The Korean War

🔫 Before the War

• There was a division of Korea after Japan fell, along the 38th parallel
• No agreement was made between the USSR/US over unification; consequently, the two zones formed as independent states in 1948.
• The US wanted reunification with Rhee as leader.
• The USSR did not support the elections that the UN held in 1948 (the USSR was protesting the UN due to their refusal to let China become a member at the time, therefore they were unable to Veto this decision).
• Stalin wanted a buffer zone as it shared a border with Korea, and the Capitalist South Korea.
• The USSR did not want a direct conflict with the US.

🪖 Phases of the War

• Stalin gave permission to invade during April 1950...

• Phase 1 (June-September 1950):

  • During this phase, NK had captured Seoul, SK's capital.
  • The SK and UN forces would be pushed back as far as Pusan by September 1950.

• Phase 2:

  • During this phase, MacArthur had landed at Inchon and the UN/US forced has pushed NK back to the 38th parallel by September 30th.
  • Marked a dramatic shift in the foreign policy objectives on the part of the US, from a policy of containment, to one of roll back, as exemplified by the NSC-68.
    • NSC-68
      • 1. Urged the US government to spend more on military.
      • 2. Said the USSR sought world domination.
      • 3. The Cold War was a moral and ideological struggle:
        • Freedom vs slavery, democracy vs totalitarianism
      • Militarisation of containment
  • Pushed NK forces close to China by November 1950.
    • China intervened to push the forces back down the peninsula.

• Phase 3 (December 1950-June 1951)

  • During this phase, UN and US forces were driven back.
  • This severely limited the scope of the conflict since there were suggestions of the use of nuclear weapons (suggestion by McArthur)
    • The main aim at this point then was to reduce the presence of NK in the South.
    • MacArthur would be dismissed in April 1951, and by June 1951 there was a willingness on the part of the US to negotiate a peace settlement.

• Phase 4 (June 1951-July 1953)

  • Winding down of the conflict.
  • No significant movement of offensives on either side.
  • In 1952, Eisenhower would win the election on a pro-peace ticket (explained by the Domino Theory, signalling a clear mandate to bring the war to an end).
  • With the death of Stalin in 1953, and the rise of Khrushchev, peace was established.

📜 Defensive Perimeter Strategy (12th of Jan,  1950)

• Key points from Acheson’s view
  • Acheson thought that the policy of the USA should be to develop to ensure security of the South Pacific.
  • He argued that the military defence of Japan was the responsibility of the USA and this would be achieved by what Acheson described as a 'defensive perimeter'.
  • He did NOT explicitly mention Korea in this cordon.
    • USSR, PRC, and the DPRK were to underestimate this later in 1950.

⚔ Causes of the Korean War

1. It was the USSR's support of Kim Il Sung in the North that encouraged the North to invade the South, triggering the war.
2. Whilst initially restraint to the ideas of war, by spring 1950, Stalin believed that the situation had changed:
   1. The soviets had developed the first nuclear bomb in September 1949.
   2. The Americans had not directly intervened to stop the Communist victory in China.

• Nevertheless, the division of Korea was deeply unpopular, and this made it inevitable that one side would seek reunification through war.
• The regime in the South was extremely unpopular, and only managed to cling on to power through direct American military support. The widespread hatred for the regime in the South meant that the North invaded to help their Southern compatriots overthrow the unpopular Rhee regime and reunite Korea.
• Kim Il Sung's regime was heavily reliant on Soviet aid; therefore, their ability to invade the South was dependent on USSR support.

🌾 Autumn Uprising (1946)

• 8,000 railroad workers initiated a strike in Pusan.

• Expansion: The strike ignited a nationwide peasant uprising across southern Korea.

• Goals:

  • Opposition to American military occupation.

  • Resistance to Rhee’s authoritarian rule supported by the US

• Consequence: this sparked a peasant uprising across SK. The uprising was against the presence of the American military in Korea and the support it gave to the Rhee regime.

🌏 Why the US Was Concerned About Asia

American was worried about a further communist territorial expansion, along with the delicacy of Japan's post-war recovery.

• Risk of communism spreading across the region.

• Loss of raw materials essential for US industry.

• Impact on Japan: A destabilized Japan could jeopardize American trade and reconstruction efforts.