soviet advantage
USSR has succesffully denotated atomic bomb; US loses ‘ace’ card
China + communists
Chinese Civil War; Mao Ze Dong wings against Chiang Kai Shek
-china becomes communist; US refuses to recognize legitimacy
Red scare
- anti-communist feeling strong in US
- McCarthyism; accusations of communist sympathtizes; leds to purges and show trials of ‘un-AMerican behaiour”
- a lot of suspicion in the US
NSC-68
- report of US national security council 1950; LaFeber sees it as ‘key document of cold war’
- warns that communist activity weverywhere can be traced to moscow
- advices US to increase military strength and spending
- encourages military and economic aid to be given to any country percieved by the US to be resisting communism
theories involved
- containment
- confrontation
- roll back
- domino effect
- truman doctrine
- eisenhower doctrine
immediate cause
- NK invasion of SK 1950 at 38th prallel
- seen by US a example of Soviet Expansionism; domino effect and containment policies inforced
how did the US get involved?
- fear of Soviet Expansionision
-through UN sponser resolution to have military action against NK
-as USSR is boycotting security council in protest of US refusal to recognize PRC; resolution passed
= results on july 1 1950; US and UN troops arrivein Korea under control of UN commander; General Douglas MacArthur
initial war development
- Initial push by NK took them deep into SK; SK/US/UN troops pushed back into small area
- General MacArthur leads UN forces to bypass Korean Troop and cut them off; retakes Seoul and drives NK back to 38th parallel
Result of initial US success…
- US redefines war aims; goes from containment to rollback policy; want to liberate NK from communist rule and reunite Korea using UN forces
= results in UN forces crossing 38th prallel into NK terriroty
chinese invovelment
Chinese concerend about US/UN forces pushing past Yalu River (Close to border)
November; 200,000 Chinese join NK and cause UN troops to retreat; recapture Pyongyan and NK + Allies retake 38th parallel
= many american casualties
= stalemate develops around 38th parallel
results of US failure + macarthur issues
- Truman realizes US needs to return to containment policy on 38th parallel
- MacArthur disagrress; wants to fight and use military power; is relieved of command
- TRUMAn replaced by Eisenhower; wnats peace
= Stalin replaced by Kruschnev; also wnats peace
-Peace talks start in 1951; reptariation of prisoners of war focus - war continues for 2 more years with many casulaties; US puts pressure on china by threatenting use of atomic bomb
= military armistic signed in 1953
significance?
first hot war of cold war
revisionist historian views
- think tha STalin had no role in invasion, and that north was possibly responding to attacks by south
bruce communigs
states tha tsoviet control over NK was flimsy and that kim uu sung acted independently
role of Kimg II Sung
- wanted to reunify country under communist country
- wants to persuade Stalin to help and wants his approval
role of Stalin
- initally unwilling to help but changes his mind because
1. Stalin wants more world revolution; has atomic bomb now and wants to push forward influence (however also a result of his paranoia/fear/detoriation of mental state)
2. US role in Japan as motivation; wants to secure communist influence in South Asia
3. US refusal to aid SK
Mao ZeDong invovlement
- Mao provides military support and advice
- Wants to consoldiate his own regime; show strength of communist china
- annoyed that US won’t accept him
result of korean war for USq
- NSC68; increase defence budget
- increase of US land forces in EUrope
- Strengthening of NATO
- want to arm and integrate west germany into US
- containment to confrontation policy change
- western states now depednent on US for protection (economic relationship)
results of korean war by US for asia
- treaty of san franscisco with Japan 1952; enable US to have military bases in Japan
- Want to defend Taiwain and aid Chiang Kai Shek
- isolation of China by US
- US commited to containment in other US states; e.g. Vietnam
- SEATO; formed as anti-communist containment bloc in Asian area
korean war effect on korea
- cost in human lives and property
- no hope for reunification
- cold war issue; not local issue
- NK remains under communist rule
- SK as model capitasty success story with US and Japan support
korean wawr effect on china
- isolated from US
- China’s reputation grows as it managed to ‘save’ NK and defeat western forces
- strengthesn chinese communist revolution
- decreases PRC reliance on USSR due to Stalin reluctance in war
korean war effeect on USSR
- more threat from US
- More intense cold war standoff
- however communist succeess in NK
- loss of terrority
- stalin dies and replaced with Kruschhnev
- heightend tensions with china
effects of korean war on cold war?
- caused globalization of issues
- US and USSR now more involved in Asia
- militarization of cold war; increased us defence spending in europe and in country
- USSR red army increase of troops
- clear marker of ideologies in SK and NK
two views regarding cold war effect by US
- containment extende dto Asia with emergence of china-soviet sponsered aggresion
- militarization of conflict as korea indicated as stalins intentions to use force to realize expansionist aims
