5th Class- Korean War and Essay

What was the Korean War? (1950-53)

Is in this moment that the Cold War became a global conflict.

In 1945, Korea was freed from the Japanese. US troops stayed in Korea until 1946.

The country was split in half at the 38th parallel:

     • Communist North Korea led by Kim Il Sung.

     • Capitalist South Korea led by Syngman Rhee.

Note----- China became communist in 1949.

Domino Theory

Truman believed that, if one country fell to Communism, then others would follow, like a line of dominoes. He was worried that, if Korea fell, the Communists would capture Japan.

Justification of US intervention in the War

Truman realized the USA was in a competition for world domination with the USSR. By supporting South Korea, America was able to fight Communism without directly attacking Russia.

Kim Il Sung (North Korea) visited Stalin. In 1949, he persuaded Stalin that he could conquer South Korea. Stalin did not think that America would dare to get involved, so he gave his agreement.

Later Kim also went to see Mao Zedong, the leader of China, to get his agreement.

How did the war begin?

Korean War began as a Civil War between North and South Korea, but then became a Limited War when the US and the UN decided to support South Korea while the People’s Republic of China supported North Korea.

Division of Korea in parallel 38

The division between North and South would be a temporary administrative solution.

Elections were planned for 1947 and the reunification of Korea to be achieved by democratic means.

Soviet Union supported young leader Kim Il Sung as president of the People´s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

USA decided to participate in war

1. ‘Domino theory’: Eastern Europe was not the only place where Communists were gaining power. In the Far East China had turned Communist in 1949. He was worried that if Korea fell, the next ‘domino’ would be Japan, which was very important for American trade and military presence in South East Asia.
2. Undermine Communism: Truman believed that capitalism, freedom and the American way of life were in danger of being overrun by Communism. In April 1950 the American National Security Council issued a report recommending that America abandon ‘containment’ and start ‘rolling back’ Communism. This led Truman to commit to driving the Communists out of North Korea.
3. Indirect attacks: Truman realized the USA was in a competition for world domination with the USSR and by supporting South Korea, America was able to fight Communism without directly attacking Russia, and gain support from other countries in Asia and Africa.

     

     Essay: ¿To what extent was justified American incursion in the Korean War?

     The Korean War was a limited war between North Korea, supported by communist China and the USSR, against Korea and the US, who was afraid of communism expansion. Their were a series of reasons of why USA intervined in this conflict. The main reason is that as the Domino Theory stated, if communism expand to Korea then it would continue to spread all around Asia. In addition to this, Truman was convinced by the American National Security Council report, which recommended US president to start ‘rolling back’ communism instead of using his policy of containment.

Since the end of the Second World War, US president, Harry Truman, was concerned of communism expansion all around Europe. Under he’s policy of containment stated in the ‘Truman Doctrine’, USA tried to stop communism. However, USSR was a big influence in Europe and Asia. Despite, US prepared a plan called the ‘Marshall Plan’ as a way to support European countries economically and do not fall into communism. However, all this intentions could be ended in the Korean War, if communist North Korea win the war, then most part of Asia would be influenced to adapt communist ideologies. Thus, in April 1950 the American National Security Council issued a report, called in ‘NSC 68’,  recommending that America abandon ‘containment’ and start ‘rolling back’ Communism, immediately US joined forces with South Korea to defeat North Korea.

In August of 1945 the Soviet Union invaded North Korea, which had been under Japan's control since 1910. The US, fearing that the USSR seize the whole peninsula from their position in the North, placed troops in South Korea to prevent a communist expansion. The decision to intervene in Korea grew out of the tense atmosphere that characterized Cold War politics. Truman realized that USA was in competition the Soviet Union for world domination and by supporting South Korea, America was able to fight Communism without directly attacking the USSR and in this way, gain support from other countries of Asia or Africa.

In June 27, 1950, Truman made an speech in which he stated his concern about communist aggression and expansion. Truman agrees that “communism has passed beyond the use of subversion to conquer indepenent nations and will now use armed invasion and war”. Truman thought that the attack by North Korea was part of a plan of China to spread communism and, by extension, the Soviet Union.

To sum up my ideas, to my mind, US reasons to intervine in the Korean War 1950- 1953, were three. Firstly, Truman thought he was in a competition with the USSR for world domination and it used this conflict to attack Russia inderectly. Secondly, the American National Security Council convinced Truman through the ‘NSC 68’, to make heavy increases in military funding to help contain the Soviets. Lastly, as stated in Truman’s Domino Theory, if communism expand to Korea then it would continue througout Asia and other countries.