The Shift to Asia

China Lost• The defeat of Japan in wake of WW II resulted in many

opportunities in former occupied Asia; With Communist expansion halted in Europe, emphasis shifted to Asia:– Korea– China– Southeast Asia– Philippines

• China’s Nationalists led by Chiang Ki-Shek engaged in a struggle for power against Chinese Communist Party

Chiang, 4th wife and Gen Stillwell in Burma 1942

China Lost• US encouraged peace talks between Chiang and

Communist leader, Mao Zedong • US reluctantly supported the corrupt and inefficient

government of Chiang; popularity waned by 1948• Communists were bolstered by popularity of land

reform among rural population that supported and trusted them

• By December 10, 1949 Communists driven the Nationalists and Chiang off the mainland

• Nationalists fled to Formosa setting up a military dictatorship under Chiang Kai-Shek (Taiwan)

China Lost

• Chiang maintained illusion of representing all of China & US continued to support this despite many NATO countries recognizing the Communist People’s Republic of China (PRC)– PRC admitted to UN – US support for Taiwan became partisan issue:• Some advocated backing Chaing to attack mainland• Others felt Chiang’s dictatorship no better than Communism

Korea Prelude

• At Yalta/Potsdam, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin agreed that in exchange for Russia entering WW II against Japan, occupied territories of Japan would be divided between US and Soviet Union

• In last 4 days of WW II, Soviets invaded North Korea seizing Japanese bases

Korea Setup• Soviets set up Communist government and refused to allow the UN

north of the 38th parallel to set up free elections• In 1948 UN elections were conducted in the South, US - backed

strong man, Syngman Rhee won the elections.• A controversial figure, he had been

impeached back in1925 for misuse of authority

• Even before the Korean war, Rhee exhibited dictatorial powers after assumed presidency from provisional government

• Campaign to “remove Communism” was a veiled drive to eliminate all opposition resulted in brutal suppression of leftist uprisings. Up to 100,000 killed by secret police

Korea Setup

• After the Russians reorganized the North Korean government and army to its liking,

• the Soviets proposed that all occupational troops be withdrawn by January 1948

• Following UN elections establishing the Republic of Korea in the South with capital in Seoul, US forces withdrew from occupation by the end of June 1949

Korean War Begins

• In an unprovoked attack, Soviet-equipped North Korean armies invaded the South on June 25, 1950– Tankless, ill-equipped and heavily outnumbered

ROK forces crumbled, Seoul was captured– Secretary of State Dean Acheson declared that it

was “an open, undisguised challenge to our internationally accepted position as the protector of South Korea, an area of great importance to the security of American-occupied Japan.”

Soviet Plan Backfires• Ironically, the day of UN security council resolution

to stop the aggression, Soviets had boycotted the UN

• Their usual veto of UN action against Communist advances was not possible on this day so the resolution passed unopposed!

• Truman orders Navy and Air Force assets to come to the aid of the South Koreans and five days later ground forces also committed

• Setting precedent for American wars after WW II, Truman described it a “police action” owing to the lack of a formal Congressional declaration of war

Initial Successes

• Fighting was hampered by many restrictions including mandate to remain south of 38th parallel

• Bold landing at Inchon bolstered the struggling effort by flanking the invading North Koreans on the West coast

• Sec Defense George Marshall announced lifting ban of 38th parallel on Sept 30, 1950, enabling UN forces to drive to the Chinese border

•Gen Douglas MacArthur was selected to head UN forces

Enter the Chinese

• UN troops succeeded in pushing the North Koreans all the way to the Yalu River

• Unexpectedly, the Communist Chinese got involved in the war in November 1950 and drove UN forces back to the South

• MacArthur requested permission to attack Chinese bases with air forces and blockade the coast of China. President Truman denied the request

• During the 1st 5 months, MacArthur did not openly disagree with US/UN policy in Korea, with the Chinese intervention, this changed abruptly

MacArthur Relieved of Command• MacArthur claimed that operational restrictions were to

blame for the predicament and that these inhibitions were unprecedented in military history

• On April 9, 1951 President Truman officially relieved Gen MacArthur of command and appointed Lt Gen Matthew Ridgeway to take his place because MacArthur– “was not in sympathy with the basic policies governing the

operation of UN forces in Korea”– “failed to comply with the instructions …to clear any public

statement that he made which involved matters of policy”• Truman’s decision was made with the consent of Sec Def

George Marshall and JCS (Gen Bradley, Gen Collins, Gen Vandenberg, Adm Sherman)

Korean Stalemate

• At the 38th parallel the Korean War remained in a stalemate for two full years

• Combat continued while the U N and Communists negotiated a settlement

• PRC and North Korea were not seriously committed to cease fire during the remainder of Truman’s presidency

Changing Tide of Korean War

• May 1950 Pre-war boundary• Sept 1950 North Koreans

almost drive South Koreans off the peninsula

• Nov 1950 UN forces succeed in pushing North Koreans to the Yalu River

• Jan 1951 400,000 Chinese troops push UN back to 38th parallel

• July 1953 armistice

Eisenhower Years

• The Korean War sapped the popularity from the Truman administration; Truman did not seek re-election in 1952. Adalai Stevenson took his place on the Democratic ticket.

• The Republicans put forth General of the Army (one of five men to hold this rank in history of US army) Dwight D. Eisenhower, a popular WW II hero who led Allied forces to victory in Europe.

• His campaign promise to end the Korean War enabled him to win a clear cut victory in the Presidential election

Eisenhower Years• Eisenhower’s hard line stance

was effective– Veiled threats to escalate or to

use nuclear weapons– Refused to back down

• Stalin’s death on March 5, 1953 eroded the Communist resolve– Stalin had insisted that the

Korean War continue until the South was subdued

• Chinese were persuaded that it was in their best interests to end hostilities

• Stalin’s successors agreed to an armistice on July 27, 1953

• To this day there is no peace agreement between the South and North although a non-agression treaty was signed in 1991

The Demilitarized Zone

• The DMZ remains a touchy spot today where war never ends

• Since 1953 there have been dozens of incursions on North Korean agents into the South including attacks by North Korean agents on border

The 1950’s

• After the Korean armistice, emphasis shifted to Southeast Asia where Communist struggles involved the colonies of France (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) (“French Indochina”)

• Russia concentrated on nuclear arms race and space race

• America became preoccupied with the “Red Scare”• From here on, reliance on military solutions was

becoming clearly less rewarding

Warsaw Pact 1955• Federal Republic of Germany was inducted into NATO May 9,

1955• Enraged, the Soviets formed the Warsaw Pact on May 14, 1955.

– Comprising Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, GDR, Hungary, Poland and Romania

– Headquartered in Moscow– Targeted NATO units and trained for war with West

• Differences: NATO membership voluntary, US could not impose its will on members, disagreements between members were routine;

• USSR controlled Warsaw Pact with iron hand, Moscow devised the strategy and member nations were sometimes unclear what was expected of them– Used to intervene in civil uprisings against Communism: Hungarian

Revolt in1958 and Czechoslovakia in 1968

Suez Crisis 1956

• Soviet Union threatened to intervene to aid Egypt

• US defuses situation with UN resolution

• From then on Middle East would be polarized with the USSR supplying arms to Arab nations and Western Allies supporting Israel

• British and French colonies in Middle East and Africa began to crumble in 1950’s. Israel was gaining strength.

• Because of Egypt’s opposition to the fledgling state, US withdrew financial support for the building of the Aswan Dam on Nile River

• Egypt’s President Gamal Nasser retaliated by nationalizing Suez Canal• British and French forces backed Israeli troops to invade Egypt.

Eisenhower Doctrine

• In response to the new Soviet involvement in the Middle East, Eisenhower called for US aid and military assistance for countries threatened by International Communism– US would defend Middle East countries against

“overt armed aggression from any nation controlled by International Communism”

• This “Eisenhower Doctrine” was condemned by the Soviet Union and PRC

• Moved US closer to Israel and Imperial Iran

Khrushchev• Unlike his predecessor Stalin, the new First Secretary of

the Communist Party and Premier of the Soviet Union 1953-1964, Nikita Khrushchev was energetic, flamboyant who focused on the advancement of the USSR in technology & industry

-In power struggle after Stalin’s death, NKVD Chief Lavrentiy Beria of Great Purge fame hastened to institute reforms. Khrushchev had him secretly arrested in June 1953 and executed the following Dec. Ironically, Beria has the distinction of being the last Soviet leader to leave office by execution

Khrushchev

• In 1956, he addressed 20th CP Congress, denounced Stalinism, atrocities committed during Great Purge & the 1939 Pact with Hitler

• Considered by some experts as process of “purifying” typical of changing regimes

• “de-Stalinization” felt necessary by Khrushchev for next era of USSR

• Already implicated for his role in 1939 Pact, Molotov sealed his fate after a failed coup in 1956 and was dismissed from Foreign Minister

• He then reduced power of NKVD and changed it into the KGB, outlawed torture and released many of the political prisoners held in Siberia

• Gained global fame as he traveled the world with brash diplomatic style, instituting a measure of intellectual reform and cold war “thaw”– Yet his reform had clear limits.

Khrushchev cracked down on many religious groups and destroyed or closed down numerous churches

– He visited the US in 1959, met with Eleanor Roosevelt in Hyde Park, discussed topic of disarmament, but only agreed to disagee. Promised Vice Pres Nixon that the USSR would surpass US

USSR Achievements Under Khrushchev

• Launched world’s 1st satellite “Sputnik” Oct 4, 1957• First manned space flight Yuri Gagarin• Development of ICBMs to deliver nuclear weapons• US-Soviet Nuclear Test Ban Treaty July 1963• Berlin Wall erected• Closed the nuclear Weapons technology gap between the US and the Soviet Union