The Cold War is a difficult era to understand. The entire conflict between the US and the USSR never can to fruition in direct battle, though many lives were still lost in multiple international crises. One of the most important was the fight over Korea. With much of the Western world terrified of communism, many swore to do anything to stop its advance. This was the main priority for the United States after the end of World War II and the US and USSR quickly turned against each other now that they had no common enemy. The Korean War was an international conflict fought through the guise of a civil war between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for the purpose of control over East Asia and control of Korea’s political ideology.
Korea was at liberty for influence after World War II for many reasons, the highest of these being loss of cultural identity and government stability due to forced colonialization by the Japanese. Japan’s rise in the East Asia begin with their wins in the 1894-1895 Sino-Japanese War and the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War. Before these two wars, China clearly ruled over the other East Asian countries, both historically and in terms of size. However, the 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the for-mentioned Russo-Japanese War, changed things in East Asia. Two of the biggest wins for Japan in the Portsmouth Treaty include recognition of their claims in Korea, and Russian removal from Manchuria. In 1905, Japan made its move in Korea and pressured the Korean government to accept the Japan-Korean Treaty. With Japanese troops stationed at the Korean Imperial palace and other key locations throughout the country, the Korean government had little say in accepting the “treaty.” Korea was forced to become a protectorate and Japan began their long battle of influence in Korean life. With the loss of Korean diplomatic sovereignty, the path to colonization was then assured in the Japan-Korean Treaty of 1907 and then, finally, the annexation of Korea in 1910. The Colonial Period of Korea began. Korea suffered greatly under Japanese rule before and during World War II. The Japanese held tight reigns of Korean power, and when rebellion appeared, the Japanese Imperial Military was there to shut it down. This first appeared with the 1919 March 1st Movement after the rumors that recently deceased Emperor Kojong had been poisoned, and was further inspired by the President Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points.” (Koreans protect). Throughout the Movement’s twelve month run, approximately “7,000 people were killed by the Japanese police and soldiers, and 16,000 were wounded…46,000 people were arrested, of whom some 10,000 were tried and convicted” (Britannica). The Movement won a small concession of victory after international attention and pressured turned toward Japan. The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was formed and the Korean Liberation Army was established and worked in China. However, forced colonialization continued and tensions erupted later again with the Gwangju Students Anti-Japanese Movement in 1929 (Chen). Life in Korea became even more severe during The Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Japan placed harsh restrictions and sanctions of Korea, including a ban on the Korean language, limitations on free speech, education policy, revisions of Korean history, job and work restrictions (with many being forcefully migrated to Japan to work …show more content…
Furthermore, the war “served to encourage the U.S. Cold War policies of containment and militarization, setting the stage for the further enlargement of the U.S. defense perimeter in Asia. These Cold War policies would eventually lead the United States to regional actions that included its attempts at preventing the fall of Vietnam to communism” (Department of State). The Korean War could have easily been circumnavigated if it was not divided in the first place. If Korea had been allowed by post-war planners to establish their own election and decide on its own government, then war never would have broken out. The civil war was actually an international struggle over communism, with the USSR and the People’s Republic of China attempting to encourage its spread and the Western nations doing everything in their power to stop
Korea was at liberty for influence after World War II for many reasons, the highest of these being loss of cultural identity and government stability due to forced colonialization by the Japanese. Japan’s rise in the East Asia begin with their wins in the 1894-1895 Sino-Japanese War and the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War. Before these two wars, China clearly ruled over the other East Asian countries, both historically and in terms of size. However, the 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the for-mentioned Russo-Japanese War, changed things in East Asia. Two of the biggest wins for Japan in the Portsmouth Treaty include recognition of their claims in Korea, and Russian removal from Manchuria. In 1905, Japan made its move in Korea and pressured the Korean government to accept the Japan-Korean Treaty. With Japanese troops stationed at the Korean Imperial palace and other key locations throughout the country, the Korean government had little say in accepting the “treaty.” Korea was forced to become a protectorate and Japan began their long battle of influence in Korean life. With the loss of Korean diplomatic sovereignty, the path to colonization was then assured in the Japan-Korean Treaty of 1907 and then, finally, the annexation of Korea in 1910. The Colonial Period of Korea began. Korea suffered greatly under Japanese rule before and during World War II. The Japanese held tight reigns of Korean power, and when rebellion appeared, the Japanese Imperial Military was there to shut it down. This first appeared with the 1919 March 1st Movement after the rumors that recently deceased Emperor Kojong had been poisoned, and was further inspired by the President Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points.” (Koreans protect). Throughout the Movement’s twelve month run, approximately “7,000 people were killed by the Japanese police and soldiers, and 16,000 were wounded…46,000 people were arrested, of whom some 10,000 were tried and convicted” (Britannica). The Movement won a small concession of victory after international attention and pressured turned toward Japan. The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was formed and the Korean Liberation Army was established and worked in China. However, forced colonialization continued and tensions erupted later again with the Gwangju Students Anti-Japanese Movement in 1929 (Chen). Life in Korea became even more severe during The Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Japan placed harsh restrictions and sanctions of Korea, including a ban on the Korean language, limitations on free speech, education policy, revisions of Korean history, job and work restrictions (with many being forcefully migrated to Japan to work …show more content…
Furthermore, the war “served to encourage the U.S. Cold War policies of containment and militarization, setting the stage for the further enlargement of the U.S. defense perimeter in Asia. These Cold War policies would eventually lead the United States to regional actions that included its attempts at preventing the fall of Vietnam to communism” (Department of State). The Korean War could have easily been circumnavigated if it was not divided in the first place. If Korea had been allowed by post-war planners to establish their own election and decide on its own government, then war never would have broken out. The civil war was actually an international struggle over communism, with the USSR and the People’s Republic of China attempting to encourage its spread and the Western nations doing everything in their power to stop