Back to the full dot-point answer
VICModern HistoryQuick questions
Unit 2: The changing world order (1945 to 2010)
Quick questions on Cold War in Asia, China and Korea 1949-1953: VCE Modern History Unit 2
14short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are american responses?Show answer
The US National Security Council document NSC-68 (April 1950) was the foundational American Cold War strategy paper. It argued for a global military build-up to contain Soviet expansion: tripling the defence budget, modernising nuclear weapons, and supporting allies worldwide. President Truman approved NSC-68 after the Korean War broke out in June 1950.
What is the course of the Korean War (25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953)?Show answer
The North Korean People's Army (KPA) crossed the 38th parallel on 25 June 1950 with around 135,000 troops, T-34 tanks, and Soviet air cover. Seoul fell on 28 June. UN Security Council Resolution 82 (25 June 1950), passed in the absence of the boycotting Soviet delegate, condemned the invasion. Resolution 83 (27 June 1950) authorised member states to assist South Korea.
What is inchon?Show answer
General Douglas MacArthur's amphibious landing at Inchon, far behind North Korean lines, was the operational masterstroke of the war. Seoul was recaptured on 28 September. The KPA collapsed; UN forces crossed the 38th parallel on 7 October 1950 (UN Resolution 376, 7 October, endorsed unification) and entered Pyongyang on 19 October.
What is chinese intervention?Show answer
As UN forces approached the Yalu River, China entered the war. Chinese People's Volunteers under Peng Dehuai crossed the Yalu on 19 October 1950 with around 300,000 troops. The Eighth Army was driven from North Korea by January 1951; Seoul fell again on 4 January 1951.
What is stalemate and MacArthur's dismissal?Show answer
General Matthew Ridgway stabilised the front along the 38th parallel by March 1951. MacArthur publicly demanded escalation including nuclear strikes against China. Truman dismissed MacArthur on 11 April 1951.
What are armistice talks?Show answer
Talks opened at Kaesong on 10 July 1951 and moved to Panmunjom. The main sticking point was prisoner repatriation: of around 132,000 North Korean and Chinese prisoners, around half refused to return. Stalin's death on 5 March 1953 unblocked the negotiations.
What is militarisation?Show answer
US defence spending rose from 13 billion dollars (1950) to 50 billion (1953), implementing NSC-68. The US permanently stationed troops in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Western Europe (the European Defence Community proposals followed).
What are alliances?Show answer
The US-Japan Security Treaty (8 September 1951) and the Treaty of San Francisco (8 September 1951) ended the occupation of Japan and tied it to the US bloc. ANZUS (1 September 1951) committed the US to defend Australia and New Zealand. SEATO (8 September 1954) extended Cold War alliance-building to Southeast Asia.
What is nATO transformed?Show answer
A unified command was created (December 1950) with Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Greece and Turkey joined in 1952. West German rearmament moved up the agenda, prompting the Soviet creation of the Warsaw Pact in 1955.
What is sino-American hostility?Show answer
The People's Republic of China and the United States had no diplomatic relations until 1979. Taiwan, defended by the US Seventh Fleet from 27 June 1950, became a permanent flashpoint.
What are sino-Soviet relations?Show answer
Mao resented Soviet limited support during the war (and Stalin charging for weapons supplied). Soviet advisers were withdrawn after 1956 as the Sino-Soviet split widened.
What is q1?Show answer
Evaluate the consequences of the Chinese Communist victory (1949) for the global Cold War. [10 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Outline the key phases of the Korean War (1950-1953). [4 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Analyse how the Korean War reshaped the international system. [6 marks]