USSR
o Kim Il-Sung requesting Stalin's permission to attack South
did so b/c North Korea was 'utterly dependent economically on USSR' → collapse of Japanese empire, Soviet occupation policy, and civil war in China cut off North Korea from economic ties to South Korea, Japan and Manchuria; BOTTOM LINE, SOVIET UNION WAS ONLY SOURCE OF SUPPLY AND ONLY MARKET FOR NORTH KOREAN GOODS
o Stalin agreeing to back up Kim Il Sung but that if things got messy and needed reinforcements, that he should rely on China, seeing Stalin feared American response to North Korean attack
o STALIN AGREEING TO INVASION B/C:
unification of Korea under friendly regime (DPRK) could be helpful in future in terms of reviewing perhaps new Sino-Soviet treaty...?
ALSO, stepped-up Communist pressure in other parts of East Asia would make US's involvement in region more prevalent, leaving Europe in the open...