SHELF 9780435183127 HISTORY PAPER 3 THE COLD WAR AND THE AMERICAS (1945-1981) STUDENT 60p

1. What do you th nk cou d have been poss ble react ons with n t rc UN to the entry o[ Ch na or th-'
Sov et Union rnto the war? Discuss lh s in groups anc g ve reasons for your answers
2. As we have already seen (with the Defense Peri:-neter Speech lor examp e) actions olterr lr;lv-'
unintendecl consequences - or do they? Wrth regard to the UN fotces under the conrrn.ind of
General l\,lacArthur', what do you think was the expecled polrtica outcorre of the t-chon and ngs?
The successful landings at Inchon led to the liberation of Seoul on 28 September
(Friedman) and a rapid movement of UN forces uP to the 3Sth parallel. MacArthur
had already told the US Chief of Staff, General Lawton Collins, that'he would destroy the
Nofih Korean Army rather thanpushing itback across theborder" According to Friedman,
MacArthur saw the Korean War as an opportunity to shift the focus of the Cold War
from Europe to Asia and, as we shall see, to take the war to China'
The objective of the UN resolution had been achieved with the forced withdrawal
of the North Korean army and, by the end of September 1950, it looked as if the war
had been won. Peace terms were being drawn up to demand the surrender of all
North Korean forces, the occupation of key points in the north and the holding of
UN supervised elections (Friedman). In reality, this upswing in the fortunes of the
UN forces after Inchon only made China's involvement more likely, however, and
Kim Il-sung, fearing total defeat, asked Stahn for immediate aid. Stalin responded
by pressuring Mao to intervene. Martin Walker states that Mao thought that a US
victory in Korea would be damaging for the Chinese Revolution and would'arouse
dissatisfaction towards us among the national bourgeoisie and other segments of the people. Thq
aretery afraid of war.'Also, for Mao, the prospect of US troops on the Yalu River border
between Manchuria and Korea was unthinkable.
The norinerf rn!!, l,.o ii
r"-.acher,i by thr UN io'ces.
a'
Pyongya
lncho
o Seoul
Sea of Japan