Why did the USA get involved in Korea in

1950?1. Recall knowledge of steps to

involvement2. Explain the reasons why3. Evaluate which factors you think were

most important

Starter: Link them up!1. Japan + Korea =2. China + USSR =3. Shingman Rhee + Nationalism4. Kim Il Sung + Nationalism5. NSC + Cold War6. Truman + Doctrine7. Mao + North Korea8. Stalin + North Korea9. North Korea + South Korea10. Ideology + Communism

Can you explain each reason why North Korea invaded the South?

• Stalin’s assent• Mao’s assent• Mao feared Japan• ‘Unquestionably foolish’ US words and deeds• Stalin anxious about Japan• Stalin wanted USA and PRC entangled • Stalin wanted USA distracted• Stalin’s planes and tanks• Stalin’s assent• Kim Il Sung

Why did the US get involved in Korea?

Question: How far is it accurate to say that the US decision to get involved in Korea was driven by America’s anti-Communist position?

• What is the main factor in the question?

• What other factors will you debate in your essay?

Task• You have 2 minutes on each factor.• You must begin to fill in the factor

cards• When I shout change you need to

pass it on so someone else adds to your factor card

• Make sure you improve it each time• No repeating stuff!• Improving the explanations is key!

1. America’s anti-Communism

• What was this? (Describe)

• Why did it cause America to get involved in Korea? (Explain)

2. The changing world balance of power

• What was this? (Describe)

• Why did it cause America to get involved in Korea? (Explain)

3. McCarthyism and domestic political concerns

• What was this? (Describe)

• Why did it cause America to get involved in Korea? (Explain)

4. NSC 68• What was this? (Describe)

• Why did it cause America to get involved in Korea? (Explain)

5. Fears for Japan• What was this? (Describe)

• Why did it cause America to get involved in Korea? (Explain)

6. The UN and lessons from History

• What was this? (Describe)

• Why did it cause America to get involved in Korea? (Explain)

America’s anti-

Communism

The changing world balance

of power

McCarthyism and domestic

political concerns

NSC 68

Fears for Japan

The UN and lessons from

History

Essay Planning: Causation (causes essays)

1. IntroductionAnswer the question – how accurate is this view? What other factors are important –

how important compared with the factor in the question?2. Main Paragraphs (make sure paragraph 1 is on the FACTOR in the

question!!!)

3. Conclusion

POINT Make a point that answers the question. This should contain a factor, a judgement and a reason for this judgement

EVIDENCE

This should be detailed, precise and relevant. It must be selected to prove your point. It must include evidence FOR and AGAINST in a balance that is necessary to support the judgement in your point

EXPLAIN Explain why this factor is a cause (what is the explicit link between the factor and the question) Explain throughout and at the end of your paragraph how your evidence proves your point

LINK/ Judge

How important is this factor in relation to other causes? Make sure this judgement ties in with you point

Sentence StartersIntroduction ...............was/was not the main cause of because.........

Other factors such as ........... were of greater/lesser importance in causing ........because...........

Paragraph POINT .... was caused by .... to a large/small extent because.....

Paragraph Evidence(FOR and AGAINST your point)

Evidence to support this is.....This supported by....For example....For instance.......However/ in contrast/ conversely/ on the other hand

Paragraph EXPLAIN the evidence to prove your point

....caused.... because

....caused.... to a large/small extent because.... This therefore limits the importance of .....in causing....because

Paragraph LINK/JUGE Therefore ...............was a fundamental/vital/limited/necessary/ cause of.........in comparison with other factors of........because......

Conclusion.... caused.... to a large/small extent because.... This has been proven because.....

Sample ParagraphThe role of US Anti-Communism was a fundamental cause of their decision to intervene in Korea because

the intense fear of the Communist ideology which rejected Capitalism and political democracy underpinned all of the other reasons why Truman led the USA into the war

For instance the ideological rivalries which had hardened in the form of the Cold War after 1945 drove the decisions that Truman and his advisors took in 1950. In 1947 Truman introduced the Truman Doctrine and followed the policy of Containment. Thus the USA would defend any country threatened by a Communist aggressor. Americans believed that their security would be greatly threatened in a world where more and more countries turned Communist. It was believed that these countries would refuse to trade with the US therefore damaging it’s economy. Greater than this it was feared that Communist countries would try to export their ideology to the US by persuasion or force.

It was this ideological, underlying belief that directed US decisions to involve the UN and call for military intervention in order to contain the threat of Communism in Korea and prevent it’s feared spread in Asia.

The fact that the US did not provide greater support to South Korea immediately prior to the invasion by the Northern forces in 1950 should not be seen as a lack of Anti-Communism, more a series of foolish underestimations of the likely hood of invasion by the NKPA and lack of planning on the part of the US.

Thus Anti-Communism underpinned all of the other necessary causes for US intervention such as the shifting balance in world power after 1945 because without this deep-rooted fear, the changes in status and power relationships between China and the USSR would not have cause the US so much alarm. Similarly the role of US domestic pressure to intervene was ultimately a result of the fear of Communism amongst the American people which had been whipped into a frenzy by 1950.

Paragraph planning gridFACTOR Evidence For Evidence against importance How important compared with

US anit-Communism? (this helps you to form your POINT for this

paragraph)