CORE 5: How effectively did the United States contain the spread of Communism? Flashcards
Who liberated Korea from the Japanese in 1945?
The USSR liberated the north of Korea
The USA liberated the south of Korea
What was the 38th Parallel?
The line of latitude that separates North Korea from South Korea. Established in 1945 as the frontier between American and Soviet sectors of Korea it was originally intended to be a temporary dividing line. It marks the approximate start and end positions of the Korean War.
Who called for free, nationwide elections to elect a democratic government for the whole of Korea in 1947?
UNTOK (United Nations Temporary Commission On Korea)
Who was elected President of the new Republic of Korea in 1948?
Syngman Rhee (anti-communist, capitalist, authoritarian)
What is the capital of South Korea?
Seoul
Who was established as the leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by the Soviets in 1948?
Kim Il-Sung (communist, anti-imperialist, totalitarian, ex-guerrilla)
What happened on the island of Jeju in 1948-9?
The islanders protested against elections only being held in the US controlled South to divide Korea and install Syngman Rhee as president. The following anti-imperialist and communist-linked insurgency was put down violently by Syngman Rhee in an ‘eradication campaign’ that killed 20% of the islands population.
What two major events in 1949 strengthened communism?
- China became communist (The People’s Republic of China)
- The USSR successfully tested an Atomic Bomb
When did North Korea first invade South Korea?
25th Jun 1950
Why did North Korea invade South Korea in Jun 1950?
- Kim Ill Sung wanted to re-unify the whole of Korea under his communist leadership
- Soviet forces had withdrawn from the North Korea in 1948 and US forces had withdrawn from South Korea in 1949
- Kim got the support of Stalin (USSR) and Mao (China) in 1950
- North Korean forces were supplied with tanks, artillery and planes by the USSR and were much more experienced than South Korean forces
- China had become communist and the USSR had the atomic bomb making a US response less likely
- Southern forces had violently suppressed a communist insurgency on the island of Jeju and in the South 1948-50
- Korea was not included in the USAs strategic Asian Defense Perimeter and the USA were more concerned with Europe
How did the UN react to the invasion of South Korea in Security Council Resolutions 82, 83 and 84?
· Security Council Resolution 82, 25th June 1950: ‘North Korea to withdraw forthwith their armed forces to the 38th parallel.’
· Security Council Resolution 83, 27th June 1950: ‘all members of the UN to assist the Republic of Korea to repel armed attack’
· Security Council Resolution 84, 7th July 1950: ‘all members make forces available to a command under the USA’
Why didn’t the USSR veto UN involvement in the Korean War?
The USSR was boycotting the UN as a protest against the refusal of the USA to allow communist China into the UN
What UN member countries made up the force to assist South Korea?
USA (50% of ground, 80% of naval and 90% of air forces)
15 other countries (Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Colombia, France, Greece, Nationalist China, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey and South Africa)
Why did the USA enter the Korean War in 1950?
· The USA had been closely associated with the establishment of the Republic of Korea (South Korea)
· Under the policy of containment they wanted to stop the spread of communism. The National Security Council report known as NSC-68 recommended that the United States use force to contain communist expansionism anywhere.
· Korea was seen as a proxy war of worldwide communism directed from Moscow
· If South Korea fell to communism, China may invade Taiwan which would threaten Japan which was Americas key interest in the Far East
Where were South Korean forces and UN troops pushed back to by September 1950?
Pusan in the south-east of the Korean peninsular
Where did General Douglas MacArthur make a daring amphibious landing as part of a two-pronged counter-attack against North Korean forces?
The west coast port of Inchon by Seoul (200 miles behind the communist front lines)
What was the original UN objective in the Korean War?
To drive North Korean forces out of South Korea and back to the 38th parallel
Why did China enter the Korean war?
Under General MacArthur the UN forces chased the collapsing forces of North Korea across the 38th parallel and up to the Yalu River borer with China. China had warned against this and sent troops to North Korea for a counter-counter attack with air support and further supplies from the USSR.
How many times was Seoul captured during the Korean War?
4 times:
- 28th June 1950 by North Korean Forces
- September 1950 by The UN after Battle of Inchon
- 4th January 1951 by Chinese People’s Volunteer Army
- March 1951 by UN forces
- [A final attempt by the PVA in the Fifth Battle of Seoul failed in April 1951]
Why was General Douglas MacArthur sacked by President Truman in April 1951?
He defied the orders of the President
- He had crossed the 38th parallel up to the Yalu River in the belief China would not enter the war
- He wanted to extend the war into China to disrupt supply lines
- He wanted to use nuclear weapons against China and North Korea
- He deliberately leaked a letter to a Congressman arguing ‘no substitute for victory’
Who replaced General Douglas MacArthur as Supreme Commander in Korea?
General Ridgeway
What happened in the Korean War between July 1951 and July 1953?
- On/Off armistice negotiations at Panmunjom lasted for 2 years
- The talks stalled over the forced repatriation of POWs (many didn’t want to return to North Korea/China - Fighting continued across the 38th parallel without much territorial gain and lots of casualties (Battle of Bloody Ridge, Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, Battle of Pork Chop Hill)
- Continued bombing of North Korea by UN forces
What was agreed at the Korean Armistice Agreement on 27th July 1953?
- Complete cessation of hostilities
- DMZ established vaguely along the 38th parallel as a border between North and South Korea
- Repatriated POWs
- Signed by UN, North Korea (KPA) and China (PVA) but not South Korea
Why was the Korean War a success for the UN and the US?
- The UN showed it could act over aggression with military force (unlike the LoN)
- The UN achieved its objective to remove North Korean forces from South Korea
- The US backed up the policy of containment to stop the spread of communism
- The US did not invade China or provoke the USSR to war in Europe
Why was the Korean War a failure for the UN and the US?
- The UN failed to achieve its long term objective of a ‘unified, independent and democratic’ Korea
- MacArthur provoked the intervention of China
- The UN had only been able to intervene because of the USSR’s boycott. The Soviets argued UN had been used as a capitalist tool against communism to further US foreign policy
- Over 40,000 military deaths (US over 36,000, UN 4,000)
How much did the Korean War cost the USA?
$30 billion
Why was the Korean War a success for North Korea, China and the USSR?
- North Korea remained under the communist control of Kim Ill Sung
- Communist China pushed UN forces back to the 38th parallel and protected itself from invasion
- The USSR supported China and North Korea and tested its Mig-15 fighter jets in combat
How many people died in the Korean War?
3 million (2 million civilians and 1 million military)
- UN, US and South Korea approx. 100,000 (UN=4,000, US=36,000, ROK=64,000)
- North Korea 300,000
- China 400,000-900,000
Virtually every major city in Korea was destroyed and many civilians were massacred as both sides swept up and down the peninsular.
How many bombs did the UN drop on North Korea?
635,000 Tonnes. More than the total dropped in the Pacific Campaign during WWII.
How far away is Cuba from the USA?
90 miles (140km)
What was decided about Cuba in the Treaty of Paris, 1898?
The treaty ended the Spanish-American War. Cuba gained its independence from Spain and the USA had the right to intervene in Cuban affairs, supervise finances and foreign relations.
What is Guantanamo Bay?
A bay on the south-east corner of Cuba with a large protected harbour that the USA took control of to create a base for the US navy.
How involved was the USA in the Cuban economy up to 1959?
Very:
· Cuba sold raw materials to the USA at a low price
· Cuba bought American manufactured goods
· The USA ran the Cuban railway industry
· The USA ran the telephone system
· The USA controlled tobacco plantations
· The USA controlled 2/3 of arable farmland
· American tourists visited for drinking, gambling and prostitution
