Vietnam War: The Korean War

Korean War

During the final stages of the Second World War, Russia and the US became allies through a US-Soviet Alliance of 1941-1945 which allowed both powers to cooperate for the defeat of Nazi Germany. After the defeat of Nazi Germany by both powers, US and USSR agreed to defeat Japan in the Pacific. Russia then declared war on Japan after the US-Russia alliance was signed and Russian Forces advanced rapidly on Korea to rid the Japanese. In fear of a complete Russian occupation of Korea the United States quickly drew up the 38th parallel line which was accepted by the USSR. The 38th parallel line then defined the division of the two territories between the North and South Korea. The two levels of analysis used in this essay in understanding

Within this period the concept of Asia was also not defined and each region of what is now Asia was either subject to colonial imperialism or still finding a sense of identity within the International World order. International world order has never been permanent and has been maintained by balancing power economically and militarily . In this essay, the case of the Korean War demonstrates how International Order is maintained through military power. History records that the Korean people were also at the same time heavily occupied in a struggle for Independence to Unite North and South Korea. At the individual level, it will be demonstrated that the two political leaders of North Korea and South Korea through their individual conduct and decisions contributed to cause the war. In this essay, Western theoretical frameworks will be utilised to look at the International relations between the powers that dominated the geopolitics of Korea before and leading up to the Korean War. Some critics like Katzenstein disagree that Western theories especially Western European Experience have little relevance in making sense of Asia hence can mislead the study into

In the period leading up to the Korean War there was an absence of Asian geopolitical institutions. Hence, two bipolar rivals, US and USSR exerted their International order and dominance. For Instance, President Eisenhower in 1955 proposed an Asia marshal plan covering the non-socialist countries within Asia . As a US idea proposed during the cold war it meant that countries affiliated with Socialism would be singled out from this group . Such regional institutions were established by US as a metaphor for Asia purposely to forge International relations between Asian countries not aligned with socialism. Such International Institutions was created to promote values of Liberalism as promoted by the US. US sought capacity building initiatives as a means to maintain hegemony in the world during the cold war. However its intent was not achieved as multi-lateral cooperation was widely rejected by many of the smaller countries in Asia. Many of those who rejected the concept feared that influential participants such as Japan and India might divert most of the aid to themselves in a multilateral organisation setting . Countries characterised as Socialists like China and North Korea aligned themselves with Communist USSR. Communist USSR was then the bipolar rival of