Cloze Exercise

Causes of the Korean War – II

Timeline

10 Aug 1945	USA & USSR agree to split Korea at 38th parallel.
Sept 1945	USA sets up Military Govt in South Korea/ Syngman Rhee (right-wing nationalist) flown in → future South Korean leader USSR installs Kim Il Sung (communist nationalist) as North Korean leader.
Dec 1945	USA & USSR agree to 5-year ‘trusteeship’ of their zones.
Oct 1946	Anti-US uprising in Daegu, South Korea.
1946–47	US-USSR Joint Commission fails to agree unification plan.
Mar 1947	Truman Doctrine = ‘containment’ of communism.
Nov 1947	USA takes Korean issue to UN → UN creates UN Commission on Korea ().
May 1948	Rhee ‘elected’ South Korean President in sham vote. He uses brutal forces (security forces & ) to crush opposition.
Apr 1948–May 1949	Anti-Rhee uprisings in & Yeosu-Suncheon crushed violently.
Mar 1949	Kim Il Sung asks Stalin to back invasion of South Korea → told to wait (risk of war).
May-Aug 1949	ROK Army invades North Korea. Gen Kim tells UN to support plan to conquer North Korea.
June 1949	US Army leaves South Korea, but leaves $110m kit + 500 KMAG advisers (no tanks/planes).
Aug 1949	USSR gets atomic bomb → ends US nuclear dominance of arms race.
Sep 1949	Kim asks Stalin again to back invasion → Stalin refuses again, but sends tanks, artillery, planes.
Oct 1949	Mao conquers China/ 30k communist Korean (who fought w. Mao) return to North Korea.
1949–50	Rhee & Gen MacArthur discuss conquering North Korea/ ROK Army = 114k men; NKPA = 150k men.
12 Jan 1950	US Sec of State Dean says Korea is NOT part of US Far East .
April 1950	Stalin agrees to invasion. Soviet Gen writes war plan. North Korean troops start moving into position.
May 1950	Rhee loses election → South Korean govt in chaos/ Kim visits → gets Chinese support.
19 June 1950	US ambassador John Foster visits South Korea → promises support, tours DMZ w. ROK leaders.
25 June 1950	NKPA invades South Korea.

WHY did Stalin change his mind in April 1950?

1. Aug 1949: USSR gets atomic bomb → ends US nuclear dominance of arms race.

2. Oct 1949: China goes communist → shifts power in Asia.

3. Jan 1950: Acheson says Korea = outside US defence zone → Stalin thinks USA ≠ react w. nuclear war.

4. Terentii (Soviet ambassador & military adviser to North Korea) strongly backed Kim.

5. Jan 1950: Shtykov warns Stalin – if USSR says no, Kim may go to China instead → Stalin fears losing influence.

Timeline

10 Aug 1945	USA & USSR agree to split Korea at 38th parallel.
Sept 1945	USA sets up Military Govt in South Korea/ Syngman Rhee (right-wing nationalist) flown in → future South Korean leader USSR installs Kim Il Sung (communist nationalist) as North Korean leader.
Dec 1945	USA & USSR agree to 5-year ‘trusteeship’ of their zones.
Oct 1946	Anti-US uprising in Daegu, South Korea.
1946–47	US-USSR Joint Commission fails to agree unification plan.
Mar 1947	Truman Doctrine = ‘containment’ of communism.
Nov 1947	USA takes Korean issue to UN → UN creates UN Commission on Korea (UNCOK).
May 1948	Rhee ‘elected’ South Korean President in sham vote. He uses brutal forces (security forces & Hyangbodan) to crush opposition.
Apr 1948–May 1949	Anti-Rhee uprisings in Jeju & Yeosu-Suncheon crushed violently.
Mar 1949	Kim Il Sung asks Stalin to back invasion of South Korea → told to wait (risk of nuclear war).
May-Aug 1949	ROK Army invades North Korea. Gen Kim Sok-won tells UN to support plan to conquer North Korea.
June 1949	US Army leaves South Korea, but leaves $110m kit + 500 KMAG advisers (no tanks/planes).
Aug 1949	USSR gets atomic bomb → ends US nuclear dominance of arms race.
Sep 1949	Kim asks Stalin again to back invasion → Stalin refuses again, but sends tanks, artillery, planes.
Oct 1949	Mao conquers China/ 30k Korean guerrillas communist (who fought w. Mao) return to North Korea.
1949–50	Rhee & Gen MacArthur discuss conquering North Korea/ ROK Army = 114k men; NKPA = 150k men.
12 Jan 1950	US Sec of State Dean Acheson says Korea is NOT part of US Far East security cordon.
April 1950	Stalin agrees to invasion. Soviet Gen Antonov writes war plan. North Korean troops start moving into position.
May 1950	Rhee loses election → South Korean govt in chaos/ Kim visits Mao Zedong → gets Chinese support.
19 June 1950	US ambassador John Foster Dulles visits South Korea → promises support, tours DMZ w. ROK leaders.
25 June 1950	NKPA invades South Korea.

WHY did Stalin change his mind in April 1950?

1. Aug 1949: USSR gets atomic bomb → ends US nuclear dominance of arms race.

2. Oct 1949: China goes communist → shifts power in Asia.

3. Jan 1950: Acheson says Korea = outside US defence zone → Stalin thinks USA ≠ react w. nuclear war.

4. Terentii Shtykov (Soviet ambassador & military adviser to North Korea) strongly backed Kim.

5. Jan 1950: Shtykov warns Stalin – if USSR says no, Kim may go to China instead → Stalin fears losing influence.