Korea showed both superpowers seeking allies in Asia, and how hard those allies were to control.
The war sharpened bipolar competition. Each superpower looked for ideological and strategic allies in Asia, and each found that allies had their own aims.
The USA gained a network of allies. In 1951 it signed a peace treaty and a security treaty with Japan, and the ANZUS pact with Australia and New Zealand. In 1953 it signed a Mutual Defense Treaty with South Korea. Japan's economy also boomed from American wartime orders.
Sustaining allies was difficult. Syngman Rhee opposed an armistice that left Korea divided. In June 1953 he released about 25,000 prisoners to disrupt the talks. The USA won his agreement only by promising a defence treaty and aid.
The communist alliance was also strained. China bore heavy losses, while Stalin gave weapons but avoided open combat and required China to pay for Soviet arms. Mao resented this, which later fed the Sino-Soviet split. North Korea came to depend on both China and the USSR.
- US-Japan Security Treaty
- 1951.
- ANZUS
- 1951: USA, Australia, New Zealand.
- US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty
- 1953.
- Rhee's prisoner release
- June 1953, about 25,000 prisoners.
Worked example: Successes and limitations in sustaining allies
An H1-style question asks how far the superpowers succeeded in sustaining their allies.
- US success: treaties with Japan, ANZUS and South Korea built a lasting alliance system.
- US limitation: Rhee resisted the armistice and had to be bargained with.
- Soviet success: the Sino-Soviet alliance survived the war.
- Soviet limitation: Chinese resentment at Soviet caution and terms planted seeds of the split.
Watch out for this
Allies simply followed the superpowers' orders.
Rhee, Kim and Mao each pursued their own aims. The superpowers had to persuade, reward and sometimes restrain them.
Check your understanding
How did the USA persuade Syngman Rhee to accept the armistice?
- It promised a mutual defence treaty and economic aid.
- It agreed to continue the war until Korea was unified.
- It removed him from office.