2-2.0 KOREAN WAR

Question 1

May 1948

Answer 1

• Elections held in south
• boycotted by Korean communists > South had 2/3 of population

Question 2

FACTORS INFLUECING STALIN

Answer 2

1. SOVIET EXPLOSION OF A-BOMB
2. COMMUNIST CHINA
3. SINO SOVIETY ALLIANCE

Question 3

Factor’s influencing Stalin
SOVIET EXPLOSION OF A-BOMB

Answer 3

Aug 1949 successfully exploded first A-bomb
- ACHIEVED ATOMIC PARITY WITH USA > US COULD NOT USE NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY
- MORE INCLINED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT

Question 4

Factor’s influencing Stalin
COMMUNIST CHINA

Answer 4

MORE FAVOURABLE INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE FOR SU
March 1949 - Mutual defense agreement signed between CCP and NK.
> Korean soldiers that fought people’s liberation army during Chinese civil war > returned to NK to bolster army

Question 5

Factor’s influencing Stalin
SINO SOVIET ALLIANCE

Answer 5

Feb 1950 - Sino Soviet treaty of friendship, alliance and mutual assistance signed
- both promised to come to each other’s aid if security compromised
SU DIRECT INTERVENTION AND INVOLVEMENT AVOIDED > MORE WILLING TO SUPPORT KIM’S AMBITIONS

Question 6

KIM VISIT TO STALIN

Answer 6

April 1950 - Kim visited SU persuaded Stalin that he could easily and swiftly conquer SK
- offered Stalin opportunity to strengthen Soviet presence in Asia pacific > counter American presence in the region (Japan)
> ONLY ABLE TO CARRY OUT AMBITIONS WITH APPROVAL AND SUPPORT RECEIVED FROM SU AND CHINA

Question 7

ACHESON’S SPEECH

Answer 7

Jan 1950
- announced American defense perimeter did not include Korea led Stalin to conclude US unlikely to get involved in Korea
- Stalin approached Mao to ensure China support
KIM APPROVAL OF COMM SUPPORTERS READY TOLEAD FORCES INTO SK BY JUNE 1950

Question 8

LEAD UP TO OUTBREAK OF KOREAN WAR

Answer 8

1. WITHDRAWAL OF USA AND SOVIET UNION FROM KOREA
2. LIMITED SUPPORT FROM USA AND SOVIET UNION
3. BORDER CLASHES BETWEEN NK AND SK

Question 9

Lead up to outbreak of Korean war
WITHDRAWAL OF USA AND SOVIET UNION FROM KOREA

Answer 9

1947 - NK request withdrawal of US and SU forces from as early as 1947 > did not want foreign interference
NKPA and Kim Gov established SU withdraw in late 1948
USA considered staying longer to bolster SK defenses
Jun 1949 > final withdrawal of US forces leaving token force of few hundred men
(before subsequent developments) SU A-bomb reassess strategic importance of Korea

Question 10

Lead up to outbreak of Korean war
BORDER CLASHES BETWEEN NK AND SK

Answer 10

between 1949 and 1950 initiated by south to capture territory in the north
July 1949 - SK warships attacked NK military installations at the mouth of Taedong river
> sank most of NK west coast fleet > provoked NKPA retaliation > fierce fighting led to heavy casualties
- RHEES AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS REINFORCE USA STANCE ON NOT BEING EMBROILED IN A WAR IN KOREA
- USA WARY ATTTUDE DID NOT WANT TO ENABLE RHEE PREVENT HIM FROM LAUNCHING AN OFFENSIVE

Question 11

OUTBREAK OF KOREAN WAR

Answer 11

25 June 1950 more than 90,000 NK forces crossed the 38th parallel
- caught SK and US by surprise > quickly gained control until Pusan
1. SOVIET SUPPORT FOR NK INVASION
2. ENTRY OF USA
3. INVOLVEMENT OF UN
4. ENTRY OF CHINA TO SUPPORT NK

Question 12

Outbreak of Korean war
SOVIET SUPPORT FOR NK INVASION

Answer 12

ORGANISING TRAINING FOR NKPA FROM 1948
end of July 1950 NK forces successfully pushed SK and US forces to Pusan
- formidable force in fighting SK army

Question 13

Outbreak of Korean war
INVOLVEMENT OF UN

Answer 13

27 Jun 1950 - Truman called for UN to employ use of force total of 16 member states contributed to UN forces
> TRUMAN INITIATED POLICE ACTION WITH SUPPORT OF UN SEND FORCES RESIST INVASION OF SK
- SU BOYCOTT SECURITY COUNCIL MISSED CHANCE TO VETO UN’S DECISION TO SEND UN FORCES TO KOREA
15 Sept 1950 - 261 ships landed at port of Incheon faced little opposition

Question 14

Outbreak of Korean war
ENTRY OF CHINA TO SUPPORT NK

Answer 14

27 Sept 1950 - granted MacArthur permission to push further into NK
> continued operations north of 38th parallel only authorized as long as soviet or Chinese forces did not involve themselves
- AMERICAN ADVANCMENT TOWARDS YALU RIVER PROXIMITY TO CHINESE TERRITROY PERCEIVED AS SECURITY THREAT
Oct 1950 Zhou En Lai sent a cable to UN stating
“any continuation of the Korean war would inevitably lead to a widening of the conflict”
Mid Oct 1950 - Chinese forces began secretly crossing into NK MacArthur defied directions of UN and Truman pushed towards Yalu river
Dec 1950 to Jun 1951 UN forces forced to retreat south of 38th parallel

Question 15

DEVELOPMENT OF ARMSTICE

Answer 15

1. STALEMATE AND MACARTHUR’S DISMISSAL
2. ARMSTICE TALKS

Question 16

Development of armistice
STALEMATE AND MACARTHUR’S DISMISSAL

Answer 16

April 1951 - two sides reached a stalemate around 38th parallel
> MACARTHUR WANTED TO CONTINUE PREPARED TO INVADE CHINA (prepared to use Nuclear weapons on China)
> MACARTHUR PUBLICLY CRITICISED TRUMAN’S STANCE THREATENED TO DESTROY THE CHINESE
11 April 1951 - Truman dismissed MacArthur for insubordination replaced by General Matthew Ridgeway

Question 17

Development of armistice
ARMSTICE TALKS

Answer 17

• EXTERNAL POWERS EXERT PRESSURE ON KOREAN LEADERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TALKS IN MID 1951
  NEGOTIATIONS July 1951 to July 1953 not easy both sides conflicting interests and expectations
• fighting dragged on until 1953 as armistice talks stalled over disagreements on POWs
  Jan 1953 - Eisenhower replaced Truman > promised end of Korean war
  Mar 1953 - Stalin passed away replaced by Khrushchev
  EISENHOWER PERSUADED RHEE AND USED BRINKMANSHIP ON CHINA NK WITH THREAT OF NUKE
  27 July 1953 Armistice signed DMZ established

Question 18

IMPACT OF KOREAN WAR

Answer 18

1. DISASTER
2. CHINA DISPLAY OF MILITARTY MIGHT
3. EXPANSION OF COLD WAR BEYOND EUROPE
4. INTENSIFIED US INVOLVEMENT IN ASIA PACIFIC
5. FORMATION OF SEATO
6. ESCALATION OF MILITARY TENSIONS BETWEEN WESTERN AND EASTERN BLOC IN EUROPE

Question 19

Impact of Korean war
DISASTER

Answer 19

4 million Korean soldiers and civilians killed, 5 million people homeless
- DIVISION SEEEMED PERMANENT REMAINED INTENSELY SUSPICIOUS OF EACH OTHER

Question 20

Impact of Korean war
FORMATION OF SEATO

Answer 20

Set up in Sept 1954
- main purpose prevent spread of communism in Asia pacific
- host joint military exercise for member states annually
- work to build strong economic foundations and improve living standards of SEA states
Korean war mad US reassess importance of Asia pacific as anti-communist base
> counter balance China NK influence
> strengthen influence and presence in Asia pacific region
INTEGRAL TO US CONTAIMENT POLICY

Question 21

Impact of Korean war
ESCALATION OF MILITARY TENSIONS BETWEEN WESTERN AND EASTERN BLOC IN EUROPE

Answer 21

LED TO MILITARIZATION OF NATO
- VIEWED NK INVASION AS KEY EXAMPLE OF SOVIET LED COMMUNIST AGGRESSION
- NATO develop concrete military strategies to counter strengths of communist bloc an contain spread of comm
US defense budget 33% of budget in 1950 to 60% in 1953 (outlined in NSC-68)
- STRONG INDICATOR OF PERCEIVED NEED TO STRENGHTEN EUROPE MILITARY DEFENCES DUE TO KOREAN WAR

Question 22

NSC-68

Answer 22

BLUEPRINT FOR MILITARY ACTION IN THE COLD WAR
- advocated expansion in military budget
- increased military aid to allies
- containment of Soviet union