korean war

• 1945 - Korea was spilt across the 38th parallel
• South Korea was led by Syngman Rhee (capitalist) who was supported by the USA
• North Korea was led by Kim Il Sung (communist) who was supported by the USSR
• Josef Stalin was the leader of the USSR, he ran a communist dictatorship - supported Kim Il Sung
• Harry Truman was president of the USA (1945 to 1953) and believed communism must be contained - supported Syngman Rhee
• Causes of the Korean War:

  • Kim Il Sung
  • Syngman Rhee
  • Domino Theory
  • Undermine communism
  • impact of the Cold War
• proxy war

  war in which opposite sides use third parties as substitutes for fighting each other directly
• Domino Theory 


  if one country falls to communism, other surrounding countries will also become communist
• Cold War:

  • a proxy war between USA and USSR who use Korea to fight
• Domino Theory:

  • in 1949 China becomes communist, the Truman Doctrine states that Korea is now more likely to communist (and Japan) which is a threat to USA
  • Truman may invade to contain communism, protect the American Dream
• Kim Il Sung:

  1. Kim Il Sung and Stalin know each other because Kim was a major in the Soviet Army
  2. Kim persuades Stalin he can invade South Korea without Truman reacting
  3. Stalin agrees to supply Kim with money + weapons (does NOT supply troops)
• Syngman Rhee:

  • Boasting that he could invade North Korea easily
  • North invades on 25th June 1950
• Invasion by the North:

  • 25th June 1950 North Korea attacks South along the 38th parallel
  • South retreated
  • 28th June 1950, North captures Seoul (capital of the South)
  • within weeks North had control of most of the South
• USA response to the invasion:

  • sent in the US navy (the 7th fleet) 60 battleships, 40 000 soldiers and 300 aircrafts
  • sends MacArthur (WW2 hero) with troops and supplies
  • puts pressure on the UN to take military action
• USSR response to the invasion:

  • claims the UN is making the wrong decision - should not be involved in internal Korean issues
  • claimed the USA wanted to make Korea an American colony
  • USSR claims to want international peace - Korea has the right to unify
• United Nations response to the invasion:

  1. USA suggest getting an army together to support the South
  2. USSR could have vetoed this but didn't attend the meeting
  3. remaining members agreed that Kim Il sung had broken world peace and ordered Kim to withdraw troops from the South
  4. North ignores the UN and they send an army to defend South Korea
• Stages of the Korean War: (part 1)

  1. North invades south on 25th June 1950
  2. September 1950 - North captures most of the South (until Pusan)
  3. MacArthur amphibiously lands in Inchon and recapture Seoul within 10 days
  4. October 1950 - South pushes up to the Yalu river (border with China), MacArthur suggest nuking China
  5. China send in 300,000 troops to support the North, UN is pushed back to the 38th parallel
  6. March 1951 - North recaptures Seoul
  7. March 1953 - UN recapture Soeul, leading to military stalemate
• Stages of the Korean War: (part 2)

  8. stalemate, so US use airstrike and Napalm

  9. Stalin provides the Chinese with equipment, ammo and planes (planes only in Chinese and North Korean colours, no Russian on radios allowed)

  10. North Korea copy technology of a soviet plane (MiG-15)

  11. 1 million deaths, UN lost 3500 planes, USSR lost 3000 planes
• impact of Korean War on North Korea:

  • North rebuilt quickly dues to USSR's aid
  • 600,000 civilians lost
  • 400,000 soliders lost
• impact of Korean War on South Korea:

  • US aid helped South Korea to rebuild
  • 200,000 soldiers killed
  • 1 million civilians killed
• impact of Korean War on USA:

  • containment seems to be true
  • spent billions on the war yet failed to save North Korea from communism
• impact of Korean War on UN:

  • gained respect
  • succeeded in defending South Korea at a cost of 40,000 lives
  • seen as a puppet of the USA
• impact of Korean War on USSR:

  • gained relationship with China
  • arms race (competition between nations for superiority in the development weapons) with USA - costly
• impact of Korean War on China:

  • gained relationship with USSR
  • became poor
  • trade with USA ended for 25 years