The Origins of the Korean War, Volume II: The Roaring of the Cataract, 1947-1950

In continuing his argument that the Korean War was civil and revolutionary in character, Bruce Cumings examines the internal political-economic development of the two Korean states and the consequences, for Korea, of Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. He investigates the intense border fighting and internal political instability that preceded the Northern invasion and challenges the notion of sudden Soviet-sponsored intervention. He also discusses how American foreign policy first applied the containment doctrine to Southern Korea, and went beyond it to a “rollback”: doctrine aimed at eliminating communism in North Korea.

This study uses diplomatic, military, and intelligence documents, and captured North Korean materials. It covers the impact of the revolution in China and of renewed Japanese industrialization on Korean politics and American foreign policy. It also offers an explanation of China’s entry into the war in light of the longstanding ties between Chinese and Korean guerrillas.