Korean War (25 jun 1950 año – 27 jul 1953 año)

Descripción:

Fought between North and South Korea
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The « Fall » of China
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Mao Zedong’s communists won the civil war in China and assumer power in Beijing in October 1949

The « fall » of China to communism had a profound effect on the US => China had been an ally in WWII ans the US had spent large sums of money to help them defeat Mao => this loss led to the domino theory and launched the Red Scare when Senator Jospeh McCarthy accused the State Department of being riddled with communists who deliberately aided Mao’s takeover.

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Korea after WWII
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Korea wass still occupied by Japanese forces when Japan surrendered at the end of the war.

Americans and Soviets agreed to divide the country between them : Soviets -> North ; Americans -> South ; following the 38th parallel (ligne equatoriale en gros)

Both sides established governments sympathetic to them in their occupation zones

After an agreement to hold unity elections in 1950, the superpowers withdrew their forces.

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North Korea invades South Korea
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Happens before the elections to re-unify Korea under one gov.

Under the leadership of Kim II Sung (grand père de Kim Jong Un)

Invaded on the 25 of June 1950

Kim acting on stalin’s orders ?? (visited Moscow months before the attack and the Soviets supplied N.K military equipment) => Historians disagree on this

By September, the communists had pushed the South Korean forces all the way to a small pocket on the South.

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American Reaction
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Truman condemned the action, called the UN to act + sent avisers, warships and supplies to the South Koreans from US bases in Japan => he wass scare that communism would after spread in Asia => domino effect

UN voted to send international troops

USSR wass absent due to the refusal of the Un to recognise China’s neew communist government => so wasn’t present to veto the decision to send troops !

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American Invasion
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General Douglas Macarthur : commanded the Us and Un forces (was also the commander of the US forces in Asia during ww2 ; was very pop. In america)

Landed troops at Incheon, near the South K. Capital Seoul.

By october => had successfully repelled the North’s invasion and pushed them back behind the original border.

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Chinese intervention :
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China warneed threatened the Un that they would enter the war if they did not stop.

BUT Gen. Mcarthur didn’t believe them/consider them a threat => decided to push on to the Yalu River, the Korean-Chinese border.

China responded by sending 200 000 troops on 25 October to aid Norht K.

UN forces wer pusheed back to South Korea.

Factors that influenced the Chinese to act :

Kim begged them for support when the Us intervened in the war

Fear that the Us wouldn’t stop at Yalu and invade China too.

Mao was committed to the idea of an international rev. => communist states must work to export communism to other states.

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Stalemate
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The US fought back and eventually pushed back the Chinese and North Koreans out of Seoul.

War reached a stalemate => along the 38th parallel

McArthur wanted to attack China using nuclear weapons

Truman refused => didn’t want to start WWIII over Korea => McArthur publicly criticised him

April 1951 = Truman removes McArthur from command

Peacce talks began in June 1951 (but fighting continued)

Eisenhower became president in 1953 => committed to end the war + Stalin died

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Armistice (agreement to end the fighting)
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Signed between North n South in July 1953

Ceasefire line/common border in the 38th parallel

BUT technically they are still to this day at war since no full peace agreement was signed

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Results of the Korean War
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Success for the containment policy

35 500 US soldiers, 374 000 South K civilians and 138 000 soldiers, 400 000 chinese soldiers, 215 000 North K. soldiers

War stayed localised in Korea, didn’t escalate (Stalin didn’t send troops, Truman didn’t use the nuclear weapon)

Criticism that the US couldn’t remove communism for China => fueled support for senator J. Mcarthy

Pressure on Us resources => led them to pressure for German rearmement in Europe => Germany joining the NATO in 1955

In response Soviets set up the Warsam Pact in Eastern Europe

US build a network of alliances in the region (traties signed w Japan, the Philippines in 51 ; the ANZUS Pact between Australia, New Zealand and the US ; + in 54 Eisenhower set up the South East Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) (Us, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines, France and Britain=> disssolved in 97 because of little results)

Us established permanent military presence in South Korea and taiwan => poor relations between the Us and China until th 70s

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