Conflict and tension in Asia, 1950-1975, Part one: Conflict in Korea Flashcards
What was the Cold War?
The conflict between the USA and the USSR. Not fought face to face but through proxy wars.
When did the Chinese civil war start and finish?
1944-49
What day did the Korean War start?
25th of June 1950
What side of Korea did the USA support?
The South
What side of Korea did the USSR support?
The North
Who was the ruler of North Korea in 1950?
Kim Il Sung
Who was the ruler of South Korea in 1950?
Syngman Rhee
In what way was the Korean War a proxy war?
Both superpowers - the US and USSR - could fight without direct confrontation.
Whose support did Kim Il Sung want to have before invading?
He wanted Stalin’s permission and support.
On what line was Korea divided on at the end of WW2?
38th Parallel
How was Korea supposed to be unified?
Through an election. The winner would be ruler of the North and the South.
How was the division of Korea supposed to be temporary?
Elections were to be held to unify the country.
Why was it not possible to have elections to unify Korea?
No side could agree on how the country should be run. No compromise was achieved.
What political ideology did the USA follow?
Capitalism
What political ideology did the USSR follow?
Communism
What was the Truman Doctrine?
The USA’s policy to try to ‘contain’ communism.
In what year did China become a communist country?
1949
Who was fighting for a capitalist China?
Chiang Kai-shek
How much money did the USA give to Chiang Kai-shek’s campaign?
$2 billion
Why did Kim Il Sung invade the South?
- Korean nationalism - unity wanted
- Cold war - USSR wanted to spread communism
- China - now new North Korean ally
What was the Marshall Plan?
The US aid program that helped rebuild European countries.
Was Syngman Rhee elected?
Yes. Elections took place in 1948.
Was Kim Il Sung elected?
No. He took control of North Korea
What was the USA’s immediate response to the invasion?
- Ordered US Navy Fleet to Korea (7th Fleet)
- Ordered General MacArthur to organise troops and supplies
What was the UN’s immediate response to the invasion?
- Ordered Kim Il Sung to withdraw his troops across the 38th parallel
- Called for a ceasefire
Why was the USSR absent from the UN Security Council Meeting?
It was refusing to take part because it wanted China to join it.
When did the UN Security Council meet?
27th May 1950
What was the UN Security Council’s decision on the 27th of June?
To send in UN troops to defend South Korea.
How much of the UN troops were American?
- 50% of troops
- 90% of navy and air forces
How many troops does ROK and NKPA have in 1950?
ROK: 98,000 troops
NKPA: 135,000 troops
Who was in charge of the UN and ROK troops?
General MacArthur
Why was the USA so adamant on defending South Korea?
- Containment
- Reputation - containment had not worked in China
What was the Pusan perimeter?
The small area of land left to South Korea in September 1950.
On what day did North Korea take Seoul?
28th June 1950
When did the first UN troops arrive?
September 1950
How big was the Pusan perimeter?
100 square miles
What was the NKPA’s experience?
They had Soviet weapons and had fought with the Red Army during China’s civil war. They were experienced.
What was the ROK and the UN’s army’s expericence?
They had WW2 weapons and had mostly new recruits. They had little experience.
What day was the attack at Inchon?
15th September 1950
How many troops landed at Inchon?
300 ships, 70,000 new men
What did the UN have to secure at Inchon.
The nearby airfield. It acted as a base for attacking Seoul.
What day was Seoul freed in September 1950?
29th September 1950
At the same time as the Inchon landings, where did the UN attack?
It attacked the NKPA troops outside the perimeter.
What was the effect of having both attacks - Inchon and the exterior of the Pusan perimeter - at the same time?
It trapped the North Korean troops between two fronts.
How many North Korean troops were killed or captured as the UN liberated South Korea?
40,000 NKPA troops were captured or killed
What day did the first UN forces advance into North Korea?
1st October 1950
What day did the UN forces capture Pyongyang?
20th October 1950
Why did the UN advance into North Korea?
- Fear of a second North Korean attack
- USA wanted an impressive victory
- MacArthur certain China and USSR would not join the war
What was the significance of the US air superiority in October 1950?
- US planes had total control of the skies as North Korea had very few air defences
- Any Chinese troops could be easily identified
What day did China intervene?
25th October 1950
When did China warn they would intervene?
China warned on the 3rd of October they would intervene if US or UN troops crossed the 38th parallel.
How did China prepare its attack?
300,000 troops hid in the mountains, camouflaged. They could not be spotted from the air. This enabled them to launch a surprise attack.
Why can it be argued that the UN troops advanced ‘too quickly’?
Because the Chinese attacked them from behind, cutting them off.
What happened on the 28th of November?
MacArthur launched a ‘home by Christmas offensive’.
What was the result of MacArthur’s ‘Home by Christmas Offensive’?
It failed. China launched a devastating couter-attack leading UN troops to retreat.
What day did the Chinese capture Seoul?
7th of January 1951
What was the second time the UN liberated Seoul?
May 1951
When was MacArthur sacked?
11th April 1951
Why was MacArthur sacked?
- Refused to obey President Truman.
- Argued for attacking China and using atomic bombs.
- Was sacked to protect the USA’s integrity.
What was the Soviet fighter jet?
MiG-15
How did the USSR counter the USA’s air superiority?
Soviet pilots fought in MiG-15s. Pretended to be North Korean or Chinese.
What is a stalemate?
When neither side is strong enough to overpower the other.
When was a stalemate reached?
By mid-1951.
When do peace talks begin?
July 1951
What were the peace talks about?
- Where the new border would be.
- Returning prisoners of war (16,000 Chinese prisoners did not want to go back)
- What would happen to the troops (USA wanted to keep its forces in S.Korea)
What did the USA do to push N.Korea to accept its peace terms?
It bombed the North.
How many North Koreans were killed under the US bombing campaign?
One million. The Americans used naplam. (Check source)
How many aeroplanes did the US lose because of the Soviet MiG-15s?
The USA lost 3500 aeroplanes.
What were the reasons for ending the war?
- Stalin had died - China and N.Korea were unsure if Soviet help would continue.
- N.Korea was struggling to feed its people because of US bombing.
- China wanted to cut military spending to industrialise itself.
When was the armistice signed?
27th of July 1953
How many deaths, civilian and military, were there in S.Korea?
One million civilians
200,000 soldiers (check source)
How many deaths, civilian and military, were there in N.Korea?
600,000 civilians
400,000 soldiers
What was the outcome of the Korean war for the UN?
It showed that the UN was a powerful organisation for tackling world peace.
What was the relationship between USA and China like after the Korean War?
It got worse. USA stopped trading with China. USA supported a rival Chinese government in Taiwan.
How many US troops died in the Korean War?
36,500 troops
How many tons of bombs were dropped on N.Korea?
Over 635,000 tons of bombs were dropped.
What is a Demilitarised Zone?
A zone where no military can be stationed in.
What does DMZ stand for?
Demilitarised Zone
What was the DMZ for between North and South Korea?
To keep the sides from entering into conflict. It was 3km wide.
