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Why Did Kim Il-Sung Start the Korean War?
When North Korea split from its southern counterpart in 1948 through an election Kim Il-Sung felt that he lacked the legitimacy that other communist leaders like Mao and Stalin had. Stalin played a crucial role in the Russian Revolution and was a national hero after winning the Second World War. Mao was leading the communist party of China to a crucial victory against the nationalists that eventually solidified him as the legitimate leader of the nation.
Compared to the two prominent communist figures, Kim lacked both the experience and legitimacy. He had not played a big role in Korea’s independence movement against Japan, and he and the communist party only controlled the northern half of the Korean peninsula. To Kim, unifying the peninsula through an invasion was a crucial milestone that he needed to overcome in order to solidify the legitimacy of his power.
When Kim met with Stalin in Moscow in 1949, Kim expressed his strong desire to invade South Korea. It was reported that Kim told Stalin that he “want[ed] to stab a bayonet in South Korea’s throat.” Although Stalin showed support, he was also very cautious to not provoke the United States. While most American soldiers had left South Korea in 1948, a small military advisory group…
