The Korean War from Chinese perspective, Introduction

 

The Korean War from Chinese perspective

For a number of reasons, I have finally decided to leave the Civil War era for next year, and start covering the Korean War this year, so bear with me, we won't miss that either, but at the moment we don't have the book material or the equipment to cover that era accurately.

INTRODUCTION:

The bloody civil war that lasted from 1945 to 1949 was eventually won by the communists (thanks to the missteps of the nationalist leadership, but especially Chiang Kai-shek, and the poor morale, bad tactical decisions and corruption in the army). Liberation came with the promise of peace to the troubled Chinese people. In 1949, the majority of the population welcomed the People's Liberation Army with relief, albeit cautiously, hoping to rebuild their lives, families and businesses after more than a decade of warfare. Instead, in October 1950, Mao engaged his people in another bloody and protracted war: the Korean War.

Proclamation of the People's Republic of China, 1 October 1949.

In January 1950, the United States announced that Korea was no longer part of its Pacific defence perimeter, so the North Koreans, inspired by the unification of China, were not afraid to take advantage of this and, with Stalin's help (although he refused to send troops), began planning the invasion of the South, with no small amount of help. Soviet officers took over the planning of the invasion and the date for the attack was set for 25 June 1950. A steady flow of high quality material and, thanks to Soviet trainers, the North Korean troops proved to be extremely effective. In Mao, however, Kim Il-sung found a loyal supporter who was prepared to provide troops to support his unification plans.

The North Korean invasion

In 1950, the North Korean army crossed the 38th parallel and moved south. The North, armed with Soviet weapons and trained with military advisers, far outnumbered the South Korean army, their initial attacks were fierce and it seemed impossible to repel them.
The image credit belongs to: Hsu Chung-mao

While the Americans refused to support the South with armour, anti-tank weapons and artillery of more than 105mm calibre, the North had plenty of everything. Under the guise of a border skirmish, supported by a well-planned series of air and ground strikes, the invasion of the North Korean troops was launched. The South, with barely 100,000 poorly equipped troops, faced unpromising results and were almost completely destroyed within weeks. US President Henry Truman reacted with lightning speed, pushing a bill through the legislature on 27 June in less than a day to approve support for the South Koreans with US troops and materiel. Stalin, meanwhile, did not lift a finger to prevent US intervention, probably because he secretly hoped that Mao would be able to destroy a sizeable US force in the conflict.

Meanwhile, on 29 June, North Korean troops captured the southern capital Seoul, and Britain then mobilized its navy to support the South. Ironically, the US troops were confronted by the first North Korean troops on 4 July, who forced them to retreat at lightning speed. A small advance force of the 24th Infantry Division attacked the North Koreans without hesitation, but without any anti-tank weapons they simply didn't have a chance, so they were defeated on the fifth of July: the 540-strong US force suffered 180 casualties.

The actions of the Battle of Osan

On 1 October 1950, Stalin called Mao to "ask" him for a force of 5-6 divisions to help the North Koreans. He proposed that the troops to be deployed be given the name "volunteers", so that China would not formally take part in the conflict. Mao had already deployed troops to the Yalu River before, keeping them on constant standby. Mao spent the next few days trying to gain the support of his colleagues to take part in the conflict, but only Zhou Enlai (Premier of the People's Republic of China) offered cautious support. Commander Lin Biao, who had won the Manchurian campaign for Mao, was struggling with illness and was unable to carry out such a large task. Other leaders, such as Liu Shaoqi (President of the People's Republic of China), were strongly opposed to the conflict, fearing that in the event of Chinese intervention, the Americans might start bombing Chinese cities, possibly targeting important Manchurian industrial districts, or even not shy away from using the atomic bomb. General Nie Rongzhen later said that those who opposed involvement in the conflict were of the opinion that, after decades of warfare, it would be better not to get involved in another war until the issue could really be avoided.

Mao took a huge gamble, hoping that America would not extend the conflict to China, fearing that the Soviets might intervene on his side. He was firmly convinced that America would have neither the stomach nor the capacity for a protracted war in which it would stand no chance against the millions of Chinese troops he intended to deploy in this case. There was no question for a moment of involvement, since an American-backed enemy Korea on the Chinese border would have been a distinct threat.

The Chinese Volunteer Army, standing on the banks of the Yalu River, preparing to cross the river to join the Korean War in late 1950.
The image credit belongs to: Hsu Chung-mao

From 7 October, events accelerated as the US forces crossed the 38th parallel and pushed back the North Koreans at a rapid pace, and on 19-20 October Pyongyang, the North's capital, fell. At that time, 200,000 Chinese volunteer soldiers (hereafter referred to as PVA or People's Volunteer Army) crossed the Yalu River and poured into North Korea to take the fight on the US troops....

The PVA is crossing the Yalu river