Country

RoleinCausingWar

USTruman

dividedKoreanpeninsula
superpowersbegantowithdrawtheir
troops
DeanAchesonsperimeterdeclared
thattheywouldntcommittroopsin
mainlandAsia
withdrawaloftroopleftapower
vacuuminKoreahostilitiesbetween
twoKoreascoulddevelop
withdrawalofUStroopspresented
KimIlSungwithanopportunity

ActionsduringWar

SignificanceofWarforCountry

NSC68:TotalCommitment
massivelyinfluencesUSviewonKorea,
indirectlyprovesthatUSisrightthat
USSRareadoptinganexpansionistview
throughinfluencingChinaandNK
reportbyUSNationalSCin1950
warnedallcommunistactivitycouldbe
tracedbacktoMoscow
representedamonolithicviewof
Communism
wentontowarnofindefiniteperiodof
tensionanddangeradvisedtheUStobe
readytomeeteverychallengethatmay
arise
recommendedthegovernmenttotriple
thedefencebudget
encouragedmilitaryandeconomicaidto
begiventoanycountrythatwasresisting
Communism
Trumanwantedtoretainarmysizeeven
duringpostWW2times
revisionisthistoriansarguedthedocument
restedonfalsepremisesandwasjustan
excuseforUSexpansionism
TaubmanarguesthatAcheson
deliberatelyoverstatedthecasein
ordertopersuadeUSpublicto
agreetoariseinmilitary
spending

Increasingamountofmeasuresbeingtakenasa
outcomeoftheKoreanWarandthethreatof
communisminUSA:
TreatyofSanFranciscowithJapanin1952
:
enabledUStomaintainmilitarybasesinJapan,
ineffortstorebuildJapanseconomytocombat
againstthethreatofcommunism
USSeventhFleet
:senttoTaiwanStraitto
defendTaiwanagainstthethreatofcommunism,
USAsupportedChiangKaiShekwithmilitary
andeconomicaid,aswellasrecognizing,
TaiwanasthelegitimateChina
IsolationofChinabytheUnitedStates
EstablishmentofSoutheastAsiaTreaty
Organization
:antiCommunistcontainment
blocinAsia

USdefencespendingincreased
significantly,runningat10%of
AmericanGNPin1950s

Armisticeof1953
initialpushbyNorthKoreanspushed
AmericanandSouthKoreantroopsintoa
smallareaaroundPusan
38thParallel:
UNtroopsledbyGeneral
MacArthurintoInchon,retookSeoulanddrove
NKsbackto38thParallel
USeffectivelycutsNKtroopintohalfTruman
convincedtochangepolicyfromcontainment
to
rollback
MacArthurcallsforrollback
TrumangivesMacArthurpermissiontoallow
UNforcestomoveforward
bythistimeNKtroopshavebeen
defeated
viatheSwedishambassador,Americans
starttohearwarningsfromChinaignore
theChinese
PeoplesVolunteerArmy(severalmillion
troops)andbeginattackingtheAmericans
forcesAmericanstogointofullretreat,
effectively,getskickedoutbyChinese
causesmassivesplitonforeignpolicy,
Trumanrealisesrollbackwasa
completemistake,gobacktooriginal
objective:holdthelineandreimpose
containmentpolicy,whereas,MacArthur
wantstoextendwartoChinesemainland

NorthKoreaKim
IlSung

bothleadersofKoreawantedto
reunifyKoreaontheirowntermsdue
totheircontrastingideologies
neithersidecouldunifyKoreaontheir
own
KimIlSungpersistentlytriedto
persuadeStalinintosupportingan
attackontheSouthhissupportfor
KimIlSungwassignificantinNorths
decisionmaking,however,Stalinisnot
atfaulthere

SouthKorea
SyngmanRhee

EstablishmentoftheRepublicofKorea
setupintheSouth

ChinaMao

KimIlSunghadsupportofChina
persuadedMaothatStalinwasmore
enthusiasticthanheactuallywas,
wantedtogainsupportfromStalinto
attackTaiwangaveapprovaltoKim
foranattempted

MacArthurgetssackedandRichway
replacesMacArthurputsNKandSK
divisiononahold

InvasionofSouthKorea1950

costinhumanlivesandpropertywas
vast
nohopeofreunification
NorthKorearemainedsubsequently
underCommunistrule

sentmillionsoftroops:Peoples
VolunteerArmy

SouthKoreabecameamodelCapitalist
successstorywithheavyAmericanand
Japaneseinvestment

facedisolationbytheUSA
reputationgrewgreatly
becamemajorpowerwithintheAsian
region
increasedMaosreputationathomeand
strengthenedChineserevolution
valuableresourcesathomedirectedto
wareffortfromrecovery
aimsofunitingTaiwanandChina
becamealmostimpossible

USSRStalin

TherewereseveralinstanceswhichStalin
hesitatedintermsofjoiningthewar:
CombinationofUSSRatomicbomb,
Westerneconomicdifficulties,victory
inChineseCivilWarencouraged
StalintospreadSovietinfluenceto
Asia
USAturningJapanintostronganti
communistbaseincentiveforStalin
tosecureSovietpositioninnortheast
Asia
JLGAchesonsperimeterspeech
couldhaveprovidedStalinwitha
temptingopportunity

keptoutofdirectconflictwithUSA
USAsdecisiontotripledefencebudget,
rearmWesternGermany,maintain
troopsinEurope,fightcommunismin
AsiapressurizedUSSRtoaCold
Warstandoffin1950aggravatedthe
situationfurther

Country USA

USSR

China

NorthKorea

SouthKorea

USA

n/a

Thetensionbetweenthe
relationshipofUSAandUSSR
continuetointensifyduetothe
KoreanWar,althoughthere
wasnodirectconfrontation,the
actionsofUSAgreatly
aggravatedUSSRtherefore,
makingitdifficultforthemto
respondto.

USAfailedtorecognizeChina
asthelegitimategovernment
butrather,theycontinued
providingmilitaryand
economicsupporttoTaiwan,in
effortstodestroythereputation
oftheChinesegovernment.

TheKoreanWarcouldbe
regardedasafailureduetothe
factthatNorthKorearemained
underCommunistrulewhichis
againstalltherespective
underlyingprinciplesofthe
democraticsystemthatUSA
andtherestofthewestern
powersstandfirmlybehind.

AppointmentofSyngman
Rhee

SupportedSyngmanRhee
witheconomicandmilitary
aid

LeftROKbymid1949

USSR

n/a(filled)

n/a

n/a(filled)

Stalinwasevidentlyreluctantto
takedirectactioninNorth
Koreaduetothe

aforementionedreasons.North
Koreadictator,KimIlSung
wenttoUSSRtoseekapproval
fromLenin.However,Lenin
failedtopromisetotakepartin
directmilitaryactionbut
approvedofthewaritself.
China

n/a(filled)

StalinsreluctancetohelpMao
withsubstantialmilitary
commitmentsmeantthatMao
wouldbelesslikelytorelyon
Sovietsinthefuture

n/a

North
Korea

n/a

South
Korea

n/a