North Korean Invasion of South Korea Flashcards
historiography
WILLIAM STUECK
- revisionism on the Korean War is concerned, two key arguments are identifiable: first, that the war was in essence a civil war with its roots on the peninsula itself, and second, that US involvement in the war was based on a larger quest for global hegemony and/or a misperception of its fundamental nature.
Only then, with Stalin’s approval and subsequent military assistance and Chinese leader Mao Zedong’s blessing, did Kim proceed to launch the attack.
North Korea made the claim that its attack was made in response to an attack by South Korea. Most historians agree that this claim was probably a lie, especially considering how well planned and coordinated North Korea’s so-called response was and how ill-prepared South Korea was to face the invasion
parties involved
NK; Kim SK;Sygman Rhee CHINA; Mao US; Truman USSR; Stalin
north korea
- communist
- USSR support
- Kim II Sung
- choi yung kun as commander
- PRC support
- wants to rebuild country and implement land reform
- “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”
south korea
- democratic/capitalist
- US support (truman and eisenhower)
- Syngman Rhee
- Chung II Khow as commander
- UN and UK support
- Rhee is brutal, authoritarian and undiplomatic
- “Republic of Korea’
what exactly happened?
25 June 1950 NK force invaded the south at the 38th parallel
immediate causes
- Rhee boasts he’ll attack NK
- Kim travels to moscow to secure Stalin support
- NK involves nationalistic slogan of liberating Korea from US imperialism
underlying causes
ongoing tension between US and USSR ideology
long term causes
Divided nations; NK vs SK; divided ideologies and supports
North Koreans THEMSELVES responsible (not a product
of soviet aggression)
Kim wants to unify peninsula as communist country; can’t act alone therefore enlists soviet military and financial assistance; initially hesitates but then after successful atomic bomb detonation reconsiders
Rhee has similar aspirations; enlists US assistance (UNDER TRUMAN) to launch desired invasion and gain protection against communist chinese, soviet and NK forces (feels like communist countries are surrounding it)
US doesnt want to help originally due to fear of Rhee’s aggression; offers economic and educative assistance; doesn’t include Korea in sphere of containment influence; withdraws troops from korea in 1949 + doesn’t trust rhee=
INFLUENCES STALIN’S DECISION WITH KIM; BELIEVES US WON’T INTERVENE IF INVASION OCCURS; 1950 authorizes Kim’s Plan to invade)
US releases NSC 68 document to stockpile weapons against soviet expansion
IMPACT + SIGNIFICANCE:
Results in the Korean War; first major war in the Cold War;
UN and US take military action (PROXY WAR); made possible as USSR boycotted UN due to refusal to recognize PCR (Soviet-Chinese relations still ok)
US and USSR directly fighting each other through other countries
US Policy of containment; kept NK outta SK
US SUPPORTS DICTATORSHIPS ON BASIS OF ANTI-COMMUNISM
US intensifies spy networks and NATO memberships + rearms West Germany
Heightened tension between China and Stalin; Stalin’s death will push it to the brink
After war; Eisenhower and Kruschev taken over as rulers + tension reduces
SK and NK remain divided and hostile; NK becomes very poverty-stricken and SK becomes capitalist and money money money!
origins 1945-48
DIVISION; at 38th parallel after WWII
- north to USSR influence
- south to US infleunce
- US wants to stop soviet expansion; soviets stop at 38th parallel due to atomic bomb fear
- Stalin provides military oocupation and gives Korea autonomy
- US suspicious of People’s committess and removes them
peoples committees
combinatin of communists and nationalists who distribute land of food and industries
fear of civil war results (origins)?
Soviets: uprisings due to rice and raw material shoratage
Americans: US blames south riots on communist aggitators
so:
1. Us proposes korean elections, Soviets reject idea due to 8:20 million North to South Korean population ratio
2. Stalin proposes that US and USSr withdraw forces; US refuese
3. UN creates temporary committes in Korea to eupervise unification process and new government elections; supervised elctions (soviet refueses participation so Rhee elected as Korean President)
= 4. results in NK and SK official governments and US and USSR withdraw occuptation
kim II sung involvement
- wants communist unified korea= looks to Stalin for military and financial assistance
- as soveits have succesffuly detonated atomic bomb
- NK has larger army than SK but lesss weapons; go to Mao for military assistance and advice
rhee involvement
– needs US assistance for similar ambitions; US refuses due to fear of provoking war
NSC 68
secret codument that states that US needs to maintaitn substancial armed forces to prevent soviet expansion
