Shen Zhihua: Decision on Supporting North Korea to Start War
As to the question of the initiator of the Korean War, there is a consensus in the academic circles that the war was launched by the North of Korea with the consent, support and help of the USSR.[1]What we need to focus on now is China's view and position on this issue. What decision did Mao Zedong make and how did he make in the face of Kim Il Sung and Stalin's ideas?
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, whose Constitution (art. 103) stipulates that its capital is not Pyongyang, but Seoul, was firmly rooted in the belief of national reunification from the very beginning of its establishment.[2] As for the way of reunification, although propaganda has always talked about peaceful reunification, but Kim Il Sung knew that only through military means to achieve his grand cause. During his visit to Moscow in March 1949, Kim Il Sung hinted at this, but Stalin made it clear that reunification could only be achieved by peaceful means, and only in the case of the first attack by South Korea could the counter-offensive be carried out.[3] It was Stalin's postwar policy to avoid direct conflict with the United States in Asia.
At the end of April 1949, Kim Il-sung entrusted Kim Il Sung, director of the political department of the Korean People's Army, to visit China secretly. During the meeting, the North Koreans expressed concern that the South would attack the Northern Side with the help of Japan after the United States withdrew its troops, hoping for China's assistance, according to Mao Zedong's briefing to Moscow. Mao Zedong said China would quickly send elite troops to assist if the Japanese invaded North Korea, but “If the Americans go, The Japanese did not come, and even under such circumstances, we advised our Korean comrades not to launch an attack on South Korea” Because China's war is not over and the main force is south of the Yangtze River and cannot help North Korea. However, in order to strengthen North Korea's defense capabilities, Mao Zedong agreed to send ethnic Korean troops from Lin Biao's army to join the People's Army.[4]
A few months later, Kim Il Sung admitted to the Soviets that Mao Zedong thought "the North should not take military action now," Because "this is not politically advantageous," and "Chinese friends are busy with their own domestic affairs and will not give them strong help."[5]It was the first time Mao Zedong said he did not support North Korea's use of force to achieve national reunification, citing China's inability to provide timely help.
In August 1949, two months after U.S. troops withdrew from the Korean peninsula, Kim Il Sung formally raised the issue of attacking South Korea with the Soviet ambassador to North Korea.[6] Despite hitting a brick wall at the Soviet embassy, Kim Il Sung came up with a plan to capture the peninsula, trying to start with local operations.[7]
On September 24, the Politburo of the CPSU issued a resolution and informed the North Koreans that they had rejected their plan of military attack.[8]
Kim Il Sung did not lose heart, and returned to the Chinese. After the People's Republic of China was declared on 1 October, Kim Il Sung wrote a letter to Mao Zedong. The Russian scholar A. M. Ledovsky told me that Mao Zedong forwarded the letter to Stalin and said in a telegram on 21 October that the North Korean comrades wanted to solve the South Korean problem by force, and that Chinese leaders discouraged them from doing so.[9]
In his reply, Stalin agreed with Mao Zedong and promised to "give our advice to our Korean friends in this spirit."[10]Russian archives show that until the end of November 1949, Soviet leaders repeatedly telegraphed their ambassadors and military advisers in North Korea to try to prevent the situation near the 38th parallel from complicating, let alone allowing the Koreans to stir up trouble.[11]
On December 16, 1949, Mao Zedong arrived in Moscow. On that day, during the meeting between the leaders of China and the Soviet Union, Stalin and Mao Zedong agreed that "the most important issue is securing peace" and that peace can be secured if the two countries "work together."[12]
On December 24th, Stalin held a second formal meeting with Mao Zedong, the main topic of discussion was the Communist Party of Asia.[13] Although there is no information about the meeting in the declassified archives of China and Russia, But Stalin told Mao Zedong in Moscow that Kim Il Sung was young and brave and wanted to take action against the South, but he overestimated the advantages, Shi recalled. Mao Zedong said he can only listen to the opinions of the fight, not the views of the non-fight, but we should still help Kim.[14]
By "helping," I do not mean supporting a North Korean attack. Mao Zedong talked about this to both Eugene and Mikoyan in 1956, He said to Stalin in Moscow: The situation in Korea is not that the north attacks the south, but that the south attacks the north; The problem is that the north side has to stay active and be prepared. Stalin agreed.[15]
Another Chinese diplomat, who asked not to be named, told me that he went to the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consult relevant documents before going to the DPRK to take up his post. A document was found describing a conversation Mao Zedong had with Stalin during his visit to the Soviet Union, in which Mao and Stalin supposedly complained about Kim Il Sung. Stalin said the man was too young and inexperienced; Mao Zedong suggested whether he could be replaced by a more experienced comrade; Stalin did not consent.
I judge, said here, should be the content of the conversation on December 24. The reason is that Mao Zedong held three formal talks with Stalin during his visit to the Soviet Union, Records of the other two meetings (16 December 1949 and 22 January 1950) have been released and do not directly address the Korean issue.
In late January 1950, Stalin and Mao Zedong had another small conversation about dealing with the Acheson speech, and North Korea was not involved, recalls Mao's translator, Zhe.[16] Moreover, it is impossible for the Chinese side to keep a written account of private meetings even if they exist. In any case, until the end of 1949, Mao Zedong and Stalin were united in disapproval of North Korea starting a war.
At this time, Kim Il Sung could not restrain his depression and distress. At a small luncheon on January 17, 1950, He complained to the Soviet ambassador Shtkov that Moscow was preventing him from reunifying his country, and threatened to meet Stalin and, if he did not see him, go to Beijing to see Mao Zedong. Shtekov reported the incident, but Stalin did not respond for more than a dozen days.[17]
On 30 January, Stalin suddenly telegraphed to Pyongyang that he was ready to receive Kim Il Sung at any time and to help him, reminding that "it is necessary to be fully prepared for such a major action against South Korea."[18]On February 2nd it added that the matter should not be told "to any other North Korean leader or Chinese comrade."[19] Here, in order to safeguard the Soviet strategic interests in East Asia and the Pacific, Stalin[20]Suddenly changed his mind and prepared to give North Korea the green light.
On April 8, Kim Il Sung arrived in Moscow in secret. In about half a month, the leaders of the Soviet Union and North Korea discussed in detail the various matters concerning the attack against South Korea. Stalin approved the strategic deployment and operational plan proposed by Kim. Finally, Stalin reminded Kim that Mao Zedong should also be allowed because he was the leader of the Asian revolution and had to ask China to "provide all the help" "if you encounter strong resistance." After Kim Il Sung returned to Pyongyang on April 25, preparations for war were in full swing.[21]
At this point, Mao Zedong was in the dark. On May 3, Stalin telephoned Mao Zedong to say that Kim Il Sung had come to Moscow and that the talks would be "specially informed to you in a few days."[22]But the Soviet Union did not do further briefings, but Kim Il-sung and his party on May 13 to Beijing. In the evening's talks, Kim Il Sung briefed the Moscow trip results, Saying that he had Stalin's full support, he boasted that he could solve the problem in two or three months, but that the matter "must be discussed with Chinese comrades and with Comrade Mao Zedong himself."
Mao Zedong did not believe Stalin would suddenly switch sides and demand verification from Moscow.[23]At 11: 30 p. m., Zhou Enlai arrived at the Soviet Embassy, said Mao Zedong wanted Stalin himself to explain the problem, and "request a quick call back."[24]
The next afternoon, Soviet Ambassador Roshen delivered Stalin's return to Mao Zedong: "In view of the changed international situation," The Soviet leader "agreed with the Koreans' proposal for reunification," but "the issue must ultimately be resolved jointly by Chinese and Korean comrades, and if Chinese comrades do not agree, the issue should be discussed again."[25]
After reading the telegram, Mao Zedong immediately agreed. 15 meeting with the North Korean leader, Mao Zedong explained, He originally intended to help Korea achieve reunification after liberating Taiwan. But since the DPRK has decided to fight now, which is a common cause between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, China has agreed to the first move and is ready to give necessary assistance. Kim Il Sung thanked him but stated that North Korea did not need China's help.[26]
This was the general decision - making process of the leaders of china, the soviet union and the dprk on launching the korean war. It can be seen from this that North Korea was the most proactive on this issue, that the Soviet Union changed its position halfway through, and that China supported it at the last minute.[27]
These facts prove that North Korea and the Soviet Union together kidnapped China when it came to waging war, and Mao Zedong reluctantly accepted a fait accompli. As Mao Zedong later said, "I have said many times that we should not fight, and we should expect the imperialists to intervene." But Kim Il Sung "was already determined to fight," and Stalin agreed. Now that the two countries have agreed, "I firmly oppose, but also not."[28]
As China's leader, Mao Zedong is naturally reluctant to go to war with North Korea for reasons of national interest. But as a leading member of the Soviet-led socialist camp and the head of the Asian revolution, he had to conform to Moscow's wishes and look after the interests of the international communist movement as a whole. For China, this is a forced choice rather than a decision it made.
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