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Why Did The Korean War Break Out In 1950?
The breakout of war was caused by long term and short term causes. Short term influences such as the actual communist take-over of China in 1949, the 'forseeing' of the United Nations and all the single border disputes. But the long term effects, including the Cold War, were down to the great divide that was the mark of North Korea and South Korea. People on edge that South Korea would be turned Communist too, placed both sides in a state of silent conflict.
The situation of the Cold War had stood so that mainly it had been focused on Europe, until 1949 when the communist take-over of Chinatook Nationalist forces of Chiang Kai Shek, the USA's ally and so moving the conflict into Asia. The US were worried about the spread of communism and then there were the outbreaks of Wars to do with Communist aggression, in Korea too. In 1945 when Japan surrendered at the end of the second World War, Korea was to be split for the US and the USSR by the 38th Parallel- the dividing line between the Soviet-occupied North and the US capitalist South. Its wasn't forever but it would give the country a bit of organisation.
But the imperial Japan had been brutal to Korea before anything started, and after the split, there was lots of cross border raids, the South Koreans coming off the worst, 400 soldiers were killed in May 1949 and this fighting sparked more troops from both sides to the border.
Kim Il Sung was highly ambitious and wanted a united communist Korea. He was annoyed at the failure of the cross border raids and uprisings and he wanted Stalin to agree that he should invade the South. He didn't think the US would intervene and he wanted to take the risk before the US could build up the South. And when Stalin gave cautious approval to Kim's plans to invade, he was also sent military advisors from Stalin, as Stalin didn't really want a War. But Kim Il Sung was encouraged by Rheels unpopularity and growing support for the communist party in the South and he was a big force behind the decision of the North to invade. Mao Tse-Tung kenw of Kim's plans but did not want to risk getting involved in a major war.
All these terms added up to the invasion of South Korean, and then the US quickly intervening. They sent an immediate rush of military supplies over, and then gained a chance of action by a revolution passed, and Truman had the public support and US Congress pleased. This intervention was seen as a UN activity but it was really and American operation as they had far more troops.
When Stalin sent over the military advisors and gave a cautious go-ahead to Kim, this was interpreted by the US as the Soviets causing destruction. The US mainly intervened because of this Soviet influence and the fear they thought it would create. It was seen as a Soviet Expansion. The Domino [next page]