Summary The Korean war 1950-53

6. The Korean War, 1950 - 1953
What happened to the Korean Peninsula at Potsdam in 1945? 

China 
It was taken from Japanese control and divided into 2 zones of
 Mao’s immediate priorities in 1949 were focused on consolidating the
occupation the division was along the 38 th parallel with the
Chinese territory via regaining control of Taiwan
soviet zone in the north and the American zone in the south  Mao was not overly concerned with Korea and didn’t intervene in the war
until April 1950 through a fear of upsetting the USA 
 It was in response to Trumans placement of the US 7 th fleet to defend Taiwan
Prepare arguments for and against the
that activated China’s involvement in the war
and a defeat for the USA
 There was opposition to this with Enlai who pushed for a domestic 
consolidation of the revolution without external distractions For
 Mao (Aug 1950) believed that if America won the war then they would
become more arrogant and threaten China. And he argued that theUSSR
The US successfully lured the
weren’t going to USE nuclear weapons as Manchuria was too near to the cost them resources
war which
USSR border essentially ended in a stalemat
 China however didn’t want to be seen as weak in the eyes of other
difference in territory for eithe
communist and eventually were compelled to intervene in November 1950 were able to stren
North Korea
Causes of the Korean War
with the USSR and China who h
them during the war
The position and aims of Kim II Sung and Syngman Rhee The USA  The USSR now had access to nu
 Until 1949 the USA’s primary security in Asia was Japan technology which they success
 The USA regarded the USSR as its greatest threat and its focus was on
deterrent in the Korean war an
 Kim Il sung was the chairman of the newly formed Korean provisional Europe rather than Asia a leading factor in the USA not
people’s committee  The North Korean invasion fundamentally re-orientated US policy themselves in the co
weaponry

 The USSR wanted to avoid any coalition with a non communist towards Korea as in may 1951 Acheson took the view thatMAD Northhad now become a key fa
government and the American’s adopted a similar policy coldthe
Korea’s purpose was to destabilise Japan, southeast Asia and war

 They appointed Syngman Rhee who was a devout anti communist and Philippines  The USA were now cautious ab
 didn’tininclude
The USA were afraid of a communist Asia and some instability Europeit in the defensiv
Korean nationalist 
is Asia fell to communism allowing the USSR to have grea
 Both leaders were committed to the restoration of a united Korea under a
that area and to continue to un
single leader USA through guerrilla warfare
 The CIA reported that Rhee had “devoted his whole life to the cause of an
independent Korea…..he has always refused to deal with communists”
 Rhee argued that defending a border with Manchuria was better than
defending it at the 38th parallel and he wanted assurance from the USA
that they would provide Korea with military support  T
The United Nations
 Sung like Rhee was committed to using force as a vehicle to unite Korea. w
 Immediately after the invasion the USA requested a session of the
 By using extensive guerrilla warfare with the aim of destabilising the south  T
security council  T
 By late 1949 Rhee was confident that a major assault on the North would  The USSR boycotted the council due to conflicts over recognising Jiang a
be successful and that the reunification of Korea would be more easy to Jieshi in Taiwan as the legitimate government which allowed a ceasefire in

defend against communism to be passed without opposition  N