“The Korean war was caused by the determined efforts of Kim Il Sung to
create a unified communist Korea.” How far do you agree?
Japan’s brusque surrender (2nd of September 1945) in World War Two led to the establishment of a
newly liberated Korea. However, the two rivalling superpowers, the United States and the Soviet
Union, intervened in the Korean Peninsula. Having been annexed and occupied by imperialist Japan
since 1910, Korea and its citizens lacked the ability for effective self-governing in a post-World War
Two climate. Both American and Soviet forces stationed their troops on opposing sides of the Korean
Peninsula – the Americans in the South and the Soviets in the North. Through this international
interference, the contrasting Republic of Korea (in the south) and the Democratic People’s Republic
of Korea (in the north) were formed. Ideological differences and a desire for a unified Korea drove
tensions between both states. However, it was Kim Il Sung, the leader of the DPRK, and his need for
unification that was the primary cause of the 3-year long conflict.
- Give context to the main topic of the question: in this case it was the Korean War
- Outline your factors/argument and give a defined judgement for evaluative marks
Undoubtedly, Kim Il Sung’s resolve to create a unified, communist Korea was the prominent driving
factor of the Korean War. Having ignored the United Nations’ plans to conduct all-Korean elections,
the Soviets held communist-dominated elections on the 25th of August 1948 in the North. This led
to the founding of the DPRK and Sung’s Soviet-backed ascension. Paired with this, Kim Il Sung’s
reputation as a Korean war hero allowed him to rule in an autocratic, dictatorial style. By 1949, Sung
and the communists had established stable rule in North Korea and Sung began promoting a cult of
personality – much like Stalin. Statues of him appeared and he was referred to as the “Great
Leader.” Via this cult of personality, Sung aimed to increase nationalism and form a national identity
in order to fuel his future war effort. In addition, Sung united the Workers’ Party of North Korea and
the Workers’ Party of South Korea into the Workers’ Party of Korea in order to increase his absolute
control - making an invasion of South Korea even easier. Furthermore, archives suggest that the
decision to invade South Korea was Sung’s action, not Stalin’s. Sung’s initial appeals for Stalin’s
approval were initially denied, however, a change in the political climate led to Stalin eventually
approving (April 1950) Sung’s planned annexation of South Korea. In spite of the first successful
detonation of the USSR’s Joe-1 atomic bomb, the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, and American
Withdrawal from the South (all three events further increase the USSR’s security), it was Sung’s
persistence that sparked the war. Stalin himself had little motivation to start a proxy war while there
were tensions in Eastern and Central Europe. Additionally, Sung pursued Mao Zedong’s support and
forces in the Korean War. Reluctantly, the People’s Republic of China joined when Sung informed
them of Stalin’s approval, and when United Nation forces rapidly moved towards the Yalu River in
October 1950. Again, Sung’s persistence led to a further escalation of the Korean War. Thus, it is
clear that the determined nature of Kim Il Sung was the driving force behind the start of the Korean
War. His cult of personality, unification of parties, and persistence with Mao and Stalin are clear
examples of his determination leading to the outbreak of the Korean War.
- Use a signpost sentence to introduce your argument/factor
- Always use the names factor/argument as your first argument
- Develop argument using historical context and interweave into argument
- Link other arguments and evaluate other arguments (such as whether it was Stalin’s or Sung
which led to the outbreak)
- Round of the paragraph with a link back to the question and your argument
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