Conflict and tension in Asia - AQA GCSE History

What was the Cold War?

period of tension between the east and west by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.

Main ideas of communism

Government controlled, equality for social classes, public owned property

Main ideas of Capitalism

People should be free to earn their own money and own their own property.

What were the origins of the Cold War?

Centered around intense rivalry between two superpowers

How did some view Truman's policies during the Cold War?

As misunderstandings and overreactions to Russia's need to secure its borders

What was one criticism of Truman during the Cold War?

Some called Truman 'soft'.

What was the Truman Doctrine?

The policy of containment that aimed to 'contain' the spread of Communism by offering support to any country threatened by it.

When was the Truman Doctrine announced?

March 1947

What did Stalin think of the Truman Doctrine?

He was suspicious of it as he thought it was a way for the USA to control Europe by offering money in return for trade.

What had the USSR done by 1949?

They had developed nuclear weapons to rival the USA. (They were now the two most powerful nations in the world)

What year was NATO formed?

1949

What is significant as NATO being formed the same year as the USSR develop nuclear weapons?

The union was a defence against the USSR and it's European allies.

What did communist countries do in response to NATO being formed?

Formed the Warsaw Pact.

What countries were in NATO originally?

USA, Britain, France, Belgium, Canada and other European countries.

What countries were involved in the Warsaw Pact?

USSR, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia.

When was Korea divided?

1945 after WW2

Why was Korea divided?

The USSR occupied the North (Communism) and the US occupied the south (Capitalism).

When did Japan take over Korea and when did they relinquish their control?

Early 1900s - end of WW2

When were elections meant to take place for Korea?

1948

Who was Kim Il Sung?

Communist, Nationalist leader of North Korea from 1948-1994 when he died. (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)

Where did Kim Il-Sung live from 1941-45?

Soviet Union where he was a major in the Army.

Who was Syngman Rhee?

non-communist, Nationalist, dictatorial leader of South Korea who was backed by the United States

What did Syngman Rhee do when he lived in the USA?

Trained to be a lawyer.

What did Syngman Rhee have a reputation for?

Being a tough ruler, who quickly crushed political opponents.

What did North Korea become known as?

The people's republic of Korea with Pyongyang as it's capital

What did South Korea become known as?

Republic of Korea with Seoul as it's capital.

What were the American fears in the late 1940s to early 1950s?

China's emergence as a strong communist country, US spies reported that Stalin was attempting to take control of other Asian countries such as Indonesia, Senior US politicians warned that communism could be in control of the whole of Asia so he decided to stop any further spread by any means possible.

Within the UN where are big decisions relating to peace and security decided?

The 'security council'

What happened when the new Chinese government tried to join the UN?

The USSR were keen for them to join but the US vetoed it

What did the USSR do when the US blocked China becoming part of the UN?

They stormed out and refused to take part in security council meetings for the foreseeable future.

Who is Chang Kai Shek?

Leader of the Chinese government

Who is Mao Tse Tung?

Communist leader of China

How does Truman refer to Communism in a speech?

Not democratic and a system of 'Terror and oppresion'

How does Truman refer to Capitalism in a speech?

'based upon the will of the majority' and a system with freedoms.

What did Kim il-sung believe in early 1949? and what did he do about it?

He believed that South Koreans would welcome and invasion and went to visit Stalin to ask for his support.

Why did Stalin not give Kim Il-sung his support in early 1949?

He did not believe it was the right time.

How did Stalin believe the situation had changed in Korea by 1950?

-Us troops had left.
-Communists had won the civil war in China.
-The USSR had developed more nuclear weapons and felt equal to the USSR.
-The Soviets had cracked US codes and believed they wouldn't interfere in Korea.

What did the USSR supply North Korea with?

Tanks, Aircraft and artillery.

When did Stalin give Kim Il-sung permission to invade South Korea?

April 1950

Did Stalin ever give troops to North Korea?

No

When did North Korea invade South Korea?

June 25, 1950

What did President Truman say 2 days after the invasion of South Korea?

That the USA would go to the aid of South Korea.

What was the UN security council's response to the invasion of South Korea?

-The US suggested they should raise and army and help South Korea.
- The USSR could've vetoed this but they weren't attending meetings at this time.
-The UN ordered North Korean troops to leave but this was ignored
- So the UN put together a military force and took action.

How many UN member states sent troops to fight in Korea?

16

What did the US provide in the UN invasion force?

50% of armed forces, 86% of Naval forces and 93% of the air force.

Who was General MacArthur?

'Commander in Chief, United Nations Command'

What did the USSR say about the UN's involvement in Korea?

Said that their charter said that the UN was not allowed to get involved in 'internal affairs'.

Where had South Korean forces been pushed back to by 14th September 1950?

Area around Pusan

What did the UN troops do on the 15th September 1950?

Launched a surprise attack from the sea at Inchon on the west coast of Korea.

How did UN forces capture South Korea back?

The UN landing force at Inchon pushed inland to recapture Seoul whilst UN forces in the South advanced North. The two UN forces then moved towards each other attacking the North Korean army from 2 sides.

Where had the North Korean troops been pushed back to by October 1950?

Out of South Korea back behind the 38th parallel.

After October 1950 what did the un forces do?

Crossed the 38th parallel after the UN approved of it, hoping to unify Korea

What did China give warnings to the Un about?

If they continued past the 38th parallel they would join the war.

What did General MacArthur say about China?

Confidently told president Truman that they would not enter the war

When did China enter the Korean war? What had the war become?

October 1950 - The war was now a proxy war as it was being fought by countries other than Korea.

Why did China enter the Korean War?

It felt threatened by U.S. troops on its border and didn't want an US backed state on it's border.

How many troops did China send to the Korean war?

around 200,000

Where were the UN troops when China joined the war?

Close to the Yalu river which is the border between China and North Korea.

Who supplied the Chinese tanks and planes? What were the Chinese troops committed to?

The USSR and communism

Where did Chinese + North Korean forces push the UN forces back to?

Back into South Korea and retook Seoul.

Where were the 2 sides by March 1951?

Roughly back where they'd started. (38th parallel)

What did Truman think in 1951 when troops were in stalemate on the 38th parallel?

1. Truman thought that defending South Korea was a satisfactory outcome.
2. He could still argue that communism had been 'contained'
3. He was worried that continuing the conflict would bring the USSR into it inspiring a nuclear war.

What did General MacArthur think in 1951 when troops were in stalemate on the 38th parallel?

1. Despite being ordered not to he sent UN troops back into North Korea.
2.He demanded a Chinese surrender and said that the USA should be prepared to use nuclear weaponary.

What did the US do to try and break the stalemate in 1951?

Used their vast airpower to bomb North Korean towns, factories, transport systems and military bases with high explosives and Napalm.

How many people were killed as a result of the USA's bombing on North Korea?

1 million (Civilians and Soldiers)

What did the Soviets do to try and hide their involvement in the Korean war?

All soviet planes were painted with Chinese or North Korean markings.

How many planes did the UN lose in the Korean war?

3500

How many planes did the communist forces lose during the Korean war?

nearly 3000

What did the US offer to any North Korean / Chinese / Soviet pilots to defect and give them Mig-15 fighter jets?

$100,000

Why did the Americans want MIG-15's?

they were Soviet fighter jets that were far more technologically advanced than UN fighter planes. The USA wanted to copy the technology.

When did Korean peace talks begin?

July 1951

In November 1952 who was president Truman replaced by?

Dwight D.Eisenhower (Keen for an end to the war).

When did Stalin die? What does this mean?

March 1953 - North Korea and China don't believe that any new leader will support them as he had.

When was the peace treaty signed for the Korean war?

July 1953

What were the terms of the Korean peace treaty?

1. North and South Korea both remain two separate countries.
2. The border between the two remains at the 38th parallel.
3. 3KM de-militarised zone is placed between the two countries.

How did the Korean War impact the USA's foreign policy?

The USA committed itself to supporting other countries in Asia resisting communism, strengthened its land forces in Europe, and tripled its defence budget.

What was the purpose of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) formed after the Korean War?

To prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia by uniting countries.

How did the Soviet Union respond militarily to the USA's actions after the Korean War?

The Soviet Union increased the size of its armed forces, growing the Red Army from 2.8 million soldiers in 1950 to almost 5.6 million by 1955.

What was the consequence of West Germany joining NATO after the Korean War?

The Soviet Union formed the Warsaw Pact, uniting eight communist countries to defend each other against outside attacks.

What major arms race did the Korean War contribute to?

Nuclear arms race. The USA increased their military strength by 50%.

How many Nuclear bombs did the US have in 1948 compared to 1952?

100 - 750

What wins did North Korea get from the war?

USSR and China both cancelled their debts.

What losses did North Korea have from the war?

80% of Korea's industrial and governmental buildings were destroyed, 50% of housing was destroyed and most of the transportation system was destroyed.

What wins did the US have in the Korean war?

'Contained' communism

What losses did the US have in the Korean war?

Spent billions on the war, large number of soldiers killed/wounded and failed to 'save' North Korea from communism.

What wins did the UN have from the Korean War?

It was made clear that the UN would stand up to aggressive nations & the USSR returned to UN meetings.

What loses did the UN have from the Korean War?

Failed in it's aim to hold free elections and unite Korea + Some viewed the UN as a puppet of the United States.

What wins and losses did the USSR have from the Korean War?

Were now closer with China.
Failed to win South Korea for communism and heightened tensions with the US.

What wins did China have from the Korean War?

Was now recognised as a world power + now closer with the USSR.

What losses did China have from the Korean war?

War was very expensive for a poor country and trade links with the US ended for 25 years.

When did Vietnam declare itself as an independent nation?

1945 (Ho Chi Minh as president)

What was the Geneva agreement? (1954)

To temporarily divide Vietnam into North and South at the 17th parallel and for a unifying elections to take place in 1956

Who led North Vietnam and who led South?

Ho Chi Minh (North)
Ngo Dinh Diem (South)

How did Diem create tension in Southh Vietnam?

Pushed peasants of land and gave key jobs to his family and friends. Punished people who opposed him.

How did the US try to influence the election in South Vietnam?

Spilt the voting card into two halves. They put Diem's name on the red side as this was a colour linked to good luck in Vietnam.

What groups opposed Diem in South Vietnam?

National Liberation Front (NLF) and Buddhists

Who were the National Liberation Front?

Political organisation in South Vietnam supported by Ho Chi Minh.

What did the National Liberation Front want?

They wanted an administration that represented all social classes and religions.

How did the National Liberation Front attempt to seize power?

Targeted officials in Diem's government and murdered hundreds of them. They were later encouraged by Ho Chi Minh to attack the ARVN (South Vietnamese Army).

Why did the Buddhists want power in Vietnam?

Diem (Catholic) started to introduce anti-Buddhist policies such as Buddhists need permission to worship.