Canada and the Cold War in Relation to Korea

Topics: Cold War, War Words: 2055 Pages: 8

Introduction

The Korean Peninsula remained under Japanese colonial rule until the defeat of Japan in World War II. The Soviet Union and the United States of America led the Allied forces to force Japan to exit the Korean Peninsula in September 1945¹. Subsequently, the peninsula was divided into South and North Korea under different Cold War rivals. The Soviet Union troops occupied the North while the United States troops occupied South Korea. The United States, the Soviet Union, and the Koreans initiated a diplomatic effort to unite the Northern and Southern factions. The Northern faction opted to use military force to annex the Southern part by sponsoring insurgency. However, the southern faction (Republic of Korea) suppressed the insurgency successfully, which led the northern faction (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) to opt for military force. The North’s Korean People’s Army troops invaded the south on 25 June 1950, when they crossed the 38^th parallel². The Chinese troops entered Korea in October 1950 when they crossed the Yalu River into North Korea; they pushed the United Nations’ troops back south³. The invasion of the Korean Peninsula, by Communist regime such as the Chinese and Soviet Union, divided the world further between Capitalist West and the Communists countries.

The invasion of South Korea heightened the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States. Meanwhile, the United Nations came up with the UNSC Resolution 82, which called for the stoppage of all hostilities and withdrawal of North Korea troops, among other resolutions⁴. However, North Korea’s forces matched towards Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and took it within a week. The forces took control of the port of Pusan (seat of ROK government) and, eventually, all of the Korean Peninsula, apart from an enclave at the end of the country. The United Security Council rallied its members on a mission to save South Korea⁵. The United States had already offered assistance to repel the North Korean attack. The countries that offered to send troops included Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and other countries that contributed troops as per the solution of the United Nations Security Council⁶. The beginning of the Korean War heightened rivalry between the United State and the Soviet Union.

Canadian Entry

The involvement of Canada in the Korean affair was announced by Lester Pearson, the Secretary of State for External Affairs. Canada responded to the request by the United Nations Security Council and sent military troops through the United Nations under the leadership of the United States military⁷. The Prime Minister of Canada, by then, was Louis St-Laurent whose devotion to save South Korea led to the creation of Army Special Force to serve under the United Nations Command in Korea. The Canadian military lowered recruitment standards when it began enrolling recruits for the Special Forces. Among the recruits included were young, adventure-seeking young men, World War II veterans, and members of the Active Forces. The training took eighteen months and the Special Forces became the 2^nd Battalion of the Canadian Light Infantry. The Communist troops had reoccupied Pyongyang after driving out the UN troops by the time the Canadian troops arrived⁸. In December 1950, the Canadian naval ships helped evacuate 7700 United States troops trapped on the west coast of the Korean peninsula. Canada formed two other battalions and sent them to Korea in 1951⁹. Canada had 8500 troops in Korea by spring of 1951, which along with 5000 Turkish, 5000 Filipino, and 12500 British troops, supported the UN¹⁰. Therefore, the Canadian entry into the Korea War helped strengthen the U.S.A and the UN troops.

Canadian Troops Operations Area

The Canadian troops operated in a small area, approximately 30 square miles, which was under UN-British Commonwealth forces¹¹. The area under the Canadian troops was on North of Seoul, the Capital city, east of River Sami-Chon, and north of the town of Chorwon. The Canadian troops were part of Operation Killer, the term the United Nations forces used to refer to the counter-offensive to push North Korean and Communist armies out of Seoul city. When the operation began in 1951, 900 Canadian troops set off to the front, 240 km away¹². The journey was not easy due to the freezing temperature and tough terrain. The troops encountered enemy fire from both sides as they climbed, but they managed to wade off the attacks and reach their destination. Another troop left the village of Sangsok and matched towards the North to strategic position near Seoul¹³. The troop could not attack since the Chinese had an easy line of sight that helped to attack the Canadian troops on both sides. When the Australian troop attacked the Chinese troops and gained control of the most strategic hills, the Canadian troops participated fully in repelling the invading armies and helped to liberate South Korea.

Important Event and the Battle Won by Canadian Troops

In April 1952, the Communist troops launched a major offensive against the UN troops. During the offensive, about 700 Canadian servicemen confronted and repulsed about 5000 Chinese troops trying to gain control of a strategic hill¹⁴. On November 22, 1951, the Canadian troops, in the Battle of Hill 355, endured heavy shelling and defended the front lines at Hill 355, the battle lasted three days¹⁵. The Canadian troops helped the United States military recapture an American prisoner of war camp at Geojedo (Koje-Do) when the Chinese and the North Korean prisoners rebelled and took control of the camp. The soldiers of the Royal Canadian Regiment won four Military Medals and three Military Crosses for gallantry during the Battle of Kowang-San. The Canadian troops encountered frequent enemy shellfire and countless assaults on their positions. However, the last major battle the Canadian troops fought was the Battle of Hill 187, where the troops endured heavy assaults from enemy positions¹⁶. The Canadian troops helped the UN troops to stop the North Korean army from further occupying South Korea by engaging its invading troops.

Canadian Navy in Korea

Canada was a major ally in the repulsion of North Korea from South Korea. The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) maintained a heavy presence in the Korean waters. The RCN deployed 3621 Canadian sailors in the Korean War¹⁷. The RCN dispatched destroyers as the country’s initial response to the UN Security council’s call for assistance after North Korean troops invaded South Korea. RCN warships joined other UN naval forces in Korean waters and were assigned critical roles like destroying critical infrastructures such as North Korean rails, bridges, and bombardment of shores under enemy control. Among the Canadian ships that dispatched to serve in the Korean War included the HMCS Cayuga, Sioux, Crusader, Athabaskan, Huron, Iroquois, HMCS Nootka, and Haida. The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) ships engaged enemies in the coastal town of Inchon without suffering much damage except on October 2, 1952. During the incident, a Canadian naval ship on patrol was inflicted by an enemy’s defense battery. The RCN missions were so successful during the Korean War that only 8 out of 28 trains were destroyed. The North Korean forces were hit by the Canadians, with Crusader (Canadian ship) destroying three trains¹⁸. The Canadian navy was very significant in the defense of the coastal towns under the UN troops.

Canadian Air Force

The Korean War saw the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) heavily involved in moving troops and transporting supplies. The RCAF attached aircraft to Military Air Transport Service transported 13,000 passengers and 3,000 tons of cargo in support of the Korean War¹⁹. The Canadian government allocated fighter squadrons to NATO; thus, the RCAF squadrons were not directly involved in combat during the Korean War. The Canadian government supplied sixty Canadair Sabres to the US Air force when they experienced an F-86s fighter shortage. The pact between the Canadian and the United States militaries helped Canadian RCAF fighter pilots gain experience by flying American fighter jets during the Korean War. The RCAF fighter pilots were credited for destroying Soviet crafts and damaging hundreds of sorties. The Canadian fighter pilots’ medals included four Air Medals, one Commonwealth Distinguished Flying Cross, and seven Distinguished Flying Crosses. A Canadian pilot named Ernie Glover, who flew warplanes during World War II and was the holder of the Distinguished Flying Cross, helped shoot down three enemy planes within two days²⁰. The Canadian fighter pilots were so significant that they helped the UN troops to gain air dominance.

End of the Korean War

The Korean War became a campaign issue during the United States presidential elections of 1952. When Dwight Eisenhower was elected the president of the United States, he fulfilled one of his campaign promises of ending the Korean War. He visited Korea in November 1952 to initiate a cease-fire. Meanwhile, the UN secretary-general accepted the proposal by India for a Korean armistice, which led to the achievement of the highly waited cease-fire in July 1953²¹. The cease-fire agreement established a demilitarized zone (DMZ), which was under the defense of the UN and American troops on one side and the two rival North Korean and South Korean troops on the other sides. However, when the war ceased, the town of Kaesong remained under North Korea’s control though it was part of the south before the war broke. The United States and North Korea signed the Armistice Agreement, ending the war. The Canadians remained in Korea as military observers for the next three years after the war ended.

Impact of Cold War on Canada

As the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union escalated, there were indications the Soviet Union was likely to attack North America from the Arctic. According to the NATO intelligence, Soviet bombers were ready to attack as early as 1954²². The RCAF began to improve its military defense systems. The RCAF began to build an all-weather nuclear fighter jet, which was named Arrow. This fighter jet was designed to fly at supersonic speed and achieve the highest ever reached by any other aircraft. The design of Arrow laid the ground for the development of Satellites in Canada.

The government of the United States and that of Canada made a defense agreement centered on the construction of an early warning system and radar networks to monitor and intercept Soviet bombers. The Americans built three lines of radar stations: the Distance Early Warning, the Mid-Canada Line, and the Pine Tree Line²³. The military cooperation between the United States and Canada was close to the integration of air defense arrangements. The two governments created a joint command NORAD (North America Air Defense Command) that helped to integrate their defense forces. The NORAD aimed to deter long-range attacks from the Soviet Union. The Canadian government entered an agreement with the United States that allowed the deployment of antiaircraft missiles in Canada to intercept Soviet attacks. The Canadian government allowed the United States to deploy missiles fitted with nuclear warheads in Canada for defense purposes.

The Royal Canadian Navy became a strategic body in antisubmarine warfare due to its expertise in that area. The RCN, in conjunction with the NATO navies, patrolled the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to deter Soviet submarines from encroaching on NATO and allies-controlled areas²⁴. The Canadian government commissioned a fleet of state–of–the–art destroyer escorts to enhance its antisubmarine warfare. Canada and the United States cooperated in the development of underwater sensors and ship-borne antisubmarine warfare helicopters.

Conclusion

The entry of the Canadian armed forces in the Korean War was a welcome move that helped protect the Republic of Korea. Canadian armed forces brought their ground and naval expertise that helped the United Nations’ troops to regain much of the territories seized by the North Korean and Communist troops. Canada contributed a significant number of troops as well as military resources such as naval ships and aircraft during the Korean War. The relationship between Canada and the United States developed at a higher notch during and after the Korean War. Canada and the United States entered into military cooperation that created a joint command (NORAD) that integrated the country’s defense forces. Canada and the United States became allies during the Cold War for fear of attack by the Soviet military. The Canadian government allowed the United States to deploy missiles fitted with nuclear warheads on Canadian soil. The U.S.-Canada relationship has helped modernize the Canadian armed forces by integrating the two countries’ armed forces.

Bibliography

Bandeoğlu, Zeyyat. “United Nations’ role in the Korean War.” Turan-sam 11, no. 43 (2020) 373-379.

Tonder, Gerry. Korean War—Imjin River: Fall of the Glosters to the Armistice, April 1951-July 1953 (2020) Pen and Sword Military.

Ciccone, Stephen, Fred R. Kaen, and Huimin Li. “The Fortunes of War and Aircraft Manufacturer Stock Returns: The Case of the Korean War.” Eastern Economic Journal 44, no. 2 (2018) 211-241.

Mansor, Suffian. “Canadian role in the Korea War, 1950-53.” Sejarah: Journal of the Department of History (2017) 6, no. 6.

Marcuse, Gary, and Reginald Whitaker. Cold War Canada. University of Toronto Press, 2019.

Massie, Justin. “Why Canada goes to war: Explaining combat participation in US-led coalitions.” Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique (2019) 52, no. 3 575-594.

Matray, James I. “Us entry into the Korean War: Origins, impact, and lessons” (2021)

Shen, Zhihua. “Differences and Cooperation During the Korean War, 1950–1953.” In A Short History of Sino-Soviet Relations, 1917–1991 (2020) pp. 133-146. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.

Van Tonder, Gerry. Korean War-Chinese Invasion: People’s Liberation Army Crosses the Yalu, October 1950–March 1951 (2020) Pen and Sword Military.

Van Tonder, Gerry. Korean War—Imjin River: Fall of the Glosters to the Armistice, April 1951 July 1953 (2020) Pen and Sword Military.

Footnotes

1 Matray, James I. “Us entry into the Korean War: Origins, impact, and lessons” (2021)
2 Van Tonder, Gerry. Korean War-Chinese Invasion: People’s Liberation Army Crosses the Yalu, October 1950–March 1951 (2020) Pen and Sword Military.
3 Van Tonder (2020).
4 Bandeoğlu, Zeyyat. “United Nations’ role in the Korean War.” Turan-sam 11, no. 43 (2020) 373-379.
5 Bandeoğlu (2020).
6 Massie, Justin. “Why Canada goes to war: Explaining combat participation in US-led coalitions.” Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique (2019) 52, no. 3 575-594.
7 Massie (2019).
8 Bandeoğlu (2020).
9 Mansor, Suffian. “Canadian role in the Korea War, 1950-53.” Sejarah: Journal of the Department of History (2017) 6, no. 6.
10 Shen, Zhihua. “Differences and Cooperation During the Korean War, 1950–1953.” In A Short History of Sino-Soviet Relations, 1917–1991 (2020) pp. 133-146. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.
11 Mansor (2017).
12 Massie (2019).
13 Massie (2019).
14 Ciccone, Stephen, Fred R. Kaen, and Huimin Li. “The Fortunes of War and Aircraft Manufacturer Stock Returns: The Case of the Korean War.” Eastern Economic Journal 44, no. 2 (2018) 211-241.
15 Massie (2019).
16 Mansor (2017).
17 Mansor (2017).
18 Shen (2020).
19 Ciccone et al. (2020).
20 Massie (2019).
21 Shen (2020).
22 Mansor (2017).
23 Marcuse, Gary, and Reginald Whitaker. Cold War Canada. University of Toronto Press, 2019.
24 Marcuse (2019).