Core Topic 5 Flashcards
What caused the outbreak of the Korean War?(3)
Korea was ruled by Japan until 1945, the Northern half was liberated by Soviet troops and the southern half by Americans. The North leader, Kim Il-Sung, had been trained in the USSR. The South leader Syngman Rhee was not very democratic but still anticommunist - this was enough to win the support of the USA.
By Spring 1950, not only had the USSR succesfully tested their first atomic bomb(ending the U.S monopoly) but U.S troops left over from WW2 had finally been withdrawn. Furthermore, now Stalin had signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance(February 14) he was confident in China’s support.
In April he gave Kim permission to attack the South as long as Mao agreed to send reinforcements if needed. On the 25 June 1950 the North officially invaded the South. By September the North had almost all of Korea except for a small area around Pusan.
What was America’s response to the North Korean advance in 1950?(4)
Truman wanted America to become involved but realised that the best way to do it was through the UN. After putting serious pressure on the UN Security Council on 27 June 1950, it published Resolution 83 and later 84 recommending member states provide military assistance to the Republic of Korea.
The USSR had previously used their veto protesting Taiwan’s occupation of China’s permanent seat in the UN Security Council, hence the resolutions were passed as the USSR delegate was not even at the meeting.
In August 1950, the President and the Secretary of State obtained the consent of Congress to the appropriate $12 billion for military action in Korea.
18 states provided troops or support of some kind but the largest part of the UN force was American; 302,483 out of the 341,828 troops, 86% of the ships as well as 93% of the aircraft that the UN sent. The commander, General MacArthur, was also American.
How successful was the UN’s first advancement?(4)
UN forces stormed the beach at Inchon in September 1950.
At the same time, other UN forces and South Korean troops advanced from Pusan. Within weeks the North were driven back to the 38th parallel.
By October 1950 UN forces had reached the Yalu river.
MacArthur and Truman were now after a bigger prize of removing communism from Korea entirely.
What was the response from China to US advancements?(3)
In late October 1950, after Mao’s warnings, 200,000 Chinese troops joined the North Koreans. They were equiped with modern tanks and planes supplied by the Soveit Union.
Harsh cold and snowstorms in the winter of 1950-51 were terrible to US soldiers. Furthermore, the Chinese forces were more familiar with the landscape - jagged mountains, ravines, swamps - this innate advantage pushed UN forces back to the 38th parallel.
In April 1951, MacArthur is sacked for his lust to use nuclear weapons on China.
When did peace talks begin and how long did it take for an armistice to form?(2)
The fighting reached a stalemate in the middle of 1951 and in June 1951 peace talks began at Panmunjom.
There was brutal fighting and no real border change until 27th July 1953 when a ‘ceasefire’ is signed.
What were the impacts of the Korean War?(4)
On the one hand, 1.4 million people died 780,000 of which were North Korean soldiers and civilians.
Furthermore every month of fighting between 1951-53 there were 2,500 American casualties.
The land of Korea also almost had more bombs dropped on it than Germany in WW2.
On the other hand communism was controlled and a new state of Japan was heavily boosted economically from repairing the equipment of America.
What were the US alliances of anticommunist countries?
SEATO in South East Asia and CENTO in Central Asia and the Middle East. The USA gave money, advice and arms to these allies and in return the leaders of these countreis suppressed communist influence.
What was the backstory of Cuba before Fidel Castro?(2)
America owned 93% of the businesses on the island and they had a huge naval base there.
Fulgencio Batista was dictator there from 1952 to 1959 and was very corrupt and disliked. His regime had murdered over 20,000 Cubans, and more than 20% of the population were illiterate - 61% of children did not go to school.
Who was Fidel Castro?(2)
Fidel Castro in 1959 overthrew Batista after a 3 year campaign.
At first he was seen as friendly by the US but soon became an enemy because lots of Cuban exiles in the US had fled from Castro’s rule and demanded action against Castro. Furthermore Castro took over some of the American owned businesses in Cuba.
What was the U.S’s response to Castro’s new rule?(3)
In June 1960 President Eisenhower authorised the CIA to investigate ways of overthrowing Castro.
These included investigating ways to disrupt the Cuban economy, damaging sugar plantations and American companies in Cuba refusing to co-operate with any Cuban businesses.
Castro publicly showed no hostility, but privately he signed a trade agreement with Krushchev giving Cuba $100 million in economic aid.
What happened at the ‘Bay of Pigs’ invasion?(4)
In January 1961 John F Kennedy put forward an Eisenhower plan to supply arms, equipment and transport for 1400 anti-Castro exiles to invade Cuba.
In April 1961 the exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs and were met by 20,000 Cuban troops armed with tanks and modern weapons.
This really further strengthened Castro’s position in Cuba because it not only showed that he could resist rebellions but that America didn’t want to get its hands dirty.
Furthermore, it gave Khrushchev the idea that he could bully Kennedy around as the event was a huge failure on the part of the U.S. Meanwhile Kennedy thought that in the next confrontation with Cuba or the USSR it would be important to not be humiliated again, and prove himself.
How did Kennedy respond to the failure of the ‘Bay of Pigs’?(2)
He made a speech about it on 20th May, this not only meant that he could get his story about what happened first, but it also meant that the press would not be able to question him on whether he is true.
Castro made his speech on the 2nd June.
What was the aftermath of the arming of Cuba?(4)
In May 1962 the USSR publicly announced it was supplying Cuba with arms and by July Cuba had the best equipped army in Latin America.
By September there were thousands of Soviet missiles, patrol boats, tanks, radar vans, missile erectors, jet bombers, jet fighters and even 5000 Soviet technicians.
On Sunday, 14th October 1962 an American spy plane flew over Cuba and discovered nuclear missile sites being built by the USSR.
Experts said that the most developed of the sites could launch missiles in just seven days.
What was the risk to America of nuclear missiles in Cuba and how did Kennedy respond?(4)
The long range missiles could reach and destroy every and any city in the U.S until about LA. Furthermore, all American military bases were in range of these missiles which meant that they wouldn’t be able to counter attack.
Kennedy decided to blockade Cuba.
He called on the Soviet Union to withdraw its missiles and made the issue public, which was a strong move.
Next Kennedy received a letter from Krushchev stating that the Soviet Ships would not observe the blockade.
What happened after the Cuban blockade began?(4)
The closest ships which arrived stopped and turn around, but despite this work on the missile bases in Cuba was proceeding rapidly.
Kennedy then received a long letter from Khrushchev stating that the missiles on Cuba were defensive.
Khrushchev sent a second letter stating similar thing but that if the U.S removed its missiles from Turkey then Khrushchev would remove the missiles from Cuba.
