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HORTON HIGH SCHOOL 2014

GLOBAL HISTORY 12Unit 2 – Outcome 2.3 The Cold War Proxy Wars

PAGE 2The Cold War Heats Up!GLOBAL HISTORY 12

• For two decades, Chinese communists had struggled against the nationalist government of Chiang Kai-Shek

• The U.S. supported Chiang and gave the Nationalist Party $3 billion in aid during WWII

• However, Mao Zedong’s Communist Party in China was strong, especially among Chinese peasants

CHINA – QUELLING A REVOLUTION

PAGE 3Chinese Civil War

• After Japan left China at the end of the War, Chinese Nationalists and Communists fought a bloody civil war

• Despite the U.S. sending $ billions to the Nationalists, the Communists under Mao won the war and ruled China

• Chiang and the Nationalists fled China to neighboring Taiwan (Formosa)

• Mao established the People’s Republic of China

BATTLE FOR RED CHINA

MAO

Kai-Shek

PAGE 4RED SCARE!

• The American public was shocked that China had fallen to the Communists

• Many believed containment had failed and communism was expanding

• American fear of communism and communist expansion was increasing

IS THE WHOLE WORLD BECOMING COMMUNIST?

PAGE 5The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953

• The Korean War was the time when the Cold War became a global conflict.

• In 1945, Korea was freed from the Japanese who had ruled the pennisula from 1910 to 1945.

• The Soviets took control of North Korea while the US took control of the Sough with troops staying Korea until 1946. The country was split in half at the 38th parallel.

THE FIRST PROXY WAR

PAGE 6The Korean War

• North Korea (led by Kim Il Sung) was Communist.

• South Korea (led by Syngman Rhee) was capitalist.

• The two countries hated each other.• In 1950, the Soviet Union boycotted the United

Nations Security Council. In the absence of a veto from the Soviet Union, the United States and other countries passed a Security Council resolution authorizing military intervention in Korea.

THE FIRST PROXY WAR

PAGE 7The Korean War

The Korean War was the first major armed clash between Free World and Communist forces, as the so-called Cold War turned hot.

The North Attacks the South June 1950 – July 1953

THE UNITED STATES GETS INVOLVED The National Security Council reports to Truman, Sep 9th 1950 "The political objective of the UN in Korea is to bring about the complete independence and unity of Korea. If the present UN action in Korea can accomplish this without substantially increasing the risk of general war with the Soviet Union or Communist China, we should support it..

PAGE 8The Korean War

D.U.C.K.sDomino TheoryUndermine CommunismCold WarKim Il Sung

CAUSES OF THE WAR

PAGE 9The Korean War

Domino theory: Europe was not the only place where Communists were coming to power. In the Far East, too, they were getting powerful – China turned Communist in 1949. American President Harry Truman believed that, if one country fell to Communism, then others would follow, like a line of dominoes. He was worried that, if Korea fell, the Communists would capture Japan.

CAUSES OF THE WAR

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The Korean War

Undermine Communism:In April 1950, the American National Security Council issued a report (NSC 68) recommending that America abandon 'containment' and start 'rolling back' Communism. This was an idea being ‘pro-active’ vs ‘reactive’ for the U.S.

CAUSES OF THE WAR

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The Korean War

Cold War:Truman realized the USA was in a competition for world domination with the USSR. By supporting South Korea, America was able to fight Communism without directly attacking Russia.

CAUSES OF THE WAR

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The Korean War

Kim Il Sung visited StalinIn 1949, he persuaded Stalin that he could conquer South Korea. Stalin did not think that America would dare to get involved, so he gave his agreement. Stalin saw a chance to continue the cold war and discomfort America, but ‘at arm’s length’ – without directly confronting the Americans. Kim Il Sung also went to see Mao Zedong, the leader of China, to get his agreement.

CAUSES OF THE WAR

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The Korean War

• In 1950, South Korean leader Syngman Rhee boasted that he was going to attack North Korea. It was a good enough excuse – the North Koreans invaded South Korea.

The North Attacks the South June 1950 – July 1953

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The Korean War

• On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces swept across the 38th parallel in a surprise attack on South Korea easily capturing most of the country including taking Seoul in three days.

• With only 500 U.S. troops in South Korea, the Soviets figured the Americans would not fight to save South Korea

• Instead, America sent troops, planes and ships to South Korea

PHASE 1

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MacArthurPHASE 2

AMERICAN PUSH BACK

At first, North Korea seemed unstoppable

However, the American launched a counterattack with tanks, heavy artillery, and troops

On 15 September, the American General MacArthur led a UN amphibious landing at Inchon (near Seoul) behind the NKPA . Out of the 300,000 UN troops, 260,000 were Americans.

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MacArthurAMERICAN PUSH BACK

In danger of being cut off, the NKPA had to retreat. The Americans drove them back and recaptured South Korea. 125,000 NKPA prisoners were taken. On 7 October 1950 MacArthur invaded North Korea. He advanced as far as the Chinese border. He boasted that the Americans would be 'home by Christmas'.

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Korean War

• Just as it looked like the Americans were going to score a victory in the North, 300,000 Chinese soldiers joined the war on the side of the North Koreans

• The fight between North and South Korea had turned into a war in which the main opponents were Chinese Communists vs. America

PHASE 3 - CHINA JOINS THE WAR

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Korean War

CHINESE PERSPECTIVERadio Peking, Oct 10th 1950 "The American War of intervention in Korea has been a serious menace to the security of China from the very start... The Chinese people cannot stand idly by with regard to such a serious situation...

The Chinese people firmly advocate a peaceful resolution to the Korean problem and are firmly opposed to the extension of the Korean War by America"

PHASE 3 - CHINA JOINS THE WAR

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Korean War

Now the Chinese were alarmed. On 25 November, 300,000 Chinese troops ('People's Volunteers') attacked MacArthur.  They had modern weapons supplied by Russia, and a fanatical hatred of the Americans.   Then, on 31 December, half a million more Chinese troops entered the war and attacked the Americans.  They drove the Americans back (using 'human wave tactics').  They recaptured North Korea, and advanced into South Korea.

PHASE 3 Nov 1950 - Feb 1951

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Korean War

• To halt the bloody stalemate, General MacArthur called for an extension of the war into China

• Furthermore, MacArthur called for the U.S. to drop atomic bombs on several Chinese cities

• President Truman rejected the General’s requests

STAGE 4 –Let’s Attack China!

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Korean War

• The Americans landed more troops. They used bombers.

• The Chinese admitted to losing 150,000 men dead -

western sources put the figure at nearly a million Chinese and half a million North Koreans dead. The Americans drove the Chinese back, but admitted losing 35,000 American soldiers dead doing so (the Chinese claimed they lost 390,000).

• MacArthur reached the 38th parallel in March 1951

STAGE 4 –February – March 1951Let’s Attack China!

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Korean War

• MacArthur continued to urge President Truman to attack China and tried to go behind Truman’s back – Truman was furious with his general

• On April 1, 1951, Truman made the shocking announcement that he had fired MacArthur

• Americans were surprised and many still supported their fallen general

MacArthur vs Truman

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Korean War

• In 1953, Dwight D Eisenhower became American president. The Americans threatened to use the atomic bomb if China did not stop fighting.

• The Chinese agree to a truce, which was signed

on 27 July 1953. • Some sources puts the full battle death toll on all

sides at just over 1.2 million, but many civilians also died in the war, with estimates varying from 2 to 4 million

March 1951 – 1953