Korean War Flashcards
Aug 1945
Splitting of Korea along the 38th parallel
It led to a power vacuum in Korea as the Soviets and USA defeated the Japanese and would withdraw in the near future.
Aug and Sept 1948
Establishment of ROK and DPRK
Laid the foundations for future conflicts as both regimes claimed political control over the whole of Korea and wanted to reunify the country by force, while insurgents on either side wanted to destabilise their respective governments.
Apr 1948- May 1949
Jeju Island Uprising
An example of how insurgencies were trying to destabilise their respective governments, deepening suspicion on both sides and increasing the urgency for a legitimate leader to unify the peninsula.
Dec 1948
Withdrawal of Soviet troops
Higher agency for the local actors as they had autonomy and control over their own military forces in the region.
June 1949
Withdrawal of US troops
Higher agency for the local actors as they had autonomy and control over their own military forces in the region. However, it is worth noting that the US had reduced aid given to Syngman Rhee out of fear that he would invade the North if he was too strong.
Aug 1949
Soviet nuclear parity
The USSR was more willing to aid North Korea as the US could no longer use nuclear diplomacy against them.
Oct 1949
Establishment of PRC
‘Loss’ strengthened those who favoured anti-Communist policies, spurred by the rise of McCarthyism.
The USSR was more willing to provide aid for other Communist movements now that there was a Communist ally in the region already.
Jan 1950
Defense Perimeter Speech
Highlighted that America wanted to reduce defence commitments in Asia, treating them as “equals”, which motivated the USSR to support North Korea, thinking that the US would not intervene even if South Korea was invaded.
Feb 1950
Sino- Soviet Treaty of Friendship Alliance and Mutual Assistance
An expansion of Communist influence in Asia and the USSR had the assurance that China would help North Korea as well.
April 1950
Soviet decision to support DPRK invasion of ROK
The invasion was mostly on part of North Korea as Kim convinced Stalin to do so after seeking approval in 1949. Potential belief that having a unified communist Korea would help the USSR counter the rise of Japan.
25 Jan 1950
North Korean attack on South Korea
beginning of Korean War
Marked the start of the conflict.
15 Sept 1950
Inchon Landing
Through a daring amphibious counter-offensive north against the port-city of Inchon, UN forces forced the North Koreans into retreat.
This encouraged American war aims to change from initially resisting North Korean aggression to rollback. Rollback meant invading the DPRK to reduce what was perceived as Communist gains in Asia, and would bolster Truman’s political position in America This justified the rearmament programme that the NSC 68 recommended.
Oct 1950
UNC troops cross 38th parallel
Truman gave the order for MacArthur to lead UN forces to invade the DPRK in an attempt to roll back Communist influence on 27th September, the troops crossed days later. At this point the US wanted to limit the war to the Korean peninsula so only South Korean troops were allowed near the Chinese border.
Nov 1950
Chinese intervention in the Korean War
The CCP was initially reluctant to get involved because they were preoccupied with domestic issues, consolidating communist rule and rebuilding China’s war-torn economy.
They intervened when MacArthur’s violation of Truman’s orders to use only South Korean troops near the North Korean border with China and commanding all UN troops to march towards the Yalu River triggered Chinese fears of an American invasion of China. These fears were bolstered by US deployment of the Seventh Fleet to the Taiwan Strait in June 1950. A unified anti-communist, pro-American Korea would prove to be a threat to China’s security and sovereignty.
1951- 1953
Military stalemate/ Failure of armistice talks
Results: Creation of a demilitarised zone and a peaceful resolution to the division of Korea after armistice was signed
Up till late 1952, the armistice was stalled.
Issue of the Demarcation Line was resolved in November 1950
Obstacles: Defectors posed as a challenge. Both sides wanted their defectors back for prosecution but the captor countries refused to hand them over (They said the other side brainwashed them as well so tensions were high).
Stalin also wanted the war to continue to drain American resources and extract concessions from the US in return for an end to the war
Kim had a lack of agency in this. He wanted to negotiate but China refused, while using Stalin to control Kim (By this point of the war, he lost a lot of his original agency to the superpowers).
