The Korean War 1950-53 and its impact to 1977 Flashcards
Why was it difficult to reach a settlement?
Attitudes of the Leaders * [4]
Changes in leadership sped up the process
- Eisenhower elected in 1952, promises to bring the war to an end
- Eisenhower was aware of pointlessness of the warfare & loss of popular support at home (only 33% support US involvement)
- Stalin didn’t want to end the war -> wanted to distract US away from Europe
- 1953 Stalin dies + new President Georgi Malenkov took over in March 1953, wants to reduce tensions w/ US
Why was it difficult to reach a settlement?
Military in charge of negotiations [3]
- Army officials undertaking discussions - too militant:
e.g. UN Turner Joy, July 1951 - Plants UN flag in middle of the table - Army officials not going to effectively make peace negotiations
- Later, Eisenhower & Malenkov use political negotiators:
Kennan (US) + Malik (USSR) - only changed due to new leaders
Why was it difficult to reach a settlement?
Prisoners of war
- Truman wants POWs to have FREE CHOICE - China disagrees
- Uses India as neutral state for POWs to decide
- NK didn’t want voluntary repatriation
- SK allowed a mass escape of prisoners.
To what extent was the Korean War a failure for the US?
Aim 1: Containment (Success) [3]
Containment: Restored the status quo - division of 2 Koreas at 38th parrallel
- Inchon landings September 1950 were a success
- If US stopped in October 1950 and didn’t invade NK they would’ve achieved containment in 1950
- Containment achieved in 1953
To what extent was the Korean War a failure for the US?
Aim 2: Rollback (Failure) [3]
Rollback: Complete eradication of Communism on Korean pennisula
- Originally successful - pushed back onto Yalu river bordering China
- Resulted in Chinese intervention:
MacArthur fired, Frozen Chosin (Winter 1950) 6,000 US casualties of frostbite
- Ceasefire line remained unofficial border
To what extent was the Korean War a failure for the US?
Domestically? [3]
- Cost US $67 billion - generated inflation
- Greatly damaged Truman’s presidency -> Democrats defeated
- Led to McCarthyism - paranoia about internal Communist threat:
schools had atomic attack drills + sales of backyard bomb shelters increased
Was SEATO successful?
Reducing Communist threat * [3]
No it wasn’t successful - disbanded in 1977 and didn’t stop Communist expansion
- No means of enforcing common action against Communist movements within states
- Appeared to be a way for USA to entrench economic + strategic position in the USA - led to anti-American propaganda
- Pakistan left 1973
Was SEATO successful?
Promoting economic development [4]
- Technical training centers
- Grants for agricultural research
- Awards for literature
- Medical research
Was SEATO successful?
Dealing with cultural issues [3]
- Pakistan wasn’t included in area protected by SEATO
- Countries w/i very different religiously and culturally
- Half the members e.g. Britain, France, USA - not even in South East Asia
What was the Bandung Conference? [3]
- Held in April 1955 in Indonesia
- 29 states laid the basis for the non-aligned movement
- Helped promote peace and mediation, avoiding horrors of nuclear war.
‘Chinese intervention was the only reason North Korea was not defeated in the Korean War, 1950-53’ TWEDYA?
Chinese Intervention * [4]
- North Koreans were already pushed back to Yalu River when Chinese sent 150,000 men across
- 270,000 UN men were overwhelmed by the Chinese human wave attacks
- Nov. 1950 Frozen Chosin, US surrounded - 6,000 frostbite casualties
- Mac Arthur loses his job
US forces were winning until Chinese intervention.
‘Chinese intervention was the only reason North Korea was not defeated in the Korean War, 1950-53’ TWEDYA?
Weaknesses in the UN forces [4]
- Problems coordinating a multi-national force
- Loss of morale of US troops combined with terrible weather - mechanised equipment freezes
- Mac Arthur directing the battle from Japan!
- Biggest retreat in US history
Were still winning until Chinese intervention.
‘Chinese intervention was the only reason North Korea was not defeated in the Korean War, 1950-53’ TWEDYA?
Strength of the North Korean Regime [4]
- Kim’ troops were politically active compared to SK army
- Je Ju uprising - Rhee killed 30,000, so NK more motivated under Kim
- Support from China & USSR -> T-34’s and Yak fighter jets
- Able to push SK back to Pussan perimeter
The Korean war ended due to new leadership of the USSR and USA. How far do you agree?
New Leadership
Changes in leadership sped up the process
- Eisenhower elected in 1952, promises to bring the war to an end
- Eisenhower was aware of pointlessness of the warfare & loss of popular support at home (only 33% support US involvement)
- Stalin didn’t want to end the war -> wanted to distract US away from Europe
- 1953 Stalin dies + new President Georgi Malenkov took over in March 1953, wants to reduce tensions w/ US
The Korean war ended due to new leadership of the USSR and USA. How far do you agree?
Backroom Negotiations
- Army officials undertaking discussions - too militant:
e.g. UN Turner Joy, July 1951 - Plants UN flag in middle of the table - Army officials not going to effectively make peace negotiations
- Later, Eisenhower & Malenkov use political negotiators:
Kennan (US) + Malik (USSR) - only changed due to new leaders
The Korean war ended due to new leadership of the USSR and USA. How far do you agree?
Chinese position on POWs
- Truman wants POWs to have FREE CHOICE - China disagrees
- Uses India as neutral state for POWs to decide
- NK didn’t want voluntary repatriation
- SK allowed a mass escape of prisoners.
Impact of the Korean War on the US [3]
- Cost US $67 billion - generated inflation
- Greatly damaged Truman’s presidency -> Democrats defeated
- Led to McCarthyism - paranoia about internal Communist threat:
schools had atomic attack drills + sales of backyard bomb shelters increased
Impact of the Korean war on China and the USSR [3]
- The war poisoned Sino-American relations & contributed greatly to Western opposition to Chinese membership of the UN
- Encouraged USSR to set China on the road to becoming a nuclear power from 1955
- Consolidated the power of Mao’s government, which promoted unity through the ‘Resist America’ campaign.
Who was more important in the end of the Korean War? i) Eisenhower [3]
- Eisenhower elected in 1952- promises to bring the war to an end
- Eisenhower repeatedly said he was prepared to use atomic weapons (battlefield nukes), helped persuade peace
- Eisenhower was aware of the pointlessness of the warfare & loss of popular support at home (only 33% support US involvement)
Who was more important in the end of the Korean War? ii) Stalin
- Wanted to continue the war and distract America from Europe, supplied NK with T-34s
- His death in 1953 led to the takeover of Malenkov as leader
- Malenkov wanted to ease tensions with US so opted for peace
‘Mac Arthur was the main reason the US failed in Korea?’ TWEDYA [3]
1) Decision to push for rollback - October 1950 ->Chinese intervention, 300,000 troops
2) Broadcast desire to move 7th fleet into straights of Taiwan -> provokes China more
3) Military mistakes underestimating Chinese - disaster at Chosin, 50% casualty rate
Which was a more successful outcome of the Korean War?
i) SEATO [3]
- Only 8 countries signed up, less successful as there were fewer countries committed against communism
- Of the 8, only 3 were in south-east Asia: Pakistan, Thailand and the Phillippines
- Disbanded in 1977 due to lack of effectiveness
Which was a more successful outcome of the Korean War?
ii) Bandung 1955 [3]
- 29 countries, 55% population
- Forerunner of the Non-Aligned movement (1960s)
- Encouraged decline of colonization, hindered expansion of Russia, USA & Britain
