C8: Case Study of the Korean War (2261 ELECTIVE HISTORY)

CHAPTER 8 CHRONOLOGY OF THE KOREAN WAR 1945: - The Potsdam Conference is held in July and August where the United States and the USSR agree to free Korea from Japanese occupation and to divide Korea at the 38th parallel - The Korean Peninsula is divided along the 38th parallel in August after WWII - The United Nations (UN) is established in October 1948 - The Republic of Korea is established in South Korea in August - The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is established in North Korea in September - Soviet troops leave the Korean Peninsula in December. 1949 - US troops leave the Korean Peninsula in June - South Korea initates border clashes against North Korea, between June and August - China becomes a Communist state in October. 1950 - Dean Acheson gives his “defensive perimeter” speech at the National Press Club in January. - USSR and China sign the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance in February. - North Korean troops cross the 38th parallel in June and attack South Korea where they capture Seoul. - The United Nations sends peacekeeping forces in July to help South Korea - UN troops retake Seoul in September - UN forces cross the 38th parallel in October, capturing Pyongyang and approaching the Yalu (Amnok) River (the border between China and North Korea) - China joins North Korean forces in the war in October 1951 - Chinese and North Korean forces cross the 38th parallel in January and capture Seoul - UN forces counterattack and recapture Seoul in March - North and South Korea reach a stalemate in June 1953 - North and South Korea sign an armistice to end the fighting in July.

CAUSES OF THE KOREAN WAR CIVIL WAR: > Kim II Sung (NK) and Syngman Rhee (SK) desired to reunify Korea under their own leadership and ideology. > Division of Korea (1945): - After Japan's defeat in World War II, Korea was liberated from Japanese occupation but quickly divided along the 38th parallel. The North was occupied by Soviet forces, and the South by American forces. This division was supposed to be temporary, but it soon became permanent as both sides established their own governments with different ideologies. Both governments claimed to be the legitimate ruler of the entire Korean Peninsula, leading to rising tensions between the two regions. The North adopted a communist system under Soviet influence, while the South established a capitalist, anti- communist regime under US support. This division led to internal conflicts: - One example is the Jeju Uprising (1948-1949), where thousands of communist sympathisers in South Korea rebelled against the government, resulting in brutal crackdowns and tens of thousands of deaths. Similar internal unrest occurred in the North, where Kim Il-Sung consolidated power by purging opponents. - Border clashes along the 38th Parallel took place between 1949 and 1950. E.g, in July 1949, South Korean warships attacked North Korea’s military installations near Taedong River, sinking most of North Korea’s west coast fleet. Between 1949 and early 1950, many border incidents occurred. These were not large-scale battles, but about both sides testing each other’s military capabilities, with raids, ambushes, and cross-border attacks. These skirmishes were also significant because they demonstrated that neither side was willing to back down. The constant border fighting deepened the animosity between North and South Korea, making a peaceful resolution increasingly unlikely. On 25 June 1950, more than 90,000 North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel into South Korea. This invasion marked the start of the Korean War. Explanation: - How did Kim and Rhee’s actions escalate tensions between both Koreas? - North Korea triggered the outbreak of the Korean War by invading South Korea... but, does this mean that North Korea was to blame entirely? What was the part of South Korea in this?

PROXY WAR: > US was determined to contain the spread of Communism from North to South Korea. USSR was determined to keep North Korea Communist. Instead of fighting each other directly and risking nuclear war, the US and USSR often supported smaller nations that aligned with their ideologies in conflicts around the world. These conflicts are known as proxy wars because the local actors (in this case, North and South Korea) were seen as "proxies" or stand-ins for the larger powers. Soviet Actions: The Soviet Union helped create and train the Korean People’s Army (KPA), which would become the backbone of North Korea’s military efforts during the Korean War. The Soviet Union also supplied North Korea with weapons and military equipment, including rifles, artillery, and vehicles. This military support helped to create a well-armed and organised North Korean military that was far superior to the relatively weaker South Korean forces. Kim Il-sung repeatedly pressed Soviet leader Joseph Stalin for permission to invade South Korea. Initially, Stalin was hesitant, fearing a direct confrontation with the United States. However, by early 1950, Stalin agreed to support Kim’s plan, in part because of the changing global context – the USSR had the atomic bomb, the success of the Chinese Communist Revolution and the perception that the US might not intervene directly (x-refer to US Defense Perimeter Speech which excluded South Korea). Stalin’s approval came with the condition that Kim would also secure Chinese support, which he did. This backing set the stage for the full-scale invasion of South Korea in June 1950. American Actions: Unlike the Soviet Union, which provided substantial military aid to North Korea, US military support to South Korea before 1950 was limited. The US did not initially prioritise building up South Korea’s military capabilities because it was focused on stabilising Europe after World War II and was reluctant to commit to another potential conflict in Asia. The US did provide some military training and equipment to South Korea, primarily through US military advisers sent to help organise and train the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA). However, this support was insufficient to match the growing military strength of North Korea. It was a matter of time before the North Koreans used their military and strategic advantage over the South Korean forces to attempt to unify Korea under Communist rule! Explanation: - Why were the superpowers interested in Korea? What did they stand to gain from being involved? - How did American and Soviet support embolden Kim and Rhee? - How did superpower support start the Korean War in 1950?

Police Action > The idea that the US and the United Nations had to intervene militarily because North Korea’s invasion was a violation of international peace – South Korea was an independent country. When North Korea invaded South Korea on 25 June 1950, the United Nations, particularly a