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CONTAINING
COMMUNISM
KOREA
After fighting from WWII (1939-1945) was over, the United States and the
Soviet Union (Russia) found themselves engaged in a Cold War (no fighting).
During the Cold War, the U.S. and Soviet Union competed with each other to get as many other
countries in the world they could to support their type of government . The Soviet Union wanted
communist governments. The United States wanted democratic governments.
One place where this struggle was clearly seen
was in the Korean Peninsula. At the end of WWII, the
Soviet Union was in control of the northern half of the
peninsula and the United States controlled the southern
half. Though the peace treaty called for elections to be
held to unify (join) Korea into one country, the Soviet
Union wanted a communist government and the United
States wanted a western style democracy. Because they
could never agree on how to hold elections, Korea was
simply divided into two countries. North Korea became a
communist country. South Korea became a democracy.
The United States insisted on supporting a free South
Korea. They believed that if any additional countries in
Southeast Asia went to a communist form of government, others would quickly follow. This idea
was called the Domino Theory meaning if one country fell to communism, all the others nearby
would fall like dominos was well.
War broke out between North and South Korea in 1950. In order to make sure that
communism did not move into South Korea, the United States helped South Korea during the war.
Making sure another country did not become communist was part of America’s containment
policy to contain or keep communism from spreading to other nations in Southeast Asia. After
three years of fighting in Korea, a truce (peace treaty) redrew the original boundary to where it still
remains today. North Korea is still a communist country. It also has an autocratic government
ruled by Kim Jong-Il. South Korea, however, with free elections and a democratic constitution has
become very wealthy and successful.