Superpower Tensions in Asia

US Foreign Policy 1949-50 -

  1. USSR develops the Nuclear Bomb

    • USA had lost its ‘ace card’ and their nuclear security was shattered.

  2. Result of Civil War in China

    • America tried to support Chinese nationalists however Mao’s Communist Party won.

    • American experts in Asia believed the Communist victory as more of a Nationalist collapse (USA supported Jiang Jieshi) and thus thought that they had done what they could in China.

The Red Scare -

Anti-communist feelings reached a fever pitch in 1950s, encouraged by Senator Joseph R McCarthy of Wisconsin, who alleged that the USSR had a conspiracy to place Communist sympathisers into key positions in American life.

His accusations led to purges and show trials of those accused of ‘un-American behaviour.’ Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of spying for the Soviets and were executed.

Post-WW2 Development in Japan -

  • US General Douglas MacArthur became the military ruler of Japan post surrender on 2nd September 1945.

  • Dec 1945, the USA agreed to the establishment of the Allied Council of Japan; Nationalist China, GB, USA and USSR.

  • US policy aimed to form Japan into a liberal capitalist democracy.

  • The Treaty of Peace with Japan was signed on the 4th of September 1951 and military occupation ended, Japan surrendered rights and claims in Korea, Taiwan and China.

USSR refused to sign the Treaty of Peace as they argued that it turned Japan into an American military base and an ally of the USA. 4 days later the USA and Japan signed an agreement permitting the USA to base troops in Japan.

The Korean War 1950-53

Causes:

May 1945, allies agreed that once Japan was defeated there should be a trusteeship for Korea with supervision by the US, USSR, Nationalist China and GB.

Korea 1945--49 -

  • US and USSR agreed to control two sections of Korea independently; USA = South USSR = North.

  • Communist Kim II-sung had established a committee in the Seoul, announcing that his intention was to rule Korea as a Communist People’s Republic.

  • Syngman Rhee established his Nationalist committee which claimed to be the provisional government for the whole nation.

  • US and USSR rejected both groups as leaders of a United Korea.

Therefore, Kim II-sung created his communist rule in North Korea whilst Syngman Rhee’s party won in the South, creating ROK.

Soviet and US Withdrawal 1948 -49

End of 1948, USSR troops withdrew from North Korea; military hardware was left behind in the event of CCP’s defeat in China as North Korea would be a useful base for protecting Soviet interests in Manchunca.

US removed troops by June 1949 as occupation was very costly.

Kim II-sung’s impact on the Korean War -

  • The Two Korean States were enemies, both claiming to be the legitimate government of the whole of Korea.

Kim’s talks with Stalin

  • Kim visited Moscow for talk with Stalin in April 1949

  • Stalin encouraged Kim to wage a guerrilla war in South Korea

  • Stalin would ideologically support Kim’s war in the South but would not provide troops

By the Summer, several of Kim’s guerrilla groups failed to establish bases in the Southern mountains.

Why did Stalin support Kim?

  • Stalin believed Korea could be a useful economic and military ally, similar to US and Japan.

  • Stalin wished to dominate North Korean government through Kim to compensate for USSR’s loss of power in Japan.

Kim’s Talks with Mao

  • Kim visited Beijing in April 1950.

  • Mao supported the war as long as the US did not intervene.

The Outbreak of the Korean War

→ The USSR flew weapons and military advisers to North Korea.

→ By June 1950, North Korea possessed a decisive superiority over South Korea in terms of military strength.

US Intervention

→ US immediately appealed to Security Council of United Nations to authorise a military force to end fighting on Korean Peninsula.

→ USSR members were protesting against the UN at the time so could not veto Resolution 83 - this called upon member nations to assist South Korea.

→ Stalin secretly informed Truman that he would not see US intervention using US troops as a cause of war between them.

→ Therefore, Truman sent the US Navy’s 7th Fleet to patrol the Taiwan Strait - this presence aimed to prevent attacks between PRC and Taiwan.

Impact on Mao

  • the appearance of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet had a profound impact on Mao as it prevented a PRC attack on Taiwan but also posed a direct threat of a US invasion of China.

  • Mao believed that an attack on the PRC was being planned by the US.

  • Mao decided that the best place to confront the US was in Korea, so on the 23rd of July he established the North East Border Defence Army.

  • Stalin supplemented this force with an air force division of 122 fighter aircraft.

Progression of the War

  • October 18th, PRC intervened in North Korea and within 2 weeks, PRC troops had crossed the Yalu River border and attacked UN forces whose supply lines were over extended.

  • By the end of the year, UN troops had been driven back across the 38th parallel.

  • USA hinted they would use atomic bombs to win the war but this did not deter Mao who said he was willing to lose half his population in order to spread Communism.

Attempts to the end the Korean War

  • Dec 5th 1950, 13 non-western states headed by India, handed a peace proposal to the PRC and the UN.

  • UN General Assembly approved the proposal and created a group to seek a basis on which viable ceasefire could be arranged.

  • PRC rejected the ceasefire proposal.

  • July 27th 1953, an armistice was signed, ending organised combat operations and leaving Korea as divided as before the war.

  • Over 2.5 million people died in the War.

Consequences of the Korean War

Korea -

  • cost in human lives and property was vast

  • no hope of unification

  • South Korea; model capitalist success story

  • North Korea; communist rule

USA -

  • strengthened the arguments of the US Nationalist Security council and communism represented co-ordinated global threat.

  • CENTO treaty

  • Stationed US troops permanently in Western Europe and West Germany

  • SEATO treaty

China -

  • isolated by USA, China’s reputation had grown greatly and it became a major power in the region.

  • valuable resources used away from home

  • Mao would not rely on Stalin

South East Asia -

  • USA influence in S.E Asia meant it became involved in Cold War.

USSR -

  • had to compete in Cold War against US who had tripled its defence budget and was fighting communism in Asia.

Western Europe -

  • serious damage to the interests of the the USSR in Europe.

  • ‘The Korean War’ had created integration on Western Europe and had strengthened NATO.