Background of The Korean War

1
THE KOREAN WAR
IB History
2
Background of The Korean War
3
1910 - 1945

• Korea used to have some of Asia's most prominent
  communist groups and activists
• These organizations worked underground to
  reestablish Korea's independence during Japan's
  occupation of the Korean Peninsula (1910-1945) 

4
Occupation

• In 1945 Korea was occupied by Soviet forces in
  the north and American forces in the south.
• The line that was chosen to separate the two was
  the same one that Japan and Russia used in the
  early part of the 20th century.
• It was called the 38th parallel.

5
Kim II Sung

• 33-year-old, Soviet army captain, Kim II Sung
  became known as an heroic guerrilla commander.
• In early 1946, Soviet occupying forces chose him
  to head the provisional government for North
  Korea.
• Kim was named premier of the Democratic Peoples
  Republic of Korea on September 9th 1948.

6
Progression Economy

• Kim didn't want a Soviet satellite state and
  instead embraced Korean nationalism. The focus of
  which was the Korean Peoples Army. Under Kim's
  rule
• over 2 million acres of land were redistributed
  in under a month
• women were guaranteed equality under the law
• political action cells were formed to educate the
  population
• It was clear that under his rule, North Korea had
  become economically well-endowed in comparison to
  South Korea. In June of 1949 both the Soviets and
  Americans had left the peninsula, this is
  when Kim's plan to unite Korea became evident.

7
On the Brink of War

• South Korea obviously appeared to be faltering,
  but President Syngman Rhee (South Korea)
  unleashed a brutal campaign against suspected
  communists and leftists.
• At first Kim wanted to use force, however he
  needed support and so he turned to Stalin for
  help. Stalin supported his invasion plan, and
  advised him to get support from Chinas new
  communist leader, Mao Zedong. He did and was now
  on the brink of war.

8
Causes of the Korean War
9
Leading Causes of the Korean War

• Reputation
• The American government determined it necessary
  to stop the spread of Communism, at all cost.
• The USSR wanted to encourage Communism outside
  the USSR, especially after collapse of the Berlin
  Blockade. This was particularly important to
  Stalin.
• They felt that the Korean war was their way of
  proving their reputation.

10
Leading Causes of the Korean War

• Cold War
• Stalin encouraged the spread of communism as long
  as it did not result in a war with America. He
  soon realized that nuclear war might be a
  possibility and wanted to avoid that and beat the
  USA using more indirect means.
• The Domino Effect - Truman believed that if Korea
  fell to communism, Japan (a major trading
  partner) would follow. Vietnam was already a
  battle ground, post World War Two.
• The Truman Doctrine stated that the USA would
  lend aid to any country not wishing to be
  suppressed by the political ideals (communism) of
  any other country.
• April 1950 the American National Security Council
  issued a report recommending direct involvement
  (a proxy war) against communism.
• Stalin saw that the Korean War Was a chance for a
  war by proxy. Kim II Sung visited Stalin to
  persuade him that he could conquer South Korea.

11
This map is from an American magazine from 1950.
This shows how much the US feared communism in
the far east.
12
United States, United Nations, and the Soviet
Unions Response to the Korean War
13
United Nations

• The United Nations now had to formulate a plan.
  Sixteen member states would provide troops under
  a United Nations Joint Command. It would fight
  with the South Korean army.
• This United Nations force was dominated by
  America even to the extent of being commanded by
  an American general Douglas MacArthur
• On September 15th 1950, United Nations troops
  landed at Inchon. The landing was a huge success
  and the United Nations effectively cut the North
  Korean army in half and pushed them out of South
  Korea.
• Note MacArthur was later fired by Truman for
  insubordination.

14
Soviet Union

• Soviets sold Chinese military equipment,
  including artillery and MIG fighter planes.
• The USSR also provided advisers and military
  hardware to the North Koreans.
• Soviet pilots flew MIGs against US planes.
• However, Stalin was unwilling to become involved
  with the United States in a war over Korea.

15
United States

• The US provided the majority of the UN military
  forces which drove the North Koreans out of South
  Korea and still stand guard along the border.
  The US moved their troops into South Korea
  quickly.
• The US and the Soviets agreed to divide Korea
  temporarily to avoid long term decisions
  regarding Korea's future.
• Although the United States took the lead in the
  Korean action, it did so under the order of the
  United Nations.

16
China Enters the Korean War
17
Why did China enter the war?

• UN forces pushed north to China
• Crossed 38th parallel
• Yalu River and border with China
• Mao Zedong already made it clear that China would
  not tolerate foreign forces on border

18
What happens next?

• October 14 to November 1, 1950
• Chinese send 180,000 of the Peoples Volunteer
  Army to cross Yalu River
• They pushed the American forces back
• November 2
• UN realizes that the attack was done by Communist
  China

19
Home-by-Christmas offensive

• November 24 MacArthur launches offensive attack
• Chinese army retaliates with full force
• American and South Korean units retreat
• Ends January 1951

20
The Korean War Armistice
21
The Korean War Armistice

• Designed to insure an end to warfare and all acts
  of armed force in Korea until a definitive
  peaceful could be achieved
• It was signed on July 27,1953
• Covered issues such as
• exchange of prisoners of war
• - location of a demarcation line
• Intended as a temporary measure, but the 38th
  parallel remains standing even today.

22

• Enforced by a Military Armistice Commission
• Armies began the awkward process of disengagement
  over the 4km wide DMZ.
• It provided
• suspension of open hostilities
• fixed demarcation line with a four kilometre (2.4
  mile) buffer zone - the so-called
  demilitarization zone
• A mechanism for the transfer of prisoners of war

23
Map of Korea
24

• 1954 - an international conference in Geneva was
  organized by the United States
• - discussed the political future of Korea
• - no agreement was produced
• Armistice- only safeguard for peace on the Korean
  peninsula

25
Winners? Losers?
26

• After three years, July 27, 1953- ceasefire
  stopped the fighting
• Although there was no declared winner, South
  Korea never succumbed to a communist rule.

27

• There was an armistice signed by North Korea,
  China, and the UN but not by South Korea.
• The armistice was NOT a peace treaty, just a
  temporary cessation of hostilities.

28
38th Parallel

• Korea is still split up into North Korea
  (communist) and South Korea (non-communist)
• The border between the two countries has remained
  one of the most heavily-armed stretches of land
  on Earth

29
Big Questions

• Did the war in Korea stop the Domino Effect
  from happening again? How does the US proposed
  policy NSC-68 respond to this concern?
• How did this war effect North and South Korean
  relations for the future?
• Will the 38th parallel ever be diminished?