Communism in China and the Korean War. Nationalists versus Communists (civil war), 1927-1949 NationalistsCommunists -led by Chiang Kai-shek -ruled in.

THE COLD WAR HEATS UPCommunism in China and the Korean War

CHINA BECOMES A COMMUNIST COUNTRY

Nationalists versus Communists (civil war), 1927-1949

Nationalists Communists

-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

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

Chinese peasants were driven to the Communist side

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.

CHINA BECOMES A COMMUNIST COUNTRY

CONTAINMENT HAD FAILED!

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

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

THE KOREAN WAR (CONT’D)

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

KOREAN WAR (CONT’D)

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 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

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 KOREAN WAR

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

EFFECTS OF KOREAN WAR ON THE U.S. 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