fighter planes (and pilots) but stipulated that they would be ordered to operate only over Chinese airspace, and around the Chinese-North Korean border.
• A Soviet cover-up:

  • Stalin did not want the USA to find out about this direct Soviet involvement
  • He wanted to avoid an awkward political situation - and the potential of war between the USA and the USSR
  • All Soviet planes were painted with Chinese or North Korean markings and Soviet pilots were banned from speaking Russian on the radio
  • Some pilots even wore Chinese uniforms during combat missions
  • For almost two years the two sides fought each other in the air over Korea. The UN lost around 3500 planes while the North Koreans, Chinese and Soviets lost nearly 3000
• • July 1951: Peace talks begin
  • November 1952: President Truman is replaced by Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • March 1953: Soviet leader Stalin dies
  • 27 July 1953: The UN, China and North Korea sign a peace treaty that ends the fighting:
  • Both North Korea and South Korea remain independent, separate countries
  • The border between the two remains at the 38th parallel
  • A three-kilometre wide demilitarised zone is placed between the two countries, to act as a buffer in the hope of preventing future wars
• • The Korean War was the first time during the Cold War that the new ‘superpowers' had become directly involved in military conflict.
  • The war meant that the Cold War had spread from Europe to Asia.
  • The USA made alliances with countries in the east. It spent vast sums of money rebuilding Japan.
  • In contrast, the USA cut off all dealings with communist China and instead gave their support to the politicians who had controlled China before the communist takeover.
  • The USA vowed to increase support for any country fighting communism
• • The USA increased the number of army and air bases outside US territory in Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere in Asia
  • By 1952, the USA had around 750 nuclear bombs, up from about 100 in 1948
  • The USSR also increased the quality and quantity of their nuclear weapons
  • By the end of the war, the USA was spending 14.1% of its money each year on the war
  • The 1950s saw the introduction of 'intercontinental ballistic missiles' (ICBMs): nuclear missiles capable of travelling huge distances around the globe, rather than having to be dropped by bomber planes
• Korea’s gains and losses:

  Gains:

  • Limited: despite the ceasefire, Korea remained in war, with no permanent peace treaty. However, relations between Korea and its allies became stronger. For example, the USSR cancelled North Korea's debt and sent economic aid in September 1953. China also cancelled North Korea's debt, gave monetary aid and sent experts to help rebuild the country

  Losses:• civilian and military losses

  • 80% of Korea's industrial/government buildings were destroyed

  • Half of all housing and most transportation network destroyed

  • North Korea suffered greater damage
• USA’s gains and losses:

  Gains:

  • US policy of containment had stopped the spread of communism into South Korea

  Losses:

  • Large numbers of soldiers were killed or wounded
  • As well as the human cost, the USA spent billions on the war
  • Failed to 'save' North Korea from communism
• UN’s gains and losses:

  Gains:

  • Role of UN was strengthened by the war. It was made clear that the UN would take decisive action and stand up to degressive liduuns
  • USSR subsequently returned to various UN organisations

  Losses:

  • Failed in its aim to hold free elections and unite Korea
  • Some viewed the war as confirmation that the UN was hugely influenced by the USA. The commander of the UN forces had been American and took orders from the US President
• USSR’s gains and losses:

  Gains:

  • Closer relationship with China

  Losses:

  • Heightened tensions with USA
  • forced USSR into arms race with USA
• China’s gains and losses:

  Gains:

  • Achieved a closer relationship with fellow communist state - the USSR
  • Was propelled onto the world stage as a major military power

  Losses:

  • China was a poor country, and the war was very expensive
  • Failed to 'win' South Korea for communism
  • Trade and political links with the USA ended for almost 25 years