S3: What factors made Korea vulnerable and appealing for military occupation? What geopolitical factors in the 20th century led Korea’s invasion and occupation in June 1950?

Korea was vulnerable in regards to their weak military and their lack of the ability to sustain a military conflict. The ROK military was weak in regards to their untested military leadership and the lack of ammunition and proper equipment to combat Russian T-34 tanks. Maintenance was also an issue. The equipment they did have was unmaintained and did not properly function when it was to be used. The lack of adequate weapons to support their entire force caused some infantrymen to go into battle expecting that they can pick up a weapon from the dead.

The factors that lead into the Korean War falls partly in the competing ideologies of the US and Russia which led to the Domino Theory. The Domino Theory was in essence a loss to communism anywhere was a loss to communism anywhere. The United States support for the unification of a democratic Korea was at best ambiguous. The sham democracy that Korea was under President Rhee helped the North Koreans ability to infiltrate the government and their ability to politically appeal the South Korean poor population. We wanted to help, but politically we didn’t want be roped into another international affair. In the conclusion of WWII, we continued to downsize the military without thought to future foreign military affairs. We for the time being believed WWII was the war to end all wars. We also weren’t completely certain where we stood on the spread of communism and the policy for containment. In regards to the spread of communism, what was the redline? Korea wasn’t a vital American international interest, it was more to appear strong in the face of communist Russia. The United States strategic goals were never completely understood by Americans making it impossible for Russia to guess as well. The strategic goal was as vague as a creating unified Democratic Republic in Korea.