1. Communism Spreads to East Asia
Lesson #3
USII.19
American Vision Ch. 26, Sect. 2 & 4

2. Student Objectives Students will be able to:
Describe how China became a Communist nation
Explain the causes and effects of the Korean War

3. China Becomes Communist
Once WWII ended, Mao Zedong resumed his Communist revolution against the Nationalist government led by Chiang Kai-shek
US sent aid to the Nationalists
Stopped in Aug. 1949
Communists captured Beijing and established the People’s Republic of China in Oct. 1949
1950: People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union signed a treaty of alliance

6. New Policy with Japan
After China’s fall to the Communists, the US saw Japan as the key to defending Asia
The US adopted policies to rapidly rebuild Japan’s economy
Japan has since become a major industrial and technological power in the world

8. The Korean War
After WWII, Korea was split along the 38th parallel, with the Soviet Union controlling the North and the U.S. controlling the South
North Korea became the People’s Republic of Korea, run by Communists
South Korea became the Republic of Korea, run by anti-communists
Both sides wanted to unify the North and the South

10. The Korean War
June 25, 1950: North Korea invaded South Korea and took the capital, Seoul, in 3 days
North Korea’s military was built up by the Soviet Union
Pres. Truman saw the invasion as a test of his containment policy and convinced the UN to assist the US in helping South Korea
General Douglas MacArthur was in charge

12. The Korean War
Proxy War – nations fight indirectly through other nations
South Korea (US/UN) vs. North Korea (USSR and China)
By Oct. 1950, Gen. MacArthur’s forces pushed North Korea back to the Yalu River (border between N.K. and China)

13. The Korean War
Nov. 1950: China entered the war and pushed MacArthur’s forces back across the 38th parallel
Gen. MacArthur wanted to expand the war to China, blockading Chinese ports and atomic bombing Chinese cities
Truman preferred fighting a limited war (a war fought to achieve a limited object, in this case containing communism) and fired MacArthur
US/UN forces pushed the Chinese back across the 38th parallel and a stalemate began

14. The Korean War Ends 1952: Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President
Pres. Eisenhower used what critics called brinksmanship (the willingness to go to the brink of war to force the other side to back down), threatening nuclear attacks, to end the war
July 1953: an armistice is signed, establishing the 38th parallel as the border between North and South Korea

15. Effects of the Korean War
US troops remain stationed in South Korea to help defend the border
Started a massive US military build-up
US signed defense agreements with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Australia
Aid to French forces fighting Communists in Vietnam began

16. Class Assignment Unforgettable: The Korean War PBS documentary
Korean War Dialectical Journal