Asia - Korea

Question 1

What is capitalism?

Answer 1

A political system that promotes the private ownership of factories and businesses in order to make a profit

Question 2

What is communism?

Answer 2

A political ideology which promotes the common ownership of industry and production with no private owners

Question 3

What was containment?

Answer 3

US policy of attempting to stop the spread of communism

Question 4

What was the name of the theory that once one nation fell under communist control others would follow?

Answer 4

Domino theory

Question 5

What was the Truman Doctrine? When was it created?

Answer 5

US would come to the aid (with money/military help) of any country under the threat of a communist takeover. March 1947

Question 6

What was Cominform?

Answer 6

Alliance of communist countries (in response to Truman Doctrine). Formed in September 1917

Question 7

When did China become Communist?

Answer 7

1949

Question 8

Who was the new leader of Communist China?

Answer 8

Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung)

Question 9

Who was the exiled leader of the nationalist government and where was he exiled to?

Answer 9

Chiang Kai-shek, Formosa (Taiwan)

Question 10

Who ruled Korea from the early 1900s until 1945?

Answer 10

Japan

Question 11

How did Korea become divided?

Answer 11

End of WW2 north Korea surrendered to Soviet forces, while south surrendered to US forces

Question 12

Where was Korea divided?

Answer 12

38th parallel

Question 13

What is the UN?

Answer 13

United Nations. Set up in 1945 to work together to prevent and end wars and to improve working and living condition, health and human rights.

Question 14

Who were the five permanent members of the UN security council?

Answer 14

Britain, France, USA, USSR and China

Question 15

What is meant by the term ‘veto’?

Answer 15

The right to block a decision made by others

Question 16

Who became the leader of North Korea in 1948?

Answer 16

Kim Il-sung

Question 17

Where was the new capital of North Korea?

Answer 17

Pyongyang

Question 18

Who became the leader of South Korea?

Answer 18

Syngman Rhee

Question 19

Where was the new capital of South Korea?

Answer 19

Seoul

Question 20

When did Stalin give Kim Il-sung permission to invade South Korea?

Answer 20

April 1950

Question 21

How did the USSR support North Korea?

Answer 21

Supplied tanks, weapons and aircraft and trained their soldiers

Question 22

How did the USSR attempt to hide their involvement in the conflict?

Answer 22

Supplied MiG-15 fighter jets but all Soviet planes were painted with Chinese or North Korean markings and Soviet pilots were banned from speaking Russian on the radio. Some pilots wore Chinese uniforms.

Question 23

How did the US respond to the Soviet involvement in the air? Why?

Answer 23

Offered a large reward to any pilots who were prepared to defect, fly to a UN airfield and hand MiG-15 over. MiG-15 superior aircraft to any UN fighter planes.

Question 24

When did North Korea invade South Korea?

Answer 24

25 June 1950

Question 25

Why did the USSR not use its right of veto to prevent UN action in response to the invasion?

Answer 25

The USSR had boycotted the UN because the UN would not allow the new Communist government in China to join the Security Council

Question 26

Who was the president of the USA for most of the Korean War?

Answer 26

President Harry Truman

Question 27

Who was the General in command of UN forces?

Answer 27

General Douglas MacArthur

Question 28

How far had North Korean forces advanced into South Korea by September 1950?

Answer 28

To Pusan perimeter

Question 29

Where had the North Korean troops been pushed back to by October 1950?

Answer 29

Behind 38th parallel and towards border with China

Question 30

What happened when UN troops reached the Yalu River?

Answer 30

200,000 Chinese troops joined the North Koreans to fight back

Question 31

How successful was the combined Chinese and North Korean invasion?

Answer 31

Initially they managed to push UN forces back into South Korea and re-took Seoul. However, by March 1951 the advance had been stopped, UN forces fought back and Seoul recaptured by UN forces once more. Two sides roughly back to 38th parallel

Question 32

Why did President Truman not want to continue war with China?

Answer 32

USSR might intervene directly and lead to nuclear war

Question 33

How did MacArthur disagree with Truman about continuing the war with China?

Answer 33

He wanted to unite Korea and demanded a Chinese surrender. Said the USA should be prepared to use nuclear weapons.

Question 34

When did peace talks to end the war begin?

Answer 34

July 1951

Question 35

Who became President in November 1952?

Answer 35

Dwight D Eisenhower

Question 36

When did Stalin die?

Answer 36

March 1953

Question 37

When was a peace treaty signed?

Answer 37

27 July 1953

Question 38

What was placed between the 2 countries along the 38th parallel? Why?

Answer 38

A 3km wide demilitarised zone to act as a buffer and prevent future wars

Question 39

List three consequences of the Korean War.

Answer 39

Human cost (Approx. 200,000 South Koreans killed and over 400,000 wounded, Chinese lost over 600,000 soldiers, North Korea 400,000 soldiers killed and 1.5 million wounded, US – 40,000 killed, 100,000 wounded), spreading of Cold War from Europe to Asia, heightened tensions between USSR and USA, US vowed to increase support for any country fighting communism, e.g. France in Vietnam, UN gained respect and shown to take decisive action, North Korea stopped from taking over South Korea, some argued that UN controlled by USA, closer relationship between China and USSR

Question 40

What was the name of the ship which was hit by torpedoes in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?

Answer 40

USS Maddox