Lesson 11.04: Conflict in Asia

• Introduction
• Communism in China
• Practice
• Task

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to: Describe the Communist Revolution in China. Identify the location where Nationalist Party members fled after their demise in China. Trace the origins of the Korean War and US involvement in Korea. The above objectives correspond with the following Alabama Course of Study Objectives: ACOS XSummarize events leading to World War II, including the militarization of the Rhineland, Germany's seizure of Austria and Czechoslovakia, Japan's invasion of China, and the Rape of Nanjing.

 

	United Nations forces cross the 38th parallel
United Nations forces cross the 38th parallel. IRC. 2005. Discovery Education. 13 February 2010 <http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>

United Nations forces cross the 38th parallel.

 

Overview

While the eyes of the world were focused on the expansion of communism in Europe, Asia was facing a communist threat of its own. Japanese aggression during World War II devastated China and its people. In the aftermath of the war, the desperate Chinese were eager for new leadership. Mao Zedong, the revolutionary Communist leader in China, promised an end to the suffering and a new beginning for China. After years of fighting, Mao Zedong's Communist Party successfully overthrew the Nationalist Party in China and established yet another communist nation in the world.  Though the international community was shocked and concerned, they did little to respond to the development.

Meanwhile in neighboring Korea, the Korean people were trying to rebuild after they too were devastated by the Japanese during World War II. However in this case, the United States and the Soviet Union accepted the Japanese surrender, so they in return were given temporary control over part of Korea. The Soviet Union retained control in the area north of the 38th parallel, while the United States retained control over the southern half.  In 1950, shortly after the US and Soviet withdrawal from the area, North Korea invaded South Korea using Soviet weaponry and training. This time, the international community responded aggressively by condemning North Korea's actions. Furthermore, they pledged any assistance needed to restore peace to the region.