1. China Fights Back Learning Objectives:
To understand why China entered the Korean War.
To be aware of the war’s events after China got involved.

2. ? The Korean War – a recap The North Invade 1945 – The End of WW2
1950 – The Cold War
Japan had controlled Korea during WW2, but were forced to leave in 1945.
The USA invaded from the south, and communist forces backed by Russia from the North. The country was split into North and South Korea.
By 1950 the Cold War was underway.
Communist Russia (USSR) and China put Kim Il Sung in control of North Korea.
The USA used the Truman Doctrine and Domino Theory to justify putting a pro American leader Syngman Rhee in control of South Korea.
In June 1950 Communist North Korean forces led by Kim Il Sung invaded the South and quickly surrounded the forces of Syngman Rhee within the Pusan Perimeter.
South Korea then asked the United Nations for help.
MacArthur fights back with UN forces
In September 1950 United Nations forces led by American General Douglas MacArthur invaded at Inchon and quickly forced the North Korean communist forces back to the Yalu River close to the border with China. ?

3. By November 1950…
The UNC soldiers had advanced nearly to the border of China.
This alarmed Mao (China’s leader) and Stalin (leader of the USSR).
Why would they be so concerned by this?
The map should give you an idea…

4. Mao’s View
‘If the US imperialists won the war they would become more arrogant and would threaten us. We should not fail to assist the Koreans. We must lend them our hands in the form of sending out military volunteers there.’
Both Mao and Stalin were worried that the UNC advance would upset the balance of power in East Asia.
It would put US soldiers directly on the border of both China and the USSR.
Stalin did not want to risk a head-to-head confrontation with the USA.
He therefore asked China to help out North Korea instead.
China suspected they might face retaliation from the USA if they got involved.
However they decided that their aim was to force all of the UNC soldiers of Korea.
All of Korea would then become communist!
Show – 30.20

5. China Prepares China needed a little time to get ready for war.
They had only finished a civil war in 1949.
The Chinese Army (CPV) was poorly equipped and relied on labourers to carry supplies on foot.
Therefore the USSR agreed to provide military equipment to help.
However China would still have pay for these weapons such as artillery and vehicles.
The USSR also offered their air force to provide air cover over the Chinese armies.
What China did have was an enormous number of men who had recent experience of fighting in war.
They were also motivated to protect communism and stand up to the USA.

6. Meanwhile… The UNC had been warned that China may enter the war.
However MacArthur and the US government ignored these warnings.
The US now wanted a unified Korea.
Therefore 200,000 UNC kept on advancing beyond the 38th Parallel.
Believing the war was almost over, soldiers became complacent.
Units became spread out. They did not prepare for a counter- attack.
Rumours spread that US troops would be ‘home by Christmas’.
The UNC were soon near the Yalu River and the border with China.
But…the UNC had fallen into a big Chinese trap.

7. Attack!
On 25th November 1950, China launched a huge attack on the UNC soldiers.
The Chinese attacked in two main areas, using 300,000 soldiers.
The UNC were caught off-guard and rapidly began to retreat.
Some UNC units totally collapsed.
The Chinese attacked with huge waves of men and also used night attacks.
The Chinese suffered heavy loses but now had the upper hand.

8. Why do you think the Chinese used these tactics?
Chinese Tactics
‘It was enough to make your hair stand on end. When the bugles died away we heard a voice through a megaphone and then the blast of a police whistle. I was plenty scared, but who wasn’t? I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them in the moonlight. It was like the snow coming to life, and they were shouting and shaking their fists – just raising hell. The Chinese didn’t come at us by fire and manoeuvre, they came in a rush like a pack of mad dogs. Even though I was ready it was a terrible shock.’ Corporal Arthur Koch, US Marines
Why do you think the Chinese used these tactics?

9. One soldier’s view…
‘We’d been humiliated and overwhelmed. The news writers would slant it all to sound like a minor setback. Take it from me, however, it was carnage. Intelligence said they hit us with one-third of a million men. I believe it. They turned our Army into a leaderless horde, running headlong for Pusan. Our soldiers had lost every bit of confidence in all of their leader, from the commander in chief down to platoon leaders.’ Captain Charles Bussey, US Army
How useful is this source to an historian studying the Chinese invasion of Korea in 1950?

10. Show 33.50 – 38.35 for an overview of the Chinese invasion.
The UNC Fights Back
The UNC generals were in panic.
MacArthur wanted to USA to attack China itself, maybe even using nuclear weapons.
However this would risk a war with the USSR.
It took a US general on the ground, Matthew Ridgway, to stabilise the crisis.
He motivated US soldiers and encouraged them to fight back.
At the same time the Chinese had very long supply lines and their attacks slowed down.
This allowed the UNC to fight back and push the Chinese armies back north.
By February 1951, both sides were once again on the 38th Parallel, back where the war had began.
Show – for an overview of the Chinese invasion.

11. Thinking Time… You are General MacArthur.
The two sides are now back to where they started.
What would you do next and why?
What should I do now?

12. Exam Question Time…
Write an account of how events in Korea became an international crisis in marks
Your Task:
Use the rest of the lesson to plan your answer to this question in your jotter.
You will then write up your answer for homework.

13. Activity… Another tale of two maps… Add to your notes from the last lesson by rewriting the bullet point below but as a written paragraph which explain the next stage of the Korean War.
By October 1950 United Nations forces led by General MacArthur had pushed the communist forces of North Korea back to the border with China.
They thought they were very close to victory and became complacent thinking the war was almost over.
Yet a month later 300,000 highly committed Chinese communist soldiers counter attacked causing mass panic.
By February 1951 both side were back where they had started close to the 38th parallel.