The Korean War, 1950-1953

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When was the Korean war?
1950-1953
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Leader of the North
Kim Il Sung
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Leader of the South
Syngman Rhee
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The outbreak of war
Kim wanted Korea united under his rule and asked Stalin for help in 1950
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Why did Stalin help?
He had an atomic bomb in 1949, China turned communist in 1949, the South wasn't highlighted in the US 'defense perimeter'
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Defensive perimeter
An area that the US was committed to providing security against communism to
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North invaded the south with Soviet tanks in...
June 1950
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US intervention
Truman was under domestic pressure to intervene after he 'lost China to communism'.
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NSC-68
1950, secret document stating US policy in the cold war, argued USSR wanted world domination, increased defense spending, Korea was the first sign it was being implimented
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Containment or rollback?
UN authorised intervention, USSR wasnt there so couldn't veto it, successful offensive was staged, Truman authorised a continued rollback to Chinese boarder.
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Chinese intervention
Mao was determined to stop the UN force, conflict reached a stalemate until the 1953 armistice.
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Armistice
An agreement to stop fighting
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The significance of the Korean War
Superpowers were prepared to use force, wanted to avoid direct conflict (proxy wars), showed the importance of domestic pressure on US policy
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Proxy wars
A conflict in which two or more powers fight each other indirectly through other countries
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US Domestic politics
Linked to the development of the Cold War as China lobby forced Truman to take a more aggressive approach against communism
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Leader of the North

Back

Kim Il Sung

Card 3

Front

Leader of the South

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

The outbreak of war

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Why did Stalin help?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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