Communism in China and the Korean War

Nationalists versus Communists (civil war), NationalistsCommunists -led by Chiang Kai-shek -ruled in southern and eastern China -inefficient government -failing economy -corrupt administration -secret police fired on protesters (protesting a 10,000% increase on rice price) -relied heavily on aid from the U.S. -supported by the U.S. -led by Mao Zedong -ruled in northern China -encouraged peasants to learn to read -helped peasants improve food production -highly motivated leadership -had experience in guerilla warfare -aid from the Soviet Union

 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

 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

 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 38 th parallel) became the Republic of Korea  Zone occupied by the Soviets (north of 38 th 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 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)

 "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

 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 38 th parallel

 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

 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