CONFLICTS CONFLICTS AMONG AMONG

COUNTRIESCOUNTRIESCAUSES OF CAUSES OF NATIONAL NATIONAL CONFLICTSCONFLICTS

WHY DO CONFLICTS OCCUR WHY DO CONFLICTS OCCUR AMONG COUNTRIES?AMONG COUNTRIES?

We have seen : Competition for Scarce Natural

Resources– Conflict over fishing grounds– Conflict over water supplies

Now we shall look at Different Values and Beliefs

– Conflict between Democracy and Communism

Competing Claims over Territory– Conflict over border

Different Different Values and Values and

BeliefsBeliefs

CONFLICT CONFLICT BETWEEN BETWEEN

DEMOCRACY AND DEMOCRACY AND COMMUNISM COMMUNISM

DEMOCRACY VS DEMOCRACY VS COMMUNISMCOMMUNISM

End of WWII : USA and USSR emerged as the two major powers in the world

USA : Democratic political system USSR : Communist System These political systems became

competing models for countries that had become independent after the war

Result : A world divided between communist and democratic countries

DEMOCRACY VS DEMOCRACY VS COMMUNISMCOMMUNISM

Suspicions increased between each other

Each claimed to be a superior system Each convinced that the other wanted

to destroy their way of life Much fear and suspicion existed

although there was no direct war One example of conflict arising from

ideological differences is that between North and South Korea

NORTH VS SOUTH KOREANORTH VS SOUTH KOREA

Before WWII, Korea was occupied by Japan Japanese surrender in Aug 1945 : the

Korean Peninsula was divided into two at the 38th Parallel [Remember Michael of “Who wants to be a millionaire?”? He had to answer this question!]

Both US and USSR agreed to this division Soviet troops would occupy the northern

part of Korea temporarily while Americans occupied the south

Both forces would later withdraw so that the UN could organise an election for a reunited Korea

NORTH VS SOUTH KOREANORTH VS SOUTH KOREA

1947 : UN called for an election to establish a single government for a reunited Korea

USSR refused to allow an election in the north and created a Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or North Korea

Capital was at Pyongyang North Korea became a communist country

NORTH VS SOUTH KOREANORTH VS SOUTH KOREA

Aug 1948 : Elections held in the south The independent Republic of Korea or

South Korea was formed Capital : Seoul South Korea had the support of USA Thus, there were two separate countries in

the Korean Peninsular

NORTH VS SOUTH KOREANORTH VS SOUTH KOREA

1949 : Soviet and American troops had withdrawn from North and South Korea

Governments of the two Koreas each claimed the right to rule the whole Korean Peninsula

1949 to 1950 : Frequent border clashes broke out between North and South Korea

Jun 1950 : War broke out when North Korea suddenly invaded South Korea in an attempt to unite the Korean Peninsula under communism

USA and its allies agreed to help defend South Korea with the support of the UN

Afraid that communism would spread to the south

Did not want communists to extend their influence into South Korea

NORTH VS SOUTH KOREANORTH VS SOUTH KOREA

UN troops used Pusan as their base, a major port at the southern tip of Korea that possessed an airfield

They attacked and defeated the North Koreans

Captured Inchon and Seoul Instead of ending the war, the American

President, with the approval of the UN, ordered an invasion of North Korea

NORTH VS SOUTH KOREANORTH VS SOUTH KOREA

The Chinese communists had come into The Chinese communists had come into power in China in 1949power in China in 1949

They warned that they would attack if They warned that they would attack if the UN troops crossed the 38the UN troops crossed the 38thth Parallel Parallel into North Koreainto North Korea

They would not allow their North They would not allow their North Korean ally to be totally defeatedKorean ally to be totally defeated

Nor would they allow UN troops to be Nor would they allow UN troops to be near China’s bordernear China’s border

The warning was The warning was ignoredignored

End Oct 1950End Oct 1950 : UN troops not only reached Pyongyang but also further north to the Yalu River, the border between NK and China

China felt threatened and moved into NK

Mid-Jan 1951Mid-Jan 1951 : Chinese army pushed UN troops back into SK and occupied Seoul

UN troops counter-attacked and drove the Chinese back to the 38th Parallel

NORTH VS SOUTH KOREANORTH VS SOUTH KOREA

The invasion of SK quickly became a bigger conflict involving USA and its Western allies on the one hand and China on the other

Finally in 1953, an agreement was signed to stop the fighting

A demilitarised zone was created between NK and SK

Up to today, the Korean Peninsula remains divided as such

The Korean was the first time in history when a number of countries grouped together to prevent one country from forcibly taking over another and changing its way of life

PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFAREPSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE

The photos in the leaflet were taken from an American pilot shot down north of the DMZ. It was used by North Korea for psy-war.

PARTISAN HONOR MEDALPARTISAN HONOR MEDAL

Awarded to Korean and American personnel who served with the 8157th and 8240th Army Units

CIVILIAN VICTIMSCIVILIAN VICTIMS

This young woman was killed moments before, doubtless by stray or inadvertent fire from advancing UN forces, as she struggled through soaking brush, desperately seeking safety for her small family.

Hair still neatly parted, she lies where she fell backwards into an irrigation ditch. Her arms, no longer able to hold and protect, thrown wide in death. Her children, swaddled in their clean blankets, know something truly terrible has happened, but can't understand what.

IN MEMORIAL…..IN MEMORIAL…..

IN MEMORIAL…..IN MEMORIAL…..