Korea 1950 53

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Korea 1950 - 53

• The Cold War hots up

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Causes of the Conflict

• Before WW2 Japan had occupied Korea
• When Japan was defeated, Soviet forces occupied
  the northern half of Korea and American forces
  occupied the southern part
• Both sides promised to pull out once free
  elections had been held under the control of the
  new United Nations

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• However, the Soviets changed their minds and
  refused to allow UN officials to enter North
  Korea to organise elections
• Instead North Korea became a communist satellite
  under Kim Il Sung with a capital at Pyongyang
• In South Korea elections were held and an
  anti-communist government was set up under
  Syngman Rhee at Seoul

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The Domino Theory

• China became Communist in 1949
• The USA feared that communism would spread to
  other countries such as Japan and India, like a
  row of dominos

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• Stalin and the Chinese encouraged Kim Il Sung to
  attack South Korea
• June 1950 North Korea attacked the South and the
  war began
• This seemed to be the domino theory in action

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• At first the North Koreans were very successful
  and pushed Southern forces back to the Pusan
  Pocket in the south-east

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• South Korea asked the United Nations for help
• This required the approval of all the permanent
  members of the Security Council, which included
  Russia
• Russia was boycotting meetings at the time and so
  the other countries agreed to help South Korea
• An army was sent to help the South Koreans, led
  by an American General Douglas MacArthur

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• MacArthur organised a successful landing at
  Inchon that surprised the communists and forced
  them to retreat
• UN troops quickly pushed into North Korea and
  advanced up to the Chinese border.

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• This worried China, which warned UN troops not to
  approach the Yalu River
• MacArthur disobeyed Trumans orders and did so
• MacArthur wanted to invade China and wanted to
  use nuclear weapons against them
• MacArthur was dismissed and replaced by General
  Ridgeway in April 1951

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• Meanwhile, China sent 200,000 volunteers to
  help North Korea
• UN forces were pushed back to the 38N parallel
• The war became a bloody stalemate with heavy
  casualties on all sides

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• In 1953 a truce was agreed at Panmunjom on the
  38N parallel, which became the border between
  the two countries
• Stalin had died by this time

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Results of the Korean War

• Intensified the Cold War
• USA was pleased to have contained the spread of
  communism in Asia
• USA set up SEATO (South East Asia Treaty
  Organisation) in 1954, based on the NATO idea
• Korea was devastated by the war 1 in 10 of the
  population was dead