Flashpoints Outside Europe And The Impact On International Relations Flashcards
What happened in China in October 1949?
Maos communists won control, established people’s republic of China
What happened in 1950 in China?
Stalin agreed treaty of friendship - USSR supports china’s economic technological and military development
Why did Truman feel that the USA had to stand up to communism in Asia?
China was vast and influential with large population and lots of resources
USA (wrongly) suspected the fall of China was part of Stalin’s scheme to spread communism - domino theory
China’s fall came directly after USSR successfully exploded first atomic bomb
Where was north and South Korea divided?
38th parallel of latitude
What did the USA and USSR think about what type of country Korea should become?
USSR - election of government sympathetic to communism
USA - regime that would ensure the introduction of a capitalist democracy
What year was Korea freed from the Japanese
1945
When did the Soviet and US forces leave Korea and what was established in the two separate countries?
1949
North - communist regime - Kim Il Sung - Korean People’s Democratic Republic
South - capitalist dictatorship - Syngman Rhee - Republic of Korea
Describe the invasion of Korea
Both states sought reunification if the country, but it was Kim Il Sung that acted
after support of Mao and Stalin, he invaded S Korea on 25th June 1950
What was the USA’s reaction to the Invasion of South Korea?
thought Stalin encouraged Invasion, feared the domino effect
USA changed policy of containment to rollback - belief communism should be attacked/pushed back
In fact, Kim was the driving force behind the Invasion - believed rhee was unpopular due to dictatorial manner - believed North Koreans would be welcomed
What happened on 25th June 1950?
North Korea invaded South Korea
What happened on 15th Sept 1950
UN landed at Inchon
What happened on 9th Oct 1950
UN crossed 38th parallel and reached Yalu river (N Korea border with China)
What happened in November 1950
25,000 Chinese ‘volunteers’ invaded N Korea
What happened in Mid 1951
War in the skies (lasted 2 years)
What happened in June 1951?
Peace talks began
What happened in July 1953?
Ceasefire agreed at Panmunjom
describe UN’s role in the Korean War
USA got UN support fro fighting as UN agreed with US interpretation, and first condemned the attack, then began to put forward a military force to stop the Invasion
USSR was unable to object as was boycotting UN in protest of USA’s refusal to allow communist China to sit at the UN Security Council
What was the USSR’s role in the Korean War?
USSR didn’t enter war directly to avoid provoking world war, but secretly helped North Koreans and Chinese by providing ‘advisers’, weapons, doctors and fighter planes with Chinese markings driven by soviet pilots dressed in Chinese uniform
Who was general Douglas macarthur and describe what his role was in Korea
American leader of the UN force
Aim for him for the Korean War was to reunite the whole country
He pleased with Truman to allow an attack that would lead to the destruction of communism in China, urged the use of the atomic bomb
He also believed that Asia was where communists were planning to begin global conquest
When and why was MacArthur sacked?
April 1951 after he openly criticised the presidents policies
Aims between them differed as macarthur wanted rollback and a bomb while Truman wanted containment
Why did the USA, USSR and China decide to end the Korean War in 1953?
New leaders in USA and USSR - president Eisenhower succeeded Truman and Stalin died, leaving Khrushchev in control. New leaders sought peace and ceasefire agreed at Panmunjom jul 1953
US threat to China - Eisenhower’s threat to use nuclear weapons against China possibly assisted the conclusion of negotiations
How did the Korean War impact the Cold War?
Decline in relations between China and the USA
Tense relations between north and South Korea
New American alliances with Far East countries eg japan
Extension of NATO to a full military alliance
Describe the state of Indochina before WWII
indochina had been a French colony. French attempted to establish its empire after the war had been defeated by the Vietminh - guerilla forces led by Vietnamese communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh