2.1 - The Korean War

When did Mao Zedong establish the People's Republic of China?

September, 1949

Who occupied Korea prior to the USA and USSR?

The Empire of Japan (from 1910–1945)

What was NSC-68?

A report from the US National Security Council which assumed all communist activity links back to Moscow (aka the Monolithic View of Communism)

What event could be regarded as one of the starting points of the Korean War?

The North Korean invasion of South Korea by 90K troops

How was Korea divided between the USSR and the USA?

North - USSR, South - USA

What was the official name of North Korea?

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

What was the official name of the North Korean army?

The Korean People’s Army

What was the official name of South Korea?

The Republic of Korea

What was the official name of the South Korean army?

The Republic of Korea Armed Forces

How was the USSR involved in the North Korean invasion?

They sent military aid (weapons) and advisers to assist the KPA

What was the “Domino Effect”?

A theory that if a nation were to fall to communism, surrounding nations would too

Why did the USSR boycott the Security Council?

The UN refused to give the People’s Republic of China (PRC) a seat

How did Truman respond to the North Korean invasion?

He sponsored a UN resolution in which 15 nations, alongside the US, provided South Korea with military support

Who was the commander of all the troops helping South Korea?

Douglas McArthur

Who was leader of North Korea during this time?

Kim Il-Sung

Who was the leader of South Korea during this time?

Syngman Rhee

How far had the North Korean invasion pushed the UN forces back?

All the way to Busan/Pusan (Seoul was captured)

How did the West counter?

An amphibious attack was launched at Inchon (near the 38th parallel), allowing the UN forces to recapture South Korea

What is the 38th parallel?

The line of latitude where North and South Korea were originally divided and are currently divided to this day

What was Rollback?

A policy which sought to actively push back on communist expansion

What is an example of Rollback being employed?

After reclaiming South Korea, UN forces continued to push North Korean forces back to the Yalu River (divides China and Korea)

How did the PRC respond?

200K Chinese from the People's Volunteer Army pushed the UN forces back to the 38th parallel

Why was this army known as the People's Volunteer Army?

The avoid suspicion that the PRC was politically getting involved in the conflict between the West and Korea

Why did the PRC push back on the UN forces?

Out of fear that they would be invaded just as North Korea was

What was the Battle of Kapyong?

A battle between Canadian and Australian forces against the Chinese at the Kapyong Valley, resulting in Western victory

Why was this battle so important?

The valley was a key route to Seoul, so losing would've meant that Seoul could’ve been captured by the PRC

How did the UN respond to the PRC’s invasion?

They condemned the PRC as an aggressor in Korea

Why did Zedong not care about this condemnation?

He had been denied a seat in the UN Security Council

Why was General McArthur dismissed?

He was becoming too aggressive with his military campaign, even suggesting the use of atomic weapons

Who replaced General McArthur?

General Matthew Ridgeway

Who was elected as president after Truman?

Dwight D. Eisenhower

How did the Korean War end?

An armistice was signed in July, 1953

Did the Korean War ever really end?

Technically no, since a formal peace treaty was never signed, so all that exists is the demilitarized zone agreed upon in the armistice