3.2 The Korean War Flashcards
(15 cards)
Who occupied Korea during WW2
Japan
What happened after japan withdrew from Korea
- Peninsula divided into two zones along the 38th Parallel
- northern zone occupied by the ussr
- south was occupied by usa
When did war break out between the two sides
1950
Where had the division of Korea been agreed
Potsdam
Who were the leaders of the northern and southern sides
- north: Kim Il Sung
- south: Syngman Rhee
Who was Kim Il Sung
Soviet trained politician, chairman of the Korean communist party
Who was Syngman Rhee
- anti-communist and nationalist
- backed by the USA
When did Kim ask Stalin directly to support an invasion of Korea and what happened next
- march 1949
- Stalin did not want to fight
- encouraged the Chinese to act in support of the North Koreans
- beginning of 1950: reluctantly agreed to provide weapons and support Kim
- made it clear that soviet troops would not get involved in a war against the Americans
How did both parties try to unite Korea under their leadership
- Rhee: called for American assistance in overthrowing the north, began rooting out communists in his territory
- Kim: began sending raiding parties across the border to try to undermine the southern government
How many us troops were stationed in South Korea in 1949
7500
When did North Korean troops invade the south
June 1950
What did the us do when the invasion began
- asked the UN to call for a ceasefire
- UN voted for immediate withdrawal of North Korean Troops from the south
- ussr boycotting un, could not veto decision
- with UN backing, usa sent troops to support Rhee
Why was the ussr boycotting the un at the time
In protest of the fact that most countries would not recognise Mao’s government in china
What were the consequences of the Korean War
- demonstrated US’s commitment to containing communism and the power us had within the un
- first proxy war of the Cold War
- dismissal of General MacArthur showed that USA did not want to risk full military engagement, and neither did the Soviets (they both had nuclear weapons)
Korean War timeline
Feb 1950: Stalin agrees to provide North Korea with military equipment
June 1950: north invades south, un calls for ceasefire but war continues
Sept 1950: led by MacArthur, US forces land at Inchon and drive the North Koreans back to the 38th Parallel
Oct 1950: Chinese troops enter the war and kelp launch a North Korean counterattack, Seoul is captured
April 1951: MacArthur dismissed from command by Truman after calling for use of nuclear weapons
June 1951: war reaches stalemate and peace negotiations begins
July 1953: final ceasefire agreed, peninsula divided in almost the same place as before the war
