The Korean War Section 25.2 Focus Questions: How did President Truman use the power of the presidency to limit the spread of communism in ¾ East Asia? In the early 1950s, Cold War tensions erupted in East Asia, where communist and non‐communist forces struggled for control of Korea. Communists Gain Control of China ¾ Since the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Soviets had hoped to spread communism to every corner of the world. ¾ They trained foreigners in Marxist Theory and revolutionary strategy. ¾ The Soviets were confident that communism would reach worldwide influence. ¾ In 1949, events in China seemed to justify their confidence. Civil War Divides China ¾ Before Japan invaded China in 1937, Nationalist leader Jiang Jieshi, known in the United States as Chiang Kai‐Shek, had been fighting a civil war against communists led by Mao Zedong. • They temporarily joined forces to fight Japan, the civil war resumed with a new fury after the war ended ¾ The Soviet Union supported Mao, while the United States sent several billions of dollars in aid to Jiang. ¾ American leaders feared that Jiang’s defeat would create a communist superpower spanning most of Asia. ¾ Jiang’s regime proved unequal to the task o Nationalist generals were reluctant to fight o Chinese people faced starvation o Corrupt officials pocketed the U.S. aid dollars Communists Win in China ¾ In 1948, Mao’s forces dominated the war. ¾ Jiang appealed to the Americans for military help, but the U.S. government had no intentions of sending U.S. troops. ¾ Jiang fled the Chinese mainland, taking control of the large offshore island of Taiwan. ¾ Mao’s communist then took control of the world’s most populous country, renaming it the People’s Republic of China. ¾ The communists now controlled one fourth of the world’s landmass and one third of its population. The Korean War Section 25.2 Americans Fight in Korea ¾ The focus of attention turned to the peninsula of Korea. ¾ Once controlled by Japan, Korea had been divided into two independent countries by the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II. ¾ The dividing line was set at the 38th parallel of latitude. ¾ In North Korea, the Soviets installed a communist government and equipped its armed forces. ¾ The United States provided smaller amounts of aid to non‐communists in South Korea. North Korea Invades South Korea ¾ On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces attacked across the 38th parallel. ¾ The 90,000 North Korean troops were armed with powerful tanks and other Soviet weapons. ¾ Within days, the northerners overtook the South Korean capital city of Seoul and set out after the retreating South Korean army. U.S. Forces Defend South Korea ¾ President Truman remembered how the policy of appeasement had failed to check the German aggression that sparked World War II. ¾ Determined that history would not repeat itself, he announced that the United States would aid South Korea. ¾ Within days the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to follow Truman’s lead, recommending that “the Members of the United Nations furnish such assistance to restore international peace and security in the area.” ¾ Undoubtedly, the Soviet Union would have used its veto power to block the UN resolution, if it had been presented the vote. ¾ However, the Soviets had been boycotting Security Council sessions because the UN had refused to seat Mao’s People’s Republic of China. ¾ Truman did not ask Congress for a formal declaration of war, as required by the Constitution. He supported the UN resolution and ordered American troops stationed in Japan to move to South Korea. ¾ These troops were not trained for the conditions they faced, nor did they have the military equipment needed to stop the invasion. They were pushed to the southeast corner of the peninsula near Pusan, where they remained until fresh supplies and soldiers from other UN countries arrived. The Korean War Section 25.2 MacArthur Drives Back the North Koreans ¾ By September 1950, the UN forces were ready to counterattack. ¾ General Douglas MacArthur had a bold plan. He suspected that the rapid advance of the North Koreans had left North Korea with limited supplylines. o He decided to strike at this weakness by launching a surprise attack on the port city of Inchon, well behind enemy lines. o The North Korean did not expect a strike there because of the swift currents and treacherous tides. ¾ MacArthur’s gamble paid off. North Korean troops fled for the North Korean border. ¾ By October 1950, the North Koreans had been driven north of the 38th parallel. Should they declare their UN mandate accomplished and end the war? Should they send their troops north of the 38th parallel and punish the communists for the invasion? ¾ Truman was concerned about the action China would take if the U.S. carried the war into North Korea. ¾ Chinese leaders publicly warned the Americans not to advance near its borders. ¾ MacArthur did not take this warning seriously. He assured Truman that China would not intervene in the war. ¾ Based on this advice, the U.S. pushed a resolution through the UN, calling for a “unified, independent, and democratic” Korea. China Forces a Stalemate ¾ Despite mountainous terrain and freezing temperatures, by Thanksgiving the allied advance had reached the Chinese border at the Yahu River. ¾ On November 25, 1950, some 300,000 Chinese troops attacked South Korean and U.S. positions forcing them to retreat. ¾ With China now in the war, the U.S. confronted a major land war in Asia. ¾ It was possible that this war could not be won without a huge commitment of troops and even nuclear weapons. o Truman ruled out both of these options o MacArthur favored an invasion of China, and was outraged ƒ He distrusted Truman’s policy of limited war, fight to achieve only specific goals. ƒ MacArthur favored total victory ¾ MacArthur sent a letter to Congress attacking Truman’s policy The Korean War Section 25.2 o Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination o There was a huge outcry from the public and MacArthur returned home a national hero The Korean War Has Lasting Effect ¾ By the spring of 1951, Allied forces had regrouped and stabilized their position at the 38th parallel. ¾ The stalemate lasted until 1953. ¾ During this time there were small, bloody battles with limited results and diplomats tried to devise an acceptable peace agreement ¾ The stalemate was a key issue in the presidential election of 1952. o Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower promised that if elected he would end the war o Once elected he visited Korea, spoke to the troops, and studied the enemies fortifications ¾ Eisenhower was convinced that only strong action would break the stalemate. ¾ When peace talks threatened to fail, he hinted that he might introduce nuclear weapons into the conflict. o That warning, along with the death of Joseph Stalin, convinced the communists to settle the conflict ¾ July 27, 1953, the two‐sides signed a cease fire that is still in effect today. Examining the Lessons of the Korean War ¾
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There was no victory in the Korean War. North Korea remained a communist country allied to the Soviet Union and China. South Korea stayed a non‐communist country allied to the U.S. and the major democracies. The two Koreas remain divided at the 38th parallel. A new alliance was formed, the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) o A defensive alliance aimed at preventing the spread of communism o Members included: Pakistan, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, France, Britain, and the U.S. Thee Korean
n War Secction 25.2 Koreean War’s Impact on
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