The Korean War part 1

Question 1

How did the establishment of South Korea occur?

Answer 1

US encouraged UN-supervised elections in the south in 1948 -> the elections made pro-american anti-communist Syngman Rhee the leader of the newly established Republic of Korea (ROK)

Question 2

How was North Korea set up?

Answer 2

September 1948, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (the DPRK or North Korea) was established under Kim Il Sung. Many believe that if free national elections had been held in Korea, Kim would have won.

Question 3

Who wanted reunification?

Answer 3

both Rhee and Kim desired reunification (each on their own terms) → Korean War likely.

Question 4

When did North Korea attack the south?

Answer 4

1950

Question 5

Was this the first clash between the two?

Answer 5

Beforehand however there were already frequent border clashes, mostly initiated by South Korea. Began in 1948 and peaked in 49.

Question 6

Outline the first reason why the US intervened?

Answer 6

Truman’s doctrine: depicting communism as a terrible evil in his speech in 1947 → Communism, aka domino theory, aka containment, etc.
1950: summer looked like the world balance of power was shifting in favour of communism. China, Vietnam, etc.

Question 7

Outline the second reason why the US intervened?

Answer 7

he was vulnerable to republican accusations that by ceasing aid to Mao’s rival Chiang Kai-shek, he was responsible for the loss of china.

McCarthy’s 1950 accusation that there were communists in the State Department→ Truman needed to be seen as though of communism → political motivations to enter Korea.

Question 8

How did Japan motivate the US to intervene in korea?

Answer 8

US occupation under General Douglas MacArthur revitalised Japan after WW2 → began developing into US’s ally. → scared that since Japan was only 100 miles from South Korea it would be threatened by North Korea and communism.

Question 9

How did the failure of the league of nations motivate the US to intervene in korea?

Answer 9

Truman believed that the failure of the League of Nations had played a role in the outbreak of the WW2 → showed that collective security must be supported and appeasement avoided. (Policy of conciliating a potential aggressor by making concessions)

when the north attacked South Korea→ Truman believed that the UN was being tested and that if he failed to support it and appeased aggressors the result might be another war.

Question 10

What is the traditional interpretation of why the US got involved?

Answer 10

still popular, ex. Historian Micheal Hopkins, 2006, the US was motivated by anti- communism and containment.

Question 11

How did the UN react to the invasion?

Answer 11

The UN Security Council passed a resolution that declared that the UN opposes North Korean aggression.

Question 12

How did Truman react?

What was MacArthur’s feedback on Truman’s reaction?

Answer 12

Truman sent US air and naval forces to help South Korea. He did not ask congress to declare war, as he was supposed to do under US constitution → Congress was very supportive saying that this was not a war but “a police action under the United Nations.”

US commander in the Pacific: General Douglas MacArthur warned that without American troops the communist would take over → Truman sent in ground troops and ordered the US 7th fleet to the Taiwan Straits.

Question 13

What did the UN ask Truman to do?

Answer 13

The UN asked Truman to appoint a commander for the United Nations Command (UNC, Truman appointed MacArthur). UN sought direct access to him but Truman insisted that he communicate only with Washington.

Question 14

What was the JCS prediction for the USSR and china?

Answer 14

The JCS chairman doubted that the USSR and China would get involved but warned that if they did there could be a third war.

Question 15

Why was MacArthur likely to be problematic?
Why was MacArthur chosen then?

Answer 15

JCS chairman considered MacArthur to be arrogant and in a diary entry Truman described Arthur as a “Mr. Prima Donna, Brass Hat” → there were major tensions between Truman and MacArthur.

He was the obvious choice as UNC commander, given that he was already commander of US forces in the Pacific and an expert on East Asia.

Question 16

How did Truman’s approach to war differ from that of MacArthur?

Answer 16

Truman wanted limited, defensive war. MacArthur wanted to go all out against North Korea, which Truman rejected as it risked starting a dangerous war with the USSR and china.

Question 17

Did the US government and population support the US intervention in korea?

Answer 17

In polls 3/4 of people approved Truman’s assistance to South Korea and members of congress stood up and cheered when they heard he was sending troops

Question 18

How did US morale change as the war went on?

Answer 18

First morale high (borderline arrogance) → fighting a limited war for ideology made it difficult to maintain morale.

Question 19

What other two factors made the Korean war unpleasant?

Answer 19

Communication problems: US soldiers could not tell who was north/ South Korean and later Chinese.

Air-ground coordination was bad during the early stages of the war → US soldiers would be bombed by their own planes

Question 20

How many US casualties were there by the end of september?

Answer 20

8000

Question 21

Which country came to help, and how useful were they?

Answer 21

Although 50 countries had pledged to help, only the British arrived. The retreating US/UN/ROK were pinned behind the Pusan Perimeter, the only port they could land in supplies and troops.

Question 22

What was the turning point of the war?

Answer 22

Americans controlled skies and seas + had less territory to defend and more troops to defend them with. Arrival of 6 US tank battalions made a great difference.

Question 23

What happened in September 1950?
How successful was it?

Answer 23

A successful assault on Inchon by MacAurther changed the military situation drastically.

Inchon and the South Korean capital Seoul were speedily taken. US/UN/ROK forces crossed 38th parallel (line of latitude diving northern Korea from south Korea)

Question 24

What were the US’s new aims for this war after Inchon assualt and why?

Answer 24

destruction of the North Korean armed forces which would result in the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

Military momentum made stopping at 38th parallel ridiculous to most Americans and South Koreans who desired revenge for all the dead and wounded.
MacArthur recommended the change and his advice was taken very seriously especially after Inchon.
Us credibility and prestige would be best served by the defeat of communism.
Political motivation from Truman, as he was still blamed for losing china.

Question 25

What did MacArthur do on the 24th of october?

Answer 25

M.A reversed his mid-October order that US forces should not operate near the Chinese border. JCS described his change in policy as a great concern but did not stop him.

Question 26

How did the Un and allies react to new aims?

Answer 26

UN approved new aims of US, some allies felt this wasn’t a defensive war anymore, but instead an aggressive one.

Question 27

What did state department official George Kennan think of the new aims?

Answer 27

considered Korea unimportant + feared the USA could get into trouble there. He was right → after several warnings that Truman ignored → China got involved.

Question 28

According to China, what was its reason for joining the war?

Answer 28

Chinese intervention was motivated by security as the US had sent the 17th fleet to Taiwan and M.A had defied orders that said he should not sent US troops too close to the Yalu River (border between china and north korea)

Realistically tho

China had been exploited, dominated, humiliated by other countries since the 19th century → Korea offered a chance to establish its prestige again.

opportunity to repay the debt of North Korean aid against Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists in the Chinese civil war.

Question 29

What genius plan did MacArthur think of?
Which idiot mistake did MacArthur make when preparing his attack?

Answer 29

Broadcast the battle plan on armed forces radio, aka letting the chinese know what to expect
Response with their own offensive, in which 300 ‘000 chinese and 100’ 000 north koreans outnumbered 270 ‘000 US/UN/ROK forces. “The Chinese were making us look a little silly in this God-awful country” - Colonel Paul Freeman.

Question 30

What did general smith correct the press about?

Answer 30

They had accurately reported US/UN/ROK forces retreating, which smith scolded them for stating “we are not retreating. We are merely attacking from another direction.”

Question 31

How did truman react to MacArthur’s outrageous requests?

Answer 31

Truman denied M.A’s requests to bomb Manchuria, to use atomic weapons, to “unleash” Chiang Kai-shek’s forces, and to send more troops.
He wanted no more escalation of the war.

Question 32

How was truman struggling on his own?

Answer 32

Poll ratings were falling
JCS feared Soviet attack in Europe -> Truman declared a state of emergency in december.