How significant was Chinas intervention in deciding the course and outcome of the Korean War?

by blueisthecolour (student)

How Significant was China’s intervention in deciding the course and outcome of the Civil War?

China’s intervention in the Korean played a significant part in deciding the course and outcome of the Civil War in a variety of ways. Among the most significant of these factors are the role played by the Chinese ‘volunteer’ army in pushing the UN forces back to the 38th Parallel and then South Korea, which prolonged a conflict which was seemingly going to be won by the UN. Without this intervention, the stalemate that led to the eventual Armistice would never have happened. Also, if China hadn’t intervened, then General MacArthur may not have been sacked by Truman, as part of the reason for his sacking was his failure to prevent the advance of the PRC; this would have been academic if the PRC hadn’t intervened in the war. If China had not intervened, MacArthur could have still been in control of the army ( as Truman would have had less reason to dismiss him), and as a result the US could have held a more aggressive stance towards attacking mainland China, as this is what MacArthur wanted in order to end the conflict quickly. Chinese intervention also meant that the damage and cost to all sides increased, as well as the significant impact China had on the eventual peace terms.

One of the main factors that demonstrate the significance of the Chinese intervention was the role played by the ‘volunteer’ Chinese army. Although this force was made up of 300,000 poorly equipped fighters, they were experienced fighters as many had already fought in the Chinese Civil War. Initially, it seemed that the Chinese intervention was ‘too little, too late’, as they lost their first major battle with the UN forces, and in October 1950, the ROK’s troops crossed the 38th Parallel. In addition to this, the US Eighth Army captured the capital of North Korea on the 20th October 1950, as well as the X command capturing the important port of Wonsan on the East Coast. As a result, it initially seemed that Chinese intervention might prolong the Civil War, but ultimately, a UN victory would be inevitable. However, the apparent weakness of the Chinese forces was just a carefully planned illusion that caused the UNC to view China as a weaker force than it was. The fact that officially it was a ‘volunteer’ force would have further added to this view. As a result, by the 25th November, the CPV had defeated the 2nd Corps of the ROK, and had successfully cut off the US First and Ninth Marine Corps and the US Secondary Infantry Division. As a result, the Chinese intervention was having a growing significance on the course of the war, as it was forcing the UNC troops back to the 38th Parallel. This was accentuated by the fact that the morale of the UNC troops was greatly damaged – just when they thought the war was almost won, they were faced with experienced, fresh-faced troops from the CPV. It would ultimately have great significance on the outcome of the war as well as without it; the war would never have reached the stalemate that it did.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Another way in which Chinese intervention was significant was the impact it had on the US leadership of Army, i.e. the dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur. The Chinese intervention played a significant role in this because without it, Truman would have had little reason to dismiss him, as previously, after the very successful battle of Inchon, the UNC forces were moving swiftly and were close to victory. After Chinese intervention, MacArthur had to pay the price for his rash and over-aggressive tactics as the UNC forces were pushed back to the 38th Parallel, which lead to MacArthur losing favour with President Truman. In addition to this, MacArthur publicly spoke of his discontent at not being able to blockade and bomb industrial and military targets on mainland China and end the war quickly, despite Truman not wanting him to, which ultimately led to his dismissal. Although it could be argued that Truman was waiting for an excuse to fire the Republican MacArthur (not just because of his political side, but also due to his rumoured Presidential ambitions), and would have eventually found a way to even if China had not intervened in the Civil War, without the Chinese intervention and as a consequence the rash military and general decisions made by MacArthur, he would probably have retained his job for the time being, largely because of his popularity amongst both the public and the Republicans in Congress, but also because of what would have been a successful US intervention in Korea. As a result, assuming MacArthur had kept his job and China had not intervened, MacArthur would have been able to pursue his aggressive tactics in Korea, and probably have been successful quite soon after. Thus, the Chinese intervention had a hugely significant impact on the course and eventual outcome of the war, as without it, it was likely the war would have ended by Christmas 1950 in favour of the UN; rather than being prolonged and ending up in the stalemate which it eventually did.

As a result of these effects of China’s significance on the course of the war, China also made a significant impact on the eventual armistice. If the Chinese had not intervened in the Korean Civil War, the UN would most probably have been successful in the War, and it would have not resulted in the stalemate that it did. As a result, the ROK and UN would have been able to dictate the terms of the peace settlement. But because of the Chinese intervention, although both sides wanted peace, they were both relatively equally matched, and as a result, didn’t want to make too many concessions. The difficulties in negotiations were accentuated by the fact that due to the vast ideological and cultural differences between the two sides, they both deeply distrusted each other (there was even a great deal of debate as to where the negotiations would take place before they could even begin!). The Chief UN delegate Admiral Turner Joy even said that the negotiations flowed ‘with all the speed of a stiff concrete mix’. One of the main disagreements that slowed down the negotiations was the release of Prisoners of War; the Chinese wanted an ‘all for all’ return whereas the UN wanted a 1:1 ratio, meaning that not all the Chinese prisoners would be returned. The issue was further complicated by the US claim that 16,000 of the 21,000 Chinese prisoners of war held did not want to go back to China. These difficulties all began due to the Chinese intervention in the war, as this heavily affected the outcome, which in turn impacted the bargaining positions of both the UN and the Communists. Even though an eventual armistice was agreed on the 16th June 1953, the ROK leader Syngman Rhee opposed a great deal of the compromises made at Panmunjom, which lead to fierce attacks on the ROK by Chinese and North Korean forces. This again shows how significant the Chinese intervention in the Korean War was, as it not only led to long, drawn out negotiations, but also further prolonged the fighting.

In addition to this, the Chinese intervention in the Korean War lead to further costs on both sides; both financial and human. The Korean War totally cost the US 20 Billion Dollars, a value that may have been considerably less had China not intervened and not just prolonged the war, but also made it more difficult for the UNC. It also cost China 2.5 Billion Dollars. Also, almost a quarter of a million South Koreans were killed in action in the Civil War and over 50,000 US troops were also killed. Again, this value would have been lower if the Chinese intervention had not prolonged the course of the war.

Overall, the Chinese intervention in the Korean Civil War played a very significant role in deciding both the course and the impact of the War. The most significant factor in their intervention was the 300,000 ‘volunteer troops’, which lulled MacArthur’s forces into a false sense of security, before forcing them back to the 38th Parallel. This not only greatly affected the course of the War by prolonging it, but also the outcome; i.e. the intervention ultimately returned Korea to the position it was in at the start, rather than in favour of the ROK. They also unwittingly played a large role in the sacking of General MacArthur, who clearly underestimated them with his almost arrogantly offensive tactics. In addition to this, the role the Chinese intervention played in the peace negotiations was significant, as instead of the UN being able to impose a treaty on North Korea, the Communist forces of China and the North Korea were in a much stronger bargaining position.

Rahul Ravi 12SRM

Teacher Reviews

Here's what a teacher thought of this essay

Natalya Luck

24th of Oct 2014

This is an excellent response that considers the impact of Chinese intervention in great detail and analyses it confidently. It could be more balanced in places but the argument that Chinese intervention was decisive is a convincing one. 5 Stars.

Did you find this review helpful? Join our team of reviewers and help other students learn