Lesson 2: Korea and Other Postwar Conflicts Flashcards
(32 cards)
38th Parallel Definition
the dividing line between South and North Korea
Censure Definition
to officially condemn
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Definition
(DMZ) an area in which military forces are prohibited
McCarthyism Definition
the use of reckless charges of disloyalty
Perjury Definition
to lie under oath
From which years was Korea a Japanese colony?
1910 to 1945
As WWII ended, what did the United States and the Soviet Union agree on, relating to Korea? As the Cold War deepened, however, what condition did Korea remain in? What did the U.S. support in South Korea? What did the Soviet Union support in North Korea? Was there an agreement on how to reunite Korea?
As World War II ended, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to a temporary division of Korea at the 38th parallel of latitude. Both nations agreed that Korea would soon be reunited. As the Cold War deepened, however, Korea remained divided. The United States backed a noncommunist government in South Korea. The Soviet Union supported the Communist government of North Korea. There was no agreement on when, or how, to reunite Korea.
In June 1950, what did North Korean troops launch? This marked the beginning of what conflict? How did the South Korean army respond? Within days, what had the North Korean army captured? How did President Truman respond? Which general did Truman chose to lead the UN forces in Korea? What percentage of the troops were American? (Beginning of Korean War)
In June 1950, North Korean troops swept across the 38th parallel into South Korea. This marked the beginning of the Korean War. The South Korean army was quickly overwhelmed. Within days, North Korean forces occupied Seoul (SOLE), the capital of South Korea. President Truman responded forcefully to the attack. He asked the United Nations to send a military force to Korea. The UN Security Council voted to set up a force to be commanded by a general chosen by Truman. The President chose General Douglas MacArthur, who had commanded Allied forces in the Pacific during World War II. Although 16 nations joined the UN action in Korea, about 80 percent of the troops were American.
What was the condition of UN forces in the beginning of the Korean War? What did the Soviet Union supply North Koreans with, allowing them to push southward? What was General MacArthur’s counterattack at Inchon? Where did UN forces force the North Koreans back? What had MacArthur’s original orders tell him to do? For what reasons did UN forces cross into North Korea?
At first, UN forces were outnumbered and poorly supplied. Armed with new Soviet tanks, the North Koreans pushed steadily southward. They soon occupied almost all of South Korea. MacArthur then launched a daring counterattack by sea. He landed United Nations forces at Inchon behind North Korean lines. Caught by surprise, the North Koreans were forced back across the 38th parallel. MacArthur’s original orders called for him only to drive the invaders out of South Korea. Truman and his advisers, however, wanted to punish North Korea for its aggression. They also wanted to unite Korea. With these goals in mind, they won UN approval for MacArthur to cross into North Korea.
While MacArthur advanced northward into North Korea, what did China warn? What did masses of Chinese troops do as UN forces got closer to Chinese borders? Why did China see the UN forces as a threat?
While MacArthur advanced northward, the Chinese government warned that it would not “sit back with folded hands” if the United States invaded North Korea. As UN forces neared the Chinese border, masses of Chinese troops crossed the Yalu River into North Korea. Communist China perceived the approach of Western forces, presumably there to contain communism, as a threat to its own security. The Chinese were determined to fight off that threat.
How was the fighting when China joined the Korean War? By March 1951, what had UN troops done? What did the war turn into after this?
Once again, the fighting seesawed. The Chinese overwhelmed the UN forces, pushing them back deep into South Korea. Then, the UN forces regrouped and pushed the Chinese back into North Korea. By March 1951, UN troops had regained control of the south. The war then turned into a bloody deadlock.
During the deadlock in the Korean War, what disagreement arose between General MacArthur and President Truman?
During the deadlock, a serious disagreement arose between General MacArthur and President Truman. MacArthur felt that to win the war, UN forces must attack China. Truman feared that an attack on China might lead to a world war. He hoped to limit the war and restore the border between North Korea and South Korea at the 38th parallel.
What did a frustrated MacArthur say to the public, concerning his disagreement with the President? What did President Truman do in return? How did this outrage Americans? How did President Truman defend his actions?
A frustrated MacArthur complained publicly that politicians in Washington were holding him back. “We must win,” he insisted. “There is no substitute for victory.” Angry that MacArthur was defying orders, Truman fired the popular general. Truman’s action outraged many Americans. They gave MacArthur a hero’s welcome when he returned home. Truman, however, defended his decision. Under the Constitution, he pointed out, the President is commander in chief, responsible for key decisions about war and peace. MacArthur’s statements, said Truman, undermined attempts to reach a peace settlement.
What was the impact of peace talks in mid-1951? How did Dwight Eisenhower win the Election of 1952? In July 1953, what was signed between the opposing sides in the Korean War? What did the armistice state and set up?
Peace talks began in mid-1951. At first there was little progress. Meanwhile, the deadly fighting continued. Republicans nominated Dwight Eisenhower, the popular World War II general, as their presidential candidate in 1952. During the campaign, Eisenhower pledged that if he were elected, he would personally go to Korea. At the same time, he would work to get the stalled peace talks going again. Eisenhower won the election and visited Korea within a few weeks of his victory. By then, both sides were eager for a cease-fire. The only remaining problem was the return of prisoners of war. After long negotiations, the two sides finally agreed to turn this issue over to an international commission. Finally, in July 1953, the two sides signed an armistice to end the fighting. It redrew the border between North Korea and South Korea near the 38th parallel, where it had been before the war. Along the border, it also set up a demilitarized zone (DMZ), an area with no military forces. On either side of the DMZ, however, heavily armed troops dug in. They remain there today.
What were the human casualties of the Korean War?
The human costs of the Korean War were staggering. Well over 30,000 Americans lost their lives in the war zone. Nearly 2 million Koreans and Chinese were also killed.
What did the Korean War do politically? What did the actions of the United and its allies in the Korean War show?
Politically, the Korean War changed nothing. Korea remained divided. (To this day, relations between North Korea and South Korea remain poor.) On the other hand, UN forces did push back North Korean forces during the war and kept communism out of South Korea. Through this action, the United States and its allies showed that they were ready to fight to prevent Communist expansion.
Remember: The Korean War was not the only conflict resulting from the Cold War. Around the globe, rivalries sprang up between groups backed by the Soviet Union and United States respectively.
The Korean War was not the only conflict resulting from the Cold War. Around the globe, rivalries sprang up between groups backed by the Soviet Union and United States respectively.
In September 1959, what did Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev do in New York? How did he speak at first? What hope did he express to the UN? How did his manner change?
In September 1959, the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev (KROOSH chawf), arrived in New York to address the United Nations. Khrushchev, who had gained power a few years after Stalin died in 1953, spoke calmly at first. He expressed hopes that the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union would end. Then, gradually his manner changed. Twice, he became so angry that he took off his shoe and pounded it on the table.
What did Khrushchev’s visit to the UN symbolize? What did the United States and the Soviet Union compete for?
Khrushchev’s trip to the UN symbolized the fact that the Cold War had become global. Although the Cold War had started in Europe, the United States and the Soviet Union now competed for allies and influence among the members of the United Nations.
For many years, how had many African and Asian nations been governed? After World War II, what were many of these nations demanding and what did they win?
For years, many of the nations of Africa and Asia had been governed as colonies of European and other foreign powers. After World War II, many colonial people demanded and won independence. Some achieved independence peacefully. Others had to fight for it.
In the nations of Africa and Asia that were colonies, what did Communists do? What did Khrushchev call these struggles? How did the Soviet Union aid rebel forces?
In the colonies, Communists often joined other groups to fight foreign control. Khrushchev called these struggles “wars of national liberation.” Both openly and secretly, the Soviets gave economic and military aid to rebel forces.
To prevent the Soviets from expanding their influence, what tactics did the West use?
The West tried to prevent the Soviets from expanding their influence. In their efforts, American leaders faced difficult choices. Should the United States provide aid to a colonial power? Should Americans use secret aid to counter the Soviets? Should they send troops into another nation to influence its internal affairs? In the end, the United States used all these tactics at one time or another to contain communism.
In 1946, what did the United States do in the Philippines? How did Filipinos react? What difficulties have occurred since then?
The United States also had to deal with its own colony. In 1946, it withdrew from the Philippines, which it had acquired during the Spanish-American War. Crowds in Manila cheered as the American flag was lowered and the Filipino flag was hoisted high. Since then, the Philippines has struggled to preserve a democratic government. It has suffered from poverty, local uprisings, and dictatorships. Under the rule of Ferdinand Marcos, who was in power from 1965 to 1986, opposition parties were repressed. In the years that followed, the Philippines struggled to find a stable and honest government.
During the 1950s and 1960s, how many African nations gained independence? What did the U.S. and USSR seek in these nations? What conflicts did some nations experience after independence? How did the Cold War turn local conflicts to international crises? In the war between Somalia and Ethiopia, who did the U.S. and the USSR support? How did the Cold War intensify the Angolan Civil War?
During the 1950s and 1960s, more than 30 African nations won freedom from European rule. Both the United States and the Soviet Union sought allies among these new nations. After independence, some new nations faced civil wars among rival ethnic or tribal groups. Some fought border wars with their neighbors. The superpowers backed opposing sides in these struggles. As a result, the Cold War turned local conflicts into international crises. In East Africa, the United States and the Soviet Union took sides in a long war between Somalia and Ethiopia. The United States backed Somalia, while the Soviet Union supported Ethiopia. In southern Africa, the Cold War intensified a civil war in Angola.
