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Korean War, Development from civil war to proxy war, Truman worried that…

- - - - USSR-occupied North Korea
        
        North Koreans with Soviet support established DPRK on 9 September 1948 with Kim Il Sung as leader (no elections)
        
        used propaganda and promoted a cult of personality
        
        NKans greatly respected him
        
        promoted self sufficiency and isolated NK to limit Western influence and opposition
      - USA-occupied South Korea
        
        ruled by Syngman Rhee (who won June 1948 elections)
        
        A committed nationalist that fought for Korea's independence from Japan's rule
        
        Strongly supported American government rule in Korea
        
        Not well supported by his people
        
        became increasingly authoritarian: very anti-Communist and would arrest, torture and kill anyone suspected of being Communist or involved with NK
        
        corrupt
        
        still supported by USA though to prevent communist influence from spreading to South
        
        People thought Rhee was not a nationalist and not supporting his own country but instead USA
  - - - Kim cultivated ties with USSR and China + villified SK and USA
        
        Stalin provided military and economic support --> NK were more heavily armed than SK
        
        however USSR did not want to be directly involved --> did not want direct confrontation with USA
      - Military and strategic imbalance between NK and SK
        
        well trained and well equipped NK adequately supported by China and USSR
        
        less trained and lightly equipped SK with limited support from USA who was wary of Rhee's leadership
      - Economic and military aid from US to SK was limited as US did not want to support Rhee's rash desire to invade SK and involve US in war
    - - increased Communist sphere of influence in Asia Pacific
        
        counterbalance US sphere of influence in Japan
    - - pressure to do more to prevent spread of Communism
        
        Soviet explosion of Atomic bomb
        
        Shows that USSR was militarily on par with USA. USA no longer has the leverage to be superior to USSR
        
        Communist victory in China
      - top secret NSC-68
        
        concluded that USSR were set against USA
        
        increase military capability to increase containment of Communism to extend globally
        
        involvement of USA in Korean War driven by determination to realise extension of contaimnet globally
  - - - China could provide direct involvement and intervention --> no need for USSR to do so
        
        USSR more willing to support NK invasion of SK as not much of damage would be done to USSR
    - - created buffer zone against US forces in NK
    - - CCP stared a large campaign of demobilisation of the People’s Liberation army 5 days before the outbreak conflict.
        
        As a result, the border area near Yalu river was only left with one army which was stationed there for crop purposes
        
        Hence, China had to protect itself from USA invading the full of China
- - - - events
        
        April 1950: Kim gained Stalin's support to retaliate and conquer SK to unify Korea
        
        motivations for Stalin support
        
        concerned about USA alliance with Japan
        
        saw invasion as opportunity to counter American influence in Asia Pacific + protect and enhance ideology in Asia Pacific
        
        encouraged by attainment of atomic parity + alliance with China
        
        Stalin thought USA would not be involved #
        
        announcement of American Defense Perimeter which excluded Korea
        
        25 June 1950: NK launched surprise attack on SK by sending 90000 troops past 38th parallel
        
        in July 1949. SK warships attacked NK military installations at Taedong River and sank NK's West Coast fleet
        
        China's support of NK
        
        Korean soldiers who fought in People's Liberation Army of China during Chinese Civil War returned to North Korea
  - - - a Cold War policy that suggested a Communist govt in one nation would quickly lead to Communist takeovers in neighbouring states, each falling like a perfectly aligned row of dominoes
      - what evidence supports Domino theory? #
        
        Emergence of Communist China
        
        increased strength of postwar Communism
        
        both China and Russia willing to support NK
        
        why? # #
        
        Sino-Soviet alliance
        
        legitimised China's participation in Korean affairs
        
        made USSR more willing to support NK
        
        why? #
        
        NSC-68 report #
        
        justified the belief and fear that Communism was spreading
        
        pressured US involvement in Korean affairs to contain communism globally
  - - - committed troops to support SK with General MacArthur as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces
        
        motivations?
        
        NSC-68 strengthened belief that Communism was a huge threat that was worsened with the unity of NK, USSR and China
        
        Soviet launch of atomic bomb --> threat to US as the no longer had advantage of being only power with atomic bomb
        
        UN was drawn into war to support the South as the US was the head of military council
        
        US action drew China into the war thereby enlarging the scale of Korean War
    - - Stalin's resolve to support NK strengthened
        
        succesful reasearch on atomic bombs (29 August 1950) --> achieved atomic parity against US
        
        USSR had trained and for NK People's Army
        
        USSR + China provided military support to NK
  - - - gave NK enough reason to attack SK
        
        April 1950: Kim travelled to Moscow to secure Stalin's support
        
        NK justified their attack on SK on 25 June 1950
- - - - NKPA well trained and equipped
      - NK did not want foreign interference in uniting Korea
    - - took place before Soviet atomic bomb + emergence of communist China which made US reassess strategic importance of SK
  - - - however emergence of Communist China means that China could provide additional assistance to NK
      - impression that Korea was excluded from American Defense Perimeter
      - by early 1950, Stalin changed his mind and sent Soviet advisors to tran NKPA and provided military equipment
        
        NK forces had significant advantage --> training from USSR + experience from Chinese Civil War
    - - believed that economic assistance would be more effective to prevent rise of Communism
      - cautious not to provide extensive military support so Rhee cannot launch invasion against North
        
        did not want to drag USSR and China into major conflict
        
        did not want to give impression that it would definitely provide military assistance to Rhee in the event of war
  - - - initiated by SK to capture territory from NK --> e.g. Taedong River
        
        many military desertions from SK to NK
        
        USA more reluctant to send heavy weapons to Rhee
- - - - involved in division at 38th parallel
      - Involved in arranging for election to be held in SK
      - gave NK the impression that it would not be involved in Asia by their non commitment of troops + exclusion of Korea from American Defense Perimeter
    - - involved in division at 38th parallel
      - supported plans for war at beginning of 1950
        
        Emergence of Communist China
        
        development of first atomic bomb in 1949
      - successful invasion of SK --> opportunity to spread influence of Communism in Asia Pacific
    - - Kim persuaded Mao that Stalin was more enthusiastic then he actually was.
        
        Mao also keen to get support from Stalin for planned attack on Taiwan
      - gave approval to Kim for invasion of SK
      - China further committed to war when General MacArthur pushed the Allied forces beyond Yalu River
      - *what caused China to intervene?
        
        American control of NK endangered China's security interests and threatened security of Chinese
        
        they believed US had intention to invade
        
        'beat the arrogance' of US and reactionary forces at home
        
        prevent the enemy from fanning 'counter revolution sentiments' in China to threaten its domestic unity and security
        
        BASICALLY, increase support for CCP, decrease revolutions/opposition from public
  - - - heightened US fears of further Soviet aggression
        
        American defence expenditure increased sharply from 33 percent of its budget in 1950 to 60 percent in 1953
        
        strengthen US land forces in Europe
        
        NATO added Greece, Turkey and West Germany as members and rolled out major rearmament
      - signed Treaty of San Francisco with Japan in 1952
        
        allowed US to build military bases in Japan
        
        US began to rapidly rebuild the Japanese economy
      - increasing support for Chiang Kai-shek in Taiwan, whilst continuing to isolate China
      - South East Asia Treaty Organisation created in 1954 as anti-communist containment bloc
      - Eisenhower elected as the new US president in Jan 1953
        
        Truman decided not to run for election due to public not supporting the long and costly war of Korea
        
        Eisenhower promised to end Korean War
    - - damage to Korea
        
        over 300,000 civilians killed
        
        huge property damage
        
        peninsula became permanently divided
      - 38th parallel became heavily defended frontier in Cold War that exists today
      - NK remains Communist while SK became democratic and capitalist
    - - increased Mao Zedong's reputation --> helped him consolidate Communist revolution in China
      - Stalin's reluctance to help China would eventually contribute to division between two powers
        
        Chinese communism vs European communism
      - Mao's aim of uniting Taiwan with China became harder --> US committed itself to defending Taiwan
    - - damaged Soviet interests
        
        USA strengthened itself and its allies
        
        triple defence budget, rearm West German, increased troops in EU, contain Communism in Asia
        
        stretch Soviet commitments throughout the world, harming their economy
      - Stalin’s death
        
        New leadership in USSR was now able to reach an agreement
    - - Asia beacame new battleground in Cold War
      - nationalist groups in countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines all sought independence from Colonial powers
        
        some movements were communist and increasingly relied on USSR and China for support
        
        US policies confused these national groups as being allied with Moscow --> lead to US involvement in Vietnam
    - - globalised Cold War --> no longer just European conflict
      - increased militarisation from both sides
        
        USSR increased size of Red Army from 2.8 million to 5.8 million
        
        US tripled defence budget
- - - - This initial push by NKans resulted in them capturing almost the entire Korean peninsula apart from a small pocket of land in the SE around the city of Pusan
      - On June 1950, more than 90,000 NK forces crossed the 38th parallel in coordinated attacks into SOunth Korea
    - - 15 Sept 1950: MacArthur led UN forces in the Inchon landing in order to regain control of Seoul, the capital of SK.
        
        This led to NK forces to split into half
      - Within a month, he had recaptured Seoul and driven the NKans back past the 38th parallel.
      - The US decided on a policy of 'rollback' - to cross into NK territory and reunite Korea. Pyongyang was captured in October.
    - - Despite warnings from the Chinese, MacArthur pushed on to the border with China at the Yalu River
      - On 27th November 1950, over 200,000 Chinese and 150,000 NK troops counter-attacked, pushing UN forces into retreat.
      - By December 1950, Pyongyang and all of NK was recapture. UN forces suffered heavy casualties.
    - - The war quickly descended into stalemate along the 38th parallel.
      - Truman decided to revert to a policy of 'containment'. MacArthur disagreed and threatened to use atomic bombs against China. MacArthur dismissed by Truman and replaced by Ridgeway.
      - Peace talks began in 1951 but war continued until 1953 when an armistice was signed at Panmunjom in July