Conflict and tension in Asia summary
THE 1917 RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
In 1917, Russia had a revolution. Russia was a monarchy with the tsar governing
with absolute power. Peasants and working classes were completely ignored by
the monarchy and this made people support karl marx’s ideal classless society.
WW1 increased Russia's problems and therefore in march 1917 the tsar was forced
to abdicate and the bolshevik party, led by vladmir lenin, seized power and
eventually became the communist party of Russia. The revolution led to the
creation of the USSR, which became a political and ideological enemy of the US.
After the success of the revolution, the US was sceptical of Russian immigrants,
anarchists and communists and this led to the first Red Scare, a period of
political paranoia.
During WW2 the defeat of the common danger (Hitler and Nazi Germany) was
more important than the ideological and political differences between the two
powers. However, after Nazi Germany and its allies were defeated the alliance
disintegrated.
THE COLD WAR (1947-1991)
The cold war was a war to gain global influence.
During the second world war (1939-1945), Germany and its allies were imperial
powers. Germany took control of most of Europe while Japan controlled the
eastern part of the world- Asia.
After the end of the war all the countries under German and Japanese imperial
rule were freed. In Europe this sudden change in power left a power vacuum that
America and the USSR, which had been allies during the war, exploited to expand
their ideologies. The USSR under Stalin rule, was a communist rule that hated
capitalism and thought that money should be shared between the civilians.
However, the US was capitalist and had always been sceptical of communism,
which led to political paranoia (The First Red Scare 1917-1920 and McCarthyism
1940s/1950s). This led to the two countries having different ideologies which
caused the start of the cold war. Even if both countries believed that their
ideology was the best and despised the other, both countries knew that a war,
soon after the end of the second world war, would bring devastation.
Additionally, by 1949, the USSR had developed nuclear weapons which meant that,
since both countries had them, they could cause each other mutual destruction.
Therefore the cold war was fought through proxy wars in Asia and by the two
countries trying to intellectually succeed over the other.
The war ended in 1991 after the fall of the USSR.
, CONTAINMENT
At the end of the second world war, the US president Truman came up with the
policy of containment (the Truman Doctrine). This was a policy that ensured that
communism wouldn’t spread to free independent countries and ruin them. This
led to the marshall plan being created by the secretary of state George Marshall.
The plan was to offer aid money to European countries so that they would not fall
for communism. Over $12 billion were spent as a result of this plan. This plan also
extended to Asia as the USA was increasingly getting worried over the expansion
of communism in the east.
During US president Eisenhower's office the domino’s theory was structured and it
summarised the American beliefs on communism: if one country fell to
communism then all countries would slowly follow. This led to discrimination and
scepticism of communists. An example is the McCarran act that reduced job
opportunities for communists.
FROM LEAGUE OF NATIONS TO UNITED NATIONS
After WW1, in 1920, the League of Nations was formed, which was an
intergovernmental organisation to maintain peace. However, since the league of
nations failed it was closed in 1946 and from its ashes the UN was formed in 1945.
The league of nations ultimately failed because they didn’t have an army and
therefore could only make empty threats. The UN however was a more improved
version of the league of nations, with a military and the same aim: to keep peace
using diplomacy. However, if needed, there was a peace-keeping force with military
supplied by the countries in it.
The UN had a security council where the 15 most powerful and influential
countries sit. The security council has 5 permanent members that can exercise
their veto power, which means that they have the right to reject a decision taken
by the council. Countries that had this power in the 1950s, and still have them, are
the USA, the UK, the USSR and France. (China entered later)
The UN had a big role in the Korean war as in 1950 they passed the UN Resolution
83, which states that the UN will render assistance to the Republic of korea (south
korea) as necessary to restore international peace and security to the area.
THE KOREAN WAR (1950-1953)
During WW2, Korea was colonised by imperial japan.
In 1945, Korea got liberated and the country was divided in two by the 38th
parallel. This was supposed to be a temporary division, until the elections of 1948.
North Korea, which shares a border with China, was governed by Kim Il Sung, a
military leader that fought against Japanese imperialist power and assumed
THE 1917 RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
In 1917, Russia had a revolution. Russia was a monarchy with the tsar governing
with absolute power. Peasants and working classes were completely ignored by
the monarchy and this made people support karl marx’s ideal classless society.
WW1 increased Russia's problems and therefore in march 1917 the tsar was forced
to abdicate and the bolshevik party, led by vladmir lenin, seized power and
eventually became the communist party of Russia. The revolution led to the
creation of the USSR, which became a political and ideological enemy of the US.
After the success of the revolution, the US was sceptical of Russian immigrants,
anarchists and communists and this led to the first Red Scare, a period of
political paranoia.
During WW2 the defeat of the common danger (Hitler and Nazi Germany) was
more important than the ideological and political differences between the two
powers. However, after Nazi Germany and its allies were defeated the alliance
disintegrated.
THE COLD WAR (1947-1991)
The cold war was a war to gain global influence.
During the second world war (1939-1945), Germany and its allies were imperial
powers. Germany took control of most of Europe while Japan controlled the
eastern part of the world- Asia.
After the end of the war all the countries under German and Japanese imperial
rule were freed. In Europe this sudden change in power left a power vacuum that
America and the USSR, which had been allies during the war, exploited to expand
their ideologies. The USSR under Stalin rule, was a communist rule that hated
capitalism and thought that money should be shared between the civilians.
However, the US was capitalist and had always been sceptical of communism,
which led to political paranoia (The First Red Scare 1917-1920 and McCarthyism
1940s/1950s). This led to the two countries having different ideologies which
caused the start of the cold war. Even if both countries believed that their
ideology was the best and despised the other, both countries knew that a war,
soon after the end of the second world war, would bring devastation.
Additionally, by 1949, the USSR had developed nuclear weapons which meant that,
since both countries had them, they could cause each other mutual destruction.
Therefore the cold war was fought through proxy wars in Asia and by the two
countries trying to intellectually succeed over the other.
The war ended in 1991 after the fall of the USSR.
, CONTAINMENT
At the end of the second world war, the US president Truman came up with the
policy of containment (the Truman Doctrine). This was a policy that ensured that
communism wouldn’t spread to free independent countries and ruin them. This
led to the marshall plan being created by the secretary of state George Marshall.
The plan was to offer aid money to European countries so that they would not fall
for communism. Over $12 billion were spent as a result of this plan. This plan also
extended to Asia as the USA was increasingly getting worried over the expansion
of communism in the east.
During US president Eisenhower's office the domino’s theory was structured and it
summarised the American beliefs on communism: if one country fell to
communism then all countries would slowly follow. This led to discrimination and
scepticism of communists. An example is the McCarran act that reduced job
opportunities for communists.
FROM LEAGUE OF NATIONS TO UNITED NATIONS
After WW1, in 1920, the League of Nations was formed, which was an
intergovernmental organisation to maintain peace. However, since the league of
nations failed it was closed in 1946 and from its ashes the UN was formed in 1945.
The league of nations ultimately failed because they didn’t have an army and
therefore could only make empty threats. The UN however was a more improved
version of the league of nations, with a military and the same aim: to keep peace
using diplomacy. However, if needed, there was a peace-keeping force with military
supplied by the countries in it.
The UN had a security council where the 15 most powerful and influential
countries sit. The security council has 5 permanent members that can exercise
their veto power, which means that they have the right to reject a decision taken
by the council. Countries that had this power in the 1950s, and still have them, are
the USA, the UK, the USSR and France. (China entered later)
The UN had a big role in the Korean war as in 1950 they passed the UN Resolution
83, which states that the UN will render assistance to the Republic of korea (south
korea) as necessary to restore international peace and security to the area.
THE KOREAN WAR (1950-1953)
During WW2, Korea was colonised by imperial japan.
In 1945, Korea got liberated and the country was divided in two by the 38th
parallel. This was supposed to be a temporary division, until the elections of 1948.
North Korea, which shares a border with China, was governed by Kim Il Sung, a
military leader that fought against Japanese imperialist power and assumed
