Why did North Korea invade South Korea in 1950?

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  • Created by: ASesay
  • Created on: 20-09-15 21:19
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  • Why did North Korea invade South Korea in 1950?
    • Kim had the support of both the Soviet (Stalin)and Chinese leaders (Mao Zedong)
      • N. Korea was supplied with tanks, heavy artillery and planes by Soviet Russia
    • North Korea's armed forces were much stronger than those of South Korea
      • N. Korea was supplied with tanks, heavy artillery and planes by Soviet Russia
      • Believed that without the intervention of the USA, his forces would rapidly overwhelm the S. Korean army
    • An American response was unlikely
      • USSR had had the atom bomb since Aug 1949
        • Kim believed that the USA would not dare risk antagonising the Soviets into using it
      • American Secretary of State gave a speech in Jan 1950
        • He omitted S. Korea from a list of countries which the USA would automatically defend from communist agression
      • US troops had been withdrawn from S. Korea in June 1949
        • Indicated that the defence of S. Korea was not a strategic priority for the USA
    • Kim Il-Sung wanted to unite the whole of the Korean Peninsula under communist rule
      • He believed that if his forces were to invade S. Korea, the civilian population would rise up against the regime of Syngman Rhee

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