Western policies in Asia
Yalta and Potsdam
- Yalta- 1945 feb, ussr-us-sino-uk trusteeship of korea proposed, USA promises Stalin footholds in
Asia, Port Arthur, joint control of manchuria.
- Potsdam- 1945 July-Aug, nuclear threat and arms race begins, atlee and truman replace
churchill and roosevelt, refusal of ussr proposal and goes back on promises, greater tensions
develop
Kennan’s Long Telegram
- 1946, 8000 words doc outlining threat of ussr and their exaggerated threat of usa in order to
maintain domestic legitimacy.
- Dictated much of us foreign policy to more active involvement, sparks domino theory and red
scare exacerbated
NSC-68
- 1950, supports Acheson’s speech 1950, intended to provoke red scare, proposes tripling of us
defence budget
DPS
- 1950, a “military line in the sand”, meant USA could protect their economic crossroads as Pacific
area key for rubber, tin, etc
- Cost effective way of indirectly occupying asia
Model states
- Japan- Hirohito made a figurehead, 1946 Shigeru Yoshida PM, 1951 San Fran treaty ending japan
as an imperial power. Economically- breaking up of monopolistic bodies of zaibatsu, culturally-
chewing gum and politically- treaties and elections- became a model state and vital ally for us,
okinawa nuclear weapon base for example.
- Philippines- 1946 bell trade act, peso pegged to us dollar to protect us business men's interests,
given equal land rights, Roxas as puppet leader. Also vital ally, but more so due to us exploitation
of the nation, but also prevented anti-us alliance at bandung conference.
- Despite differences, us was able to prevent communist takeover in both, establish democracy,
and gain vital allies.
Fall of China to Communism
- JJ “purification movement” 1927, Sino-japanese war 1937-45, chinese civil war 1945-50, PRC
established 1949.
- JJ desertion rates in army of up to 80%, disconnect from peasantry with his “air of fastidious
distinction”, also hyperinflation causing increase in prices 1000x as injected huge amounts of
paper currency into economy.
- Mao however appealed to peasantry, appeared nationalistic, served by competent generals
such as lin bao, also aid from ussr far superior to us aid to JJ, who they called “peanut”, despite
sending 50k marines and total of 500 million dollars over course of civil war, but once aid
stopped after china act 1949, Mao wins- but aid persists to Taiwan until 1979, and Mutual
defence treaty 1954-79 when PRC is finally recognised. Also ping pong diplomacy 1970s.
, Malayan Emergency
- 1948-60, 1500 British troops killed, 7000 civilians and 6000 communist fighters. MPLA is 90%
chinese despite them making up only 40% of the population, guerilla activity and aided by
chinese squatter communities on edges of jungles. Racial tensions in the nation already,
problems due to decentralised admin, brits had to compromise between 9 different states and
their sultans, and singapore, as well as contempt against chinese community who as a result
had no citizenship rights.
- Briggs plan- strategic hamlets/ new villages program leads to the forced relocation of 1 million
until 1952, curfews imposed, strict regulations, death penalties, rationing. 1948 Batang Kali
massacre, 24 villagers burned and mutilated.
- Templer plan, “smiling tiger”- focus on hearts and minds element, hiring chinese squatters as
local police, medical and food aid, gave chinese squatters citizenship, also declared that
malaya would be given independence in 1960, increased number of battalions 13-24 by 1954,
and established a jungle warfare school. Use of pesticides and agent orange, as well as
dropping in the troops by helicopter to do efficient jungle sweeps- also appointed Tunku Abdul
Rahman as PM, who declared emergency the “people’s war”.
- 1950, 500 terrorist attacks a month, 1953, only 100. 1951 only 2 bits of intel given by locals a month,
1952, 65 a month, by 1954, MPLA had lost 23rds its forces.
Korean War
Causes of the war/ roles of individual nations
- USSR- provides NK with troops and weaponry initially, provides china with 16 regiments of Mig-15
fighter jets in NK insignia, no match for the cumbersome US B-29’s, so effective that Sino-Nk
border was named “Mig-alley”. Gives “green light” for involvement, Kim asks 1949, is rejected,
1950 asks again, Stalin accepts and then war breaks out. Wants to entangle US in costly foreign
conflict to draw their attention away from E.Europe, but he goes to great lengths to hide
involvement, instructing pilots to commit suicide if crash on UN held territory, taught Korean air
signs. Prolongs war due to Stalin’s stance against issue of prisoners of war.
- USA- Achesons speech and DPS, gives “green light” to Stalin’s “green light”, Truman feels need to
assert control over communism after red scare and fall of china, and he is a democrat so needs
to show “harsh stance”. Fear of domino theory and fall of Korean peninsula, spent over 20 billion
on war, nuclear weapon threat perceived as a “paper tiger”- moved nuclear weapons to
Okinawa base in Japan. Role of MacArthur in provoking Chinese intervention, prolonging war
and greatly increasing death count/ cost of war.
- China- arguably no early intervention as spring 1950 cut PLA forces 5.4 million to 4 million, and
only troops stationed by Yalu river were 42d feld corps to oversee crop production. Spent 6.2
billion Renminbi on the war and offered troops to Kim. Involvement as NK is a “buffer state” to
Capitalism and USA, however wanted to reduce escalation, so labelled PLA, People’s Volunteer
Army, however also germ warfare allegations launched by Beijing 1952 and 1951 to increase anti-
US hysteria and also explicitly showed interest in use of nuclear weapons.
- NK/ SK- responsible for direct outbreak and border clashes due to nationalism and desire to
reunify nation.
