Korea Flashcards
What had happened in Korea before 1945?
Before 1945, Korea had been occupied by Japan. As a result of its defeat in WW2, Japan had to withdraw from Korea and the country was split along the 38th parallel into North and South Korea. As was the case in the war, soviet forces continued the occupy the North and American forces occupied south.
What did the USA introduce in early 1950?
In early 1950, the USA introduced NSC-68 which was a new policy on communism. This was designed not just to ‘contain’ communism but to ‘roll it back’ and directly take action against communist countries.
What did Stalin send in June 1950?
In June 1950, Stalin sent aid and resources to help the leader of the North (Kim ll Sung) and the north invaded the south in a bid to unite the country under communism. Within 4 days the southern capital, Seoul, had fallen to communism.
Immediately after the initial invasion of the North Truman ordered US forces under General MacArthur to help defend South Korea. However, Pusan was the only area of the south to withstand the invasion.
What had happened by the 1st October 1950?
US troops had pushed the North Koreans back to the 38th parallel and faved the decision to stop or carry on the push into the North Korea. This would go one step further than ‘containment’ and would launch the new policy of ‘roll back’ (NSC-68). US forces crossed the order on 7th October and stopped at the Yalu river near the border with China.
Why did the Chinese get involved in October 1950?
At the end of October 1950, the Chinese intervened and attacked US troops who were forced to retreat back in the heart of North Korea. By the new year, communist troops had pushed the US troops back over the 38th parallel. They got involved because the US were near the Chinese border and they were worried the US might invade China as well.
What did MacArthur suggest they should do?
He and Truman were devastated at the US retreat and in 1951 MacArthur hinted at dropping an atomic bomb on the Chinese which appalled the rest of the world.
What plans did Truman make for Korea by March 1951?
By March 1951, Truman had abandoned the idea of conquering the whole Korea and began to consider to make peace with Chinese. This appalled MacArthur who wanted to continue the new American policy of ‘rolling back’ communism. Truman fell out with him and dismissed him and replaces him with General Ridgeway.
What did Ridgeway do to reach peace?
Only months into Ridgeways appointment the conflict reached a statement and peace talks between the two sides began. These initial talks were unsuccessful and random fighting.
When did the stalemate end in Korea?
The stalemate situation in Korea existed until 1953. Truman lost a lot of support back home for his actions in Korea and he was replaced by Ike Eisenhower in the January as this year. The new US president signed an agreement to cease the fighting in Korea and the conflict ended.
What were the results of the Korean War on Korea?
- Korea was devastated by years of war in terms of its landscape and population.
- the country remained divided and the south did not fall to the West.
What were the results of the Korean War on MacArthur?
Korean saw the end of MacArthur’s military career when he fell out with Truman over the direction of US policy during the war.
What were the results of the Korean War on Cold War tension?
- Hostilities between the 2 sides of the Cold War intensified because the conflict spread beyond Europe for the first time.
- China and the USSR drew closer together as a consequence of the war which strengthened the position of communism in the world.
- China showed that they were stand up to western aggression which increased tension.
What were the results of the Korean War on the United Nations/USA?
- The Korea war led to the establishment of SEATO (South Eastern Asian Treaty Organisation) which was an Asian version of NATO designed to contain communism in Asia.
- the Truman Doctrine and its policy of containment had been put into practice and upheld.
- Korea was a success for the newly UN. It had showed that it was prepared to stand up to aggression, unlike its predecessor, the League of Nations.
