Operation Blacklist Forty
Operation Blacklist Forty | |
---|---|
Part of the Korean Peninsula | |
Objective | Occupation of Korea south of the 38th parallel |
Date | 1945–1948 |
Executed by | United States |
Outcome | Successful operation
|
Operation Blacklist Forty
Background
The partition of Korea into occupation zones was proposed in August 1945, by the United States to the
Occupation
The American occupation force composed of 45,000 men from the
Hodge was considered a great battlefield commander, but a poor diplomat. There is little doubt he disliked Koreans, and was ignorant of their culture and how it differed from that of the Japanese. As a result, Hodge made many mistakes, including issuing an order to his men to "treat the Koreans as enemies." Furthermore, due to a shortage of manpower, Hodge allowed the old Japanese police force to remain on duty for crowd control and similar work. He also retained the colonial Japanese government, at least initially, until he could find suitable American replacements. However, following a complaint from the Korean people, the American military government in Tokyo officially had Korea removed from Japan's political and administrative control on October 2, 1945. Thus, the Japanese administrators were removed from power, although many were henceforth employed as advisors to their American replacements. Edwards says that General Hodge's most significant contribution to the occupation was the alignment of his military government with that of Korea's wealthy anti-Communist faction, and the promotion of men who had previously collaborated with the Japanese into positions of authority.[1][2][3]
A good symbol of how the U.S. military occupation of southern Korea went overall was when Hodge and the
Author E. Takemae says that the American forces were greeted as occupiers, and not as liberators. He also says that the Americans held the Japanese in higher regard than the Koreans, because of the former's military background, and appreciated Japanese knowledge and administrative skills, which they did not find among the Koreans. As it turned out, the Americans found that it was easier to deal with Japanese authorities in regards to the handling of Korea, instead of dealing directly with Korea's many different political factions. According to Takemae; "[I]n the eyes of many Koreans, the Americans were as bad as the Japanese."[3]
Preparations for the withdrawal of American and Soviet forces from the Korean Peninsula could not begin until the United States and the Soviets could agree to establish a unified Korean government friendly to both nations' interests. However, the Soviets refused to accept any idea that did not involve the creation of a communist state, and therefore the negotiations were fruitless. As result of this disagreement, the United States sent the "Korean question" to the United Nations (UN). The UN agreed to take up the challenge in September 1947, and proceeded with providing the Koreans with UN-supervised elections. The Soviet Union, however, made it clear that any decision made by the UN would only apply to the portion of Korea south of the 38th parallel, and that anything north of the parallel would be determined by either itself or the new Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). Nevertheless, the elections were held, and the exiled Korean leader, Syngman Rhee, was inaugurated president of the new Republic of Korea (South Korea) on July 24, 1948.[1][6]
The American and Soviet occupations of Korea ended soon after, leaving the Korean peninsula divided. According to Edwards, most Americans were glad to be gone. By 1950, Korea, or Far Eastern affairs in general, had become of such a small importance to the Americans that on January 5, 1950, President
See also
- Indonesian War of Independence(1945–49)
- Chinese Civil War (1945–49)
- First Indochina War (1946–54)
- Malayan Emergency (1948–60)
- Autumn Uprising of 1946
- History of South Korea
- Operation Beleaguer
- Eagle Project – Planned but never executed WWII operation to infiltrate the peninsula
References
- ^ ISBN 0313332487.
- ^ ISBN 978-0786458127.
- ^ ISBN 0826415210.
- ^ "Hotel Museum - LOTTE HOTEL SEOUL Facilities | LOTTE HOTEL SEOUL". www.lottehotel.com. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "South Korea - South Korea Under United States Occupation, 1945-48". countrystudies.us. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ Morison, Samuel Eliot (1965). The Oxford History of the American People. Oxford University Press.