The background of the decision of Mao Zedong of the Chinese Communist Party to participate in the Korean War in 1950, and the benefits he gained from it, have become more clearly revealed since the 1990s with the declassification of secret documents in Russia and China. Based on the latest research and declassified documents, this article summarizes the domestic and international benefits and limitations that Mao Zedong gained from participating in the Korean War, as well as the reality of his participation.
Benefits of Participation Revealed by Declassified Documents
1) China’s Domestic Political Benefits and Strengthening of Power
China’s Mao Zedong sought to strengthen the unity and authority of the new Chinese Communist Party regime by participating in the Korean War. China, which had the problem of dealing with the 5.4 million People’s Liberation Army soldiers immediately after the Chinese Civil War, was able to ease internal discontent, unemployment, and social chaos by deploying some of its troops to the Korean Peninsula. Participation in the war was the result of Mao Zedong’s meticulous calculations to expand his personal great power ambitions, international influence, and domestic political position.
2) International political interests and relations with the Soviet Union
In order to receive economic and military support from Stalin of the Soviet Union, Mao could not refuse the Soviet Union’s request to participate in the war. It was also a choice to restore trust with the Soviet Union, introduce weapons for military modernization, and improve international status by joining the UN. It also had the character of repaying the ‘debt’ of North Korea’s Kim Il-sung for supporting the Chinese army from the rear during the Chinese Civil War. North Korea was the strategic rear base of the Chinese army, and spared no effort in providing supplies, weapons, and manpower.
3) Response to security threats
As the United States crossed the 38th parallel and advanced northward, Mao Zedong feared that Western military forces were approaching the Chinese border. In fact, the US blockade of the Taiwan Strait and the advance of the UN forces northward were perceived as immediate security threats to the Chinese leadership.
Major benefits gained from participation in the war
1) Unity and internal integration of the new People’s Republic of China
By sending 2.9 million People’s Volunteer Army soldiers to the war, the problem of excessive manpower after the civil war could be resolved and social discontent could be directed externally. The experience of participating in the war served as an opportunity to strengthen the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party’s rule, and led to national unity with the propaganda slogan of “Aiding North Korea against the United States.”
2) Strengthening international status and establishing a great power image
The experience of directly fighting the United States established China as a “great power” on the international stage, and later laid the foundation for expanding its influence in non-aligned countries and the Third World. The propaganda that the United States’ “invincible” myth was shattered became a great political asset both inside and outside China.
3) Strengthening relations with the Soviet Union and modernizing the military
The Soviet Union provided weapons and technical support in return, which later played an important role in China’s military modernization and the promotion of the Five-Year Plan for Economic Development.
- The cost and limitations of participating in the war
Officially, there was a huge loss of life, with 300,000 to 900,000 Chinese soldiers killed or wounded. It also took a huge economic toll, and led to the failure of the First Five-Year Economic Development Plan and the Great Leap Forward, deepening national poverty. Mao Zedong himself regretted his decision to participate in the war after the war ended, and his statement that “the Korean War was fundamentally wrong. Stalin should take responsibility” was confirmed in documents released in the 1990s.
The significance of the release of secret documents in the 1990s The release of top secret documents from Russia and China in the 1990s revealed that Mao Zedong’s decision to participate in the war was not simply a matter of supporting an alliance or ideological reasons, but rather a complex set of interests, including domestic political stability, strengthening international status, and strategic relations with the Soviet Union. The fact that Mao Zedong’s unilateral will played a major role in the decision to participate in the Korean War despite opposition from other leaders, and even the evaluations and regrets from inside and outside China after the war are confirmed in documents.
TOMOYU 