Individual Discussion Postings #4: The Korean War

What are the most important ways in which the United States and the Soviet Union contributed to the causes of the Korean War? In your opinion, based on the assigned readings, which of the two superpowers bears greater responsibility for the conflict? How and why?

The Korean War claimed over than 4 million lives, with the US losing 54,246 people and over $20 billion in expenditure, making it one of the costliest wars of the twentieth-century. Truman’s administration claimed that the Soviet Union started the war by encouraging North Korea to attack South Korea. However, some scholars believe that a speech by Acheson on January 12, 1950 may have influenced King II Sung to attack (Textbook, p.290). The Soviet Union, under Stalin contributed to the War by providing secret air cover, supplies, and training to North Korean and Chinese forces. Kim II Sung had visited Moscow and promised to attack South Korea, a plan endorsed by Stalin, who hoped a victory would increase Soviet leverage in the East and strengthen Stalin’s stature at home (Textbook, p.290). On the other hand, the US contributed to the War as it had cemented its presence in Asia after World War II in the pretext of containing the spread of communism. Truman sending the Seventh Fleet into the Taiwan Strait was a sign of imminent U.S. aggression against China, which meant that Mao had to support North Korea’s intervention. For Stalin, a war in Korea risked Soviet economic and strategic interests in the region. The U.S. had established a military government in South Korea, supporting anti-communist leader Syngman Rhee, who became president. The support increased tensions in the region, which precipitated into the war (Cumings, p.265; Textbook, p.291).

Cumings argues that the U.S. is majorly to blame for causing the national division in Korea through the thirty-eight parallel. The American planners deliberately wanted to to have the capital city in the American zone and never consulted the Koreans, British or Chinese in doing that. The Soviets backed Kim Il Sung and the Americans backed Syngman Rhee, while opposing Koreans demands for a through renovation of colonial legacies. Had the Americans let Korea free, a leftist regime would have taken control in a revolutionary nationalist government, which would have moderated and rejoined the global community (Cumings, p.266). Zubok and Pleshakov feel that when the Secretary of State Dean Acheson made statements excluding South Korea from the American “defense perimeter” in the Pacific area, Stalin and Kim Il Sung took advantage. Stalin’s support for the invasion was part of his expansionist ambitions, and providing military assistance precipitated the war. Stalin maintained the appearance of parity with Mao while supporting the invasion plan (Zubok & Pleshakov, p.275). Based on the readings, I personally believe that the Soviet Union is majorly to blame for the Korean War. While the U.S. played a role in the tensions by establishing a separate government in the South and supporting Rhee’s regime, Stalin actively encouraged and provided military support to Kim Il Sung, which led to the invasion. Stalin’s actions provided the means and confidence that North Korea needed to officially wage a full-scale war on South Korea.

References

Cumings, B. (2005). Korea’s civil war and the roots of U.S. intervention. In Major problems in American foreign relations, volume II: Since 1914 (7th ed., pp. 265-274). Wordsworth, Cengage Learning.

(Textbook) Paterson, T. G., Clifford, J. G., Brigham, R., Donoghue, M., Hagan, K. J., Kisatsky, D., & Maddock, S. J. (2015). American foreign relations: A history, Volume 2, Since 1895 (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Zubok, V., & Pleshakov, C. (2005). Provincialism and confrontation: Truman's responsibility. In Major problems in American foreign relations, volume II: Since 1914 (7th ed., pp. 274-280). Wordsworth, Cengage Learning.