|
Causes for the war
There were several causes for the Korean War. The first was the animosity between both parts of Korea, as each one vied to take control over the other and unify Korea under its rule. Kim II from the North and Syngman Rhee from the South were each hell-bent on overthrowing the other from reign and rule over the entire country.
The second was the clash between the two opposing superpowers of the US and the Soviet Union. Whereas the US was determined to stop the spread of communism and its influence on regional countries especially in the Asian continent where it had become prevalent, the Soviet Union was keen on obtaining as much control of other countries and spreading the influence of communism in its major battle against the US.
The more communist countries there are, the more power, control, resources, supplies and armed forces the Soviet Union has. Also, there was an opposition between two ideologies- the communist and the capitalist views. Each superpower had its financial interests at heart, and each wanted their ideology embraced by other countries, again in order to solidify their hold on the country and to stop the other from gaining more control.
The Soviet Union was trying to expand the communist ideology based on the Trotkist theory of "permanent revolution"- if they take control of a country, it will last and be very powerful. Stalin saw this as a way to disturb the US. From the US's view, they were trying to prevent a "domino effect" from occurring- once one country falls into communist hands, neighboring countries are bound to do the same ("Causes of the", 2007; "Analyze the Causes", 2008).
Moreover, there was an indirect cause of the war, based on recent developments worldwide. The Soviet Union was successful in detonating an atomic bomb in 1949, and this gave Stalin new confidence and motivation to anger the US. At the same time, NATO was formed, and Stalin wanted to test it.
Finally, the war was also about the issue of strategic depth. On the one hand, the US wanted control of Korea because they deployment of American troops in Korea would frighten the Chinese and their government and also because it would enable it to form a powerful base 50 meters beyond the borders of China. On the other hand, China was as eager to acquire strategic depth, as North Korea would be a buffer against a possible US invasion ("Causes and Effects", 2009).
Effects of the war
|