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Korean War (How tensions in Korea led to the Cold War) - Coggle Diagram
Korean War (How tensions in Korea led to the
Cold War
)
Background
Russia
needed control of Korea to protect its
interests
in Manchuria
Japan
needed Korea to
defend
her
isles
An important source of
wheat
and
minerals
Korea became
Japanese protectorate
after Japanese won
Russo-Japanese War
(1904-1905)
Later became part of
Japanese Empire
in 1910 until her
defeat
in WW2
Koreans
resented
Japanese rule and looked forward for an
independent
Korea after Japanese defeat
Post-war (WW2) occupation (Partition of Korea)
The
Potsdam Conference
(July-Aug 1945) decided Korea to be divided into two occupation zones across the
38th Parallel
South Korea
May 1948,
national elections
were held, with
Syngman Rhee
(supported by UN and USA) as the winner and elected
president
of Republic of Korea (a.k.a south Korea) in Aug 1948
USA occupation
withdraw
in June 1949
Rhee was highly
authoritarian
and would get rid of opponents by force
Even then, USA
continued
supporting
Rhee's government because of
strong influence
of
Soviet Union in North Korea
North Korea
Soviet Union
did not allow
elections
in North Korea due to
communist ideology
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK, North Korea) was set up with
Kim il Sung
as its leader
Kim used
propaganda
and promoted a
cult of personality
(phenomenon to describe the effort made by a government to create an idealized and heroic image of a leader)
Kim called by people the 'Great Leader'
Kim promoted a
doctrine of self-sufficiency
and
isolated
North Korea from the world to
limit
Western influence and opposition
attempts to achieve unification (failed)
Rhee and Kim wanted to unify Korea
under their own rule
, hostile to each other which diminished any thoughts of
peaceful unification
but rather increasing
armed conflict
possibilities
Rhee
Rhee wanted help from
USA
(military help)
However, due to Rhee's rash nature, USA did not place enough weapons in his hands, which
limited assistance
from
USA
(did not want to involve themselves in a war they do not want)
Kim
Requested help from
Soviet Union
made several trips to Soviet Union to ask Stalin to
provide support
and rebuild North Korea and
wage war
against the south, which Stalin
agreed
North Korean People's Army (NKPA)
was
heavily armed
However, Stalin also did not want to have
direct involvement
in Korea as he did not want to be
entangled
in a war against USA
Importance of Korea in Cold War Context
Significance of Korea to Soviet Union and communist bloc
North Korea provided communist platform to spread Soviet ideology in Asia-Pacific
Communist control in North Korea will
counter-balance
American influence in
Japan
Soviet explosion of atomic bomb (1949)
attain
nuclear capability
which meant they could
provide support
to North Korea
without
American threat
Communist influence in China
Mao Zedong
, leader of Chinese Communist Party
proclaimed
People's Republic of China in Oct 1949 after winning against
KMT
(Kuo Mingtang, nationalist party) in the
civil war
Communist China meant that there was an
ally
for
Soviet Union
in Asia
Sino-Soviet Alliance
In Feb 1950, China and Soviet Union signed a
Sino-Soviet Treaty
of
mutual assistance
,
alliance
and
friendship
Alliance allowed
China
to assist
Korea
without
fear of being attacked
by
enemies
of communist China (KMT)
Soviet Union could avoid
direct intervention
in North Korea
Impact of developments in Soviet Union and China on
American foreign policy
USA
was
more concerned
over countries like Japan, Philippines and Taiwan to stop the
spread of communism
and to keep
trade active
in
East Asia
Korea was not much of an importance to them
However, the
Soviet explosion of atomic bomb
and
communist victory in China
pressured USA to do more and curb
communist influence
In April 1950, the USA felt a need to
apply the policy of Containment
on a
global level
to stop communist developments
Military and strategic imbalance between
North Korea
and
South Korea
North Korea
China/Soviet Union provided adequate
military and economic resources
to prepare them for the
invasion
of
South Korea
Kim got Stalin's and Mao's support
South Korea
USA only provided
light weapons
as they were
wary
of
Rhee's leadership
South Korea was not included in the
American Defence Perimeter