Korean war

• The Cold War:

  • No direct fighting between the two superpowers
  • Fighting mainly in the form of proxy wars
  • Both sides used propaganda to promote their ideologies (communism – USSR and capitalism – USA)
• The origins of the Korean War:

  • Korea divided along the 38th parallel after Japan's loss in 1945
  • Korean soldiers in the north surrendered to Soviet forces, in the south to American forces
  • Division supposed to be temporary for UN-organised elections
  • Kim Il-Sung took power in the North, Syngman Rhee won elections in the South
  • Seoul became the capital of South Korea, Pyongyang of North Korea
  • Both leaders wanted to reunify the country under their own ideologies
• Kim Il-sung 1912-1994:

  • Ruler of North Korea from 1943 until his death
  • Founding member of the Young Communist League of Korea in 1927
  • Lived in the USSR from 1941-1945
  • Became a Major in the Soviet Army
  • Syngman Rhee:
  • Imprisoned in 1897 for protesting against the Korean royal family
  • Elected President of Korea in 1919
  • Became the first President of South Korea after WWII
• China:

  • Became communist in 1949
  • Mao Tse-Tung defeated the nationalists
  • Americans feared the spread of communism in Asia
• North Korean invasion build-up:

  • Both sides claimed rightful rulership of the whole of Korea
  • Kim Il-Sung believed South Koreans would welcome a North Korean invasion
  • Stalin initially thought the time was not right for an invasion
  • In 1950, Stalin decided the time was right
  • USSR supplied tanks, weaponry, and aircraft to North Korea
  • Stalin gave Kim Il-Sung permission to invade in April 1950
• The fear of communism spreading across Asia and countries falling to communism one by one, like dominoes
• By 1946, most of Eastern Europe was communist
• Truman announced the "Truman Doctrine" in 1946, stating that the USA would try to "contain" communism from spreading further
• In 1949, China became communist and began supporting communist rebels across Asia
• Truman was concerned about South Korea going communist after the North Korean invasion, as it could lead to communism spreading to other countries like Vietnam, Laos, Japan, or India
• This would threaten American influence and business in the region
• The second "Red Scare" in the USA during the late 1940s and early 1950s
• The nuclear arms race between the USA and the USSR heightened fear of communism and the USSR in the USA
• Senator Joseph McCarthy fueled the fear of secret communists in the USA, trying to overthrow the government
• Presidential elections in 1948 and Congress elections in 1950 led politicians to talk tough about communism to appeal to voters
• Truman's decision to go to war may have been influenced by the desire to appear tough on communism to American voters
• The Korean War was part of the global war between the USSR and the USA
• After 1945, the USSR and the USA were rivals across the world
• The USA entered the Korean War in 1950 to act against the USSR and prevent the spread of its influence
• Concerns about trade and business influenced the USA's stance on communism in Asia
• Communist countries potentially refusing to trade with the USA was a worry
• The spread of communism to Japan, a crucial ally and trading partner, was a major concern for American businessmen and politicians
• The North Korean invasion in June 1950 was the trigger cause for the Korean War
• Kim Il Sung's troops occupied most of South Korea, leading Truman to send military support and pressure the UN to take action
• This event was the immediate cause that initiated the war, not a longer-term cause
• • Capitalism:
  • Free elections involving different parties
  • Most land, industry, and businesses were privately owned
  • Freedom was the most important idea
  • Extremes of poverty and wealth
• • Communism:
  • Land and industry owned by the state
  • Profits shared out evenly
  • Equality was the most important idea
  • Society more equal, but lives tightly controlled by the government