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Communism in China and the Korean War. The Cold War Heats Up. China Becomes a Communist Country. Civil war renewed after the Japanese left China at the end of WWII Truman refused to send American soldiers to help Nationalists, but did send $2 billion in supplies/weapons
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Communism in China and the Korean War The Cold War Heats Up
Civil war renewed after the Japanese left China at the end of WWII Truman refused to send American soldiers to help Nationalists, but did send $2 billion in supplies/weapons Chinese peasants were driven to the Communist side China Becomes a Communist country
China Becomes a Communist Country • May 1949: Chiang Kai-shek and his government flee to Taiwan (aka Formosa, aka Republic of China) • Communists establish the People’s Republic of China • The U.S, recognized the Taiwan gov’t as the Chinese gov’t.
Why was China communist now? Shouldn’t communism be contained everywhere, not just in Europe? • Some members of Congress thought the U.S. government could have done more • There must be communist agents in the government Containment had failed!
The Korean War • Korea had been taken over and ruled by Japan from 1910 to 1945 • At the end of WWII, Japanese troops to the north of Korea surrendered to the Soviets while Japanese troops to the south surrendered to the Americans • Zone occupied by the Americans (south of 38th parallel) became the Republic of Korea • Zone occupied by the Soviets (north of 38th parallel) became the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
By 1949, only 500 American troops were in South Korea • Soviet Union concluded that the U.S. would not fight to defend South Korea • Gave aid to North Korea to take over all of Korea The Korean War (cont’d) Kim Il Sung
June 25, 1950: North Korean forces launch a surprise attack on South Korea; the Korean War • South Korea called on the Unites Nations for help • UN passed vote for military action against North Korea (USSR not present, could’ve vetoed it) Korean War (cont’d)
"The Security Council called upon all members of the United Nations to render every assistance to the United Nations in the execution of this resolution[…]In these circumstances I have ordered United States air and sea forces to give the Korean Government troops cover and support.“ –President Truman War with North Korea was never officially declared Of all troops sent to aid South Korea, 90% were American All troops under command of General MacArthur The Korean War (cont’d)
The Korean war • By the end of 1950, U.N. forces were chasing the retreating North Korean forces; almost to the border with China • China did not want American troops on its border -also wanted North Korea to be a buffer China joined the war on the side of North Korea
The Chinese forces drove the UN troops southward • Turned into a stalemate • General MacArthur recommended dropping nuclear weapons in China • China and USSR had a mutual assistance pact • WWIII • UN forces were able to push back up to the 38th parallel The Korean war
MacArthur insisting on full-scale war against China • Truman fired MacArthur • Public shocked • Public eventually swayed to the idea of limiting the war • UN forces and North Korea settled for a stalemate; more truce than peace • Still 2 Koreas • One more communist nation The Korean War
54,000 Americans died in the Korean War $67 billion in expenses Americans rejected the Democrats in the presidential election of 1952 Increased fear of communism Fear that communism was making gains because of spies and saboteurs within America Effects of Korean war on the U.S.
