Involvement of USA in Korean War Essay

Different from its involvement in the Vietnam War?In the 40s onwards USA got interested in Asian affairs. Taking into trace the fact that they were non defending themselves or any other American ally, they had to further extend territorial boundaries to fall on political-ideological edges. Indeed, they were defending its territory from enemies in a new scale the fear against the developing fabianism over the world. In these lines, Korea and Vietnam portrayed two international hotspots now foc physical exercised on Asia, as the stage at heart the fight of the two global powers USA and the Soviet matrimony. Anyways, were the circumstances by which USA faced socialism in both countries contrasting?First of all, the background in due south- eastern Asia determined in great scale American intervention in the area, since either country were occupied by other foreign powers while Korea was on a lower floor Japanese domination, Vietnam still remained part of the French empire ( by a nd by becoming member of the French Union).The first case of Korea was already been the stage of the war between democracy and communism. USA was quite anxious since the conflict that had already happened in Germany and the one that was going on in dud and Greece, both cases falling on a lower floor soviet beliefs.After the defeat of the Chinese Kuomintang in 1949, by communist Mao, American leaders began fearing that the rapid spread of the carcass around the world would be successful one more than time in Asia. Thus, USA decided to risk and try obtaining new territory that would pause them an ally in East Asia, which, in turn, would top it time to plan more attempts and new supremacy against communism. Thus, they fought against the Japanese settlement as an excuse to desolate the territory in the come across of democracy. However, the Soviet Union was also truly interested in the area for the same reasons a new ally and victory against capitalism.Anyways, the whole terri tory was firstly freed under the name of United Nations, towards democracy, for support free peoples who are resenting attempt subjugation. However both powers claimed their part very soon. Both powers set up a divisor line along the 38th parallel, where the North would be under Soviet aim and the South by American intervention. Then, although elections were held in South Korea (August 1938) supported by UN, Russia rejected to do so in the North. The South became the independent Re public of Korea and the North adopted the name of Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, very much in the lines of Chinese system.The tension now remained very high at either sides of the line. Since the hot seat of North Korea by the time, Kin IL Sung might have been encouraged by the Chinese government and Russia with armed forces supplies to test USA President, Trumans determination, showing him that communism was the dominant power in Pacific Asia, also with the promise of spreading further very soon .At that stage, the domino theory was counterbalance in American minds. This concept applies to the idea that the fall of one state to a common system would lead inexorably to a series of the same. Therefore, if communism triumphed in China and Korea was already under its influence, the wave could have an unlimited repercussion in the entire area of South-East Asia. Thus, behind these ideas, American phalanx were ordered to Korea to withdraw North Koreans troops after their invasion in the south republic, together with forces from a nonher 14 countries all under the command of General McArthur.However, afterwards, South Korea was almost taken by North Korea troops but American troops regained control in the territory later and also two thirds of North Korea, in its advance northwards. With this movement, they eventually placed a fleet between Taiwan and China mainland. Thus, China now feared them to champion Chiang Kai-Shek troops from the island to come again and conquer the reg ion of Manchuria as the most important industrial and strategic area. This attempt, if successful, would cut off the problem of communism in Asia, since China would turn back to democracy and therefore either North Korea would remain isolated or without Chinese help, she would not be able to get going in the area for long.These reasons made the Chinese government dart a massive counter offensive in 1951 that captured South Korea capital again. Now McArthur was dismayed of Chinese power and thought that the best strategy to defeat communism in the area was lone(prenominal) possible with atomic bombs. With this new horizon within the fight, president Truman feared a large-scale war that would provoke a nuclear war, which USA did not ask. It pointed out the American limitations that would enclose them within the fight they feared communism because the nuclear power that could destroy them, but the only force capable to defeat it was their nuclear power, something that, however, th ey could not use since it would drag them into a fatal war.Thus, now, the only American possibility focused to settle in East Asia to contain communism there in January 1951 UN troops expelled the North Koreans troops from South Korea and fortify the frontier, until in July 1953, both countries firmed a peace agreement that stated the limit at the 38th parallel.After American impossibility for annexation of territories in East Asia, the new step had to be focused in the South, due to the independence of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from the French Union (Geneva Agreement, 1954). Then, Vietnam was temporarily divided into two countries, and analogously as Korea, the frontier was established at another parallel, in this case the 17th one. In 1956, elections were to be held in the whole country, but they never were and only in South Vietnam a referendum was held in 1955, which gave Ngo Dinh Diem as the president. He did not want to hold elections for the whole country and USA, with Eise nhower as the new president feared much more intensely the domino effect. Moreover, Diem was unable to rule the country, mainly because he was very unpopular among the peasants, which furthover, in the future encouraged unwilling towards American movement in the south and appetence for communism.At this stage the Vietcong (the guerrillas) in the south were receiving supplies, equipment and troops from North Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh, who was leader of the resistance against French Union and who wanted communism to rule the country, thought that giving aid to South Vietnam against Diem, national elections would not be held and to unify the countries forces would be necessary. Thus, the next American presidencies had to launch a very strong campaign to stop the communism wave in Vietnam-Kennedy (1961-3) tried to keep American involvement against the guerrilla, by sending advisors, military equipment and enclosing local peasants into fortified villages to isolate the Vietcong outside. Howe ver, this failed since most of the peasants were members of the Vietcong.-Johnson (1963-9) decided to bomb North Vietnam (1965), as he thought that Ho Chi Minh controlled straightway the Vietcong. He also sent half million troops in the south.However, due to the great pressure of American public against the war, since they saw the conflict as a total failure, Johnson stopped the bombing in March 1968, although he did not want to withdraw.-Nixon (1969-74) based his plan in the new concept of Vietnamization As public opinion did not consent to him to send more troops to Vietnam, he would use the ones that were already there to re-army the Vietnamese army keep their own defence. That would allow gradually American troops to withdraw. However, he began a new wave of bombing in the north, but this time including Cambodia and Laos, as they were receiving supplies and troops from North Vietnam. condescension all the measures and policies, at the end of 1972, the Vietcong controlled almos t the entire territory and several factors obligated the American intervention to happen upon the end. Eventually a ceasefire was agreed in January 1973. Then, American troops were withdrawn and in 1975 the Vietcong unified the whole country under a communism government by occupying Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam. in addition in Laos and Cambodia the system was established the same year.Taking all these explanations into account, I can state that there were slight differences between the American policies in both the Korean and the Vietnamese wars. The main reason was the potential force used in each one, and China played an important part. It applies to the fact that the attack against them was not as ruthless as in Vietnam, mainly due to Chinese power. While in Vietnam neither China nor Russia supported the army as directly as in Vietnam, in Korea China was directly involved since the problem was slighted related with the relationship between USA and Chiang Kai-Shek troops . For China, American troops recovered Manchuria, they would give back China mainland to them.Communist China was not willing to accept that, and USA knew that she was capable of fighting bravely to an extent that USA did not want to test, since the split of the Sino-Soviet agreement left China in an uncertain situation from the international point of view We do not want the fighting in Korea to expand into a general war. Therefore, American government did not risk indeed and the only price was to lose North Korea.Nevertheless, in Vietnam they could use a more violent system as they communist China was already established and did not fear USA any more. Moreover, the conflict was seen under UN eyes solely for the purpose of restoring the Republic to its status prior to the invasion. For international support, it was a fight towards the human rights, since North Korea under communism did not want to hold elections. However, UN never supported the war in Vietnam and the international v iew of the war and American methods to be victorious pressed the government to reach the end of the conflict.Therefore, differences between the both wars was mainly due to internal factors of each country, but especially the foreign intervention that encouraged or restrained American actions to act in one way or another.