It has been almost 75 years since the Korean War was sparked, and for the most part, we are convinced that Kim Il Sung had been the instigator for the attacks on South Korea with the view of unifying the whole Korean peninsula. But, according to records, Kim wasn't actually acting alone in making his decision, as it would become apparent that the other two Communist superpowers at the time - Russia and China - had also been involved in the discussions of taking military action against South Korea.
According to messages between Kim and Stalin, Kim had been proposing a possible invasion to the South given that American troops were being pulled out, and seeing that the South Koreans were against a pro-American regime at the time, Kim had thought that the best time to make a move was the soonest possible. Initially, Stalin had been hesitant to approve of this proposal and advised Kim to wait, instead of jumping the gun and launching an offensive right away.
Stalin's concern at the time was actually the opposite of what Kim Il Sung had been saying. Stalin had feared some form of aggression from the people of the South and so he wanted Kim to be patient, and advised him to simply wait for the time for a counterattack instead of making the first move. Furthermore, Stalin saw that the northern army would not be strong enough to overwhelm the southern army, not just in numbers but in military strength with the possibility of reinforcements from the US.
On the other hand, Kim had suggested a partial operation in the Ongjin peninsula in order to demoralize the opposing forces before storming with their troops and achieving a rapid victory. Still, Stalin was cautious and wanted Kim to simply prepare for any contingencies that might occur.
Midway through their discussions, Stalin started to sing a different tune. When once he had advised caution and merely preparation, he started to communicate to Kim that he would be willing and ready to send reinforcements whenever they launch their attack on the South. What changed Stalin's mind was mainly the success of the Chinese Community Party against the Kuomintang, which paved the way for an attack on South Korea to be successful. However, Stalin also calculated that this would only be possible with the intervention of China. He urged Kim to present this to Mao Zedong, which the latter reluctantly approved.
So, on 25 June 1950, the North invaded the South and was quite successful. However, Stalin had not foreseen the intervention of the United Nations in the fray, as well as the swift response of MacArthur to launch a counterattack, when American troops landed at Incheon in September. Kim and Stalin found themselves in a bind, with Kim requesting Stalin for aid in the battle, meanwhile Stalin ran to Mao to send reinforcements to the 38th Parallel.
Three years later, after Stalin died, the offensive against the South was dropped and all the collaborators sought a formal end to the conflict. So, who exactly started the Korean War? At the end of it all, although Kim Il Sung was the main instigator, he definitely had support, mainly from Stalin and to a lesser extent, Mao.
(Image source: Franz Kratschmer/Linkedin)
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