SGQ 13

IBHL1 SGQ13

Guiding questions:

Why did the Cold War spread from Europe to other parts of the world after 1950?


For what reasons, and with what results for East-West relations, did the superpowers become involved

in the affairs of one of the following: Korea; Vietnam; the Middle East?


What were the effects of the Korean War on international relations?

MWH p. 143-147

1. Background
a. Explain the evolution of control of Korea from 1910 to 1948
Japanese control since 1910, in 1945 US and USSR divided country, Russia to the north and US to the south. The German invasion always left the never leaving political strife.
b. What was the leadership situation in Korea in 1949?
US: Syngman Rhee (IRK)
USSR: Kim Sung 2'nd (DPRK)
The troops withdrew from both sides which caused a dangerous situation because both leaders believed they had total control over the country. But Sung was worst because he took over like Stalin with murder and ruthless authoritarianism. Both leaders hated the artificial division.
2. Why did the North invade the South?
Possible answers:
a. Kim's idea - own idea, possibly encouraged by a statement made by Acheson, US sec. of state in 1950. He was talking about which areas around the Pacific the US intended to defend and for some reason Korea wasn't there.

b. Chinese role - encouraged because at the same time their govn't was massing troops in Fukien province facing Taiwan, as if they where about to attack Chiang Kai-Shek.

c. Russian role - testing Truman doctrine; USSR had supplied Korea with tanks and other equipment for a communist takeover of the south because it would strengthen Russia's position in the Pacific and be a gesture against the Americans, to make up for Stalin's failure in West Berlin

d. S. Korea's role - communist claimed that South Korea had started the war when the troops of the 'bandit traitor' Syngman Rhee had crossed the 38'th parallel. However many believe nowadays that unification of the peninsula was the issues but the USSR and US didn't want to get directly involved.

3. What did the USA do?
a. Why did Truman decide to intervene?
i. he was convinced that the act was Stalin's doing; saw it as a challenge and a new facet to spread communism.
ii. Many saw the invasions similar to that of Hitler's policies during the 30s. Appeasements of the aggressors had failed then, and therefore was essential to not make the same mistake again.
iii. He thought it would be important to support the UN, since it replace the League of Nations in order to maintain peace. Truman feared that it if failure to back this up it would lead to rise of more powers not needed due to lack of action.
iv. Since he was a democratic he was taking a lot of heat for not responding to communism from the republicans so he wanted to prove them wrong that in fact he would do something to prove them wrong.
b. What nations joined the US in support of S. Korea?
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nationalist CHina, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia, Greece, Turkey, Panama, Phillipines, Thailand, and Britian
c. Briefly summarize the course of the war in 1950
arrival insured that the overtake of the communists wouldn't happen but the arrival of the Chinese in counter attack led to the idea that a full fledged was wasn't in the US's cards at the moment so a new general was elected.
d. How and why did China get involved?
McArthur wanted to invade Manchuria and create total war however Truman saw this unfit and called him out before he could. However China was alarmed and sent in lots of troops in order for this not to happen
e. How did the war end?
peace aggreament took two years and it was decided that the frontier should be roughly along the 38'th parallel where the war began,
4. What were the results of the war?
a. Korea - was majorly devastated due to many deaths and the separation arised suspicion from each state that might have led to constant ceasefire violations.

b. the US -could claim it a success to contain communism, plus American rearmament, dissuaded further nations to join communism. However republicans felt we lost an opportunity to destroy communism in China

c. the UN - reversed an act of aggression and used its authority. However communists denounced as a tool for communism

d. China - arised as world power because they were able to stop the US and stop the unification of Korea therefore the rejection of the UN was unreasonable.

e. the Cold War- new strains for US in terms of Russian and now China. Communism was still big in China so the US tried to put as many bases around China as possible and as many foreign influence around that general area of the Pacific so it wouldn't spread.