IMPORTANCE OF KOREA TO USA AND THE WESTERN BLOC

• IMPORTANCE OF KOREA TO USA AND THE WESTERN BLOC

  • USA was initially concentrating on Japan, Taiwan and The Philippines

  • US Secretary of State Dean Acheson’s “Defense Perimeter speech” in Jan 1950 (TB p.44) left Korea out.

  • Soviet explosion of the atomic bomb in Aug 1949 – US’ advantage over USSR was neutralised

  • Communist victory in China in late 1949 – US government was criticized for the “loss” of China to Communism

  • Rising fear of Communist spies in USA
• IMPORTANCE OF KOREA TO USA AND THE WESTERN BLOC

  Containment beyond Europe

  • The NSC-68 report in April 1950 by USA’s National Security Council concluded that the USSR was set against the USA

  • Described Cold War as a confrontation between the free world led by USA, and USSR, who wanted global domination

  • USA must drastically increase its military capability to carry out containment on a global basis.
• IMPORTANCE OF KOREA TO USA AND THE WESTERN BLOC

  Joining the Korean War was part of Containment

  • N.K. invasion of the South in June was seen as proof of the global struggle mentioned in NSC-68. US believed that Kim was just Stalin’s puppet.

  • They believed if South Korea fell to the Communists, Japan and other Asian countries will follow – just like dominos.

  • Thus, USA got involved in Korea to apply the containment policy and stop the spread of Communism.