The Korean War

by William Stueck

This first truly international history of the Korean War argues that by its timing, its course, and its outcome it functioned as a substitute for World War III. Stueck draws on recently available materials from seven countries, plus the archives of the United Nations, presenting a detailed narrative of the diplomacy of the conflict and a broad assessment of its critical role in the Cold War. He emphasizes the contribution of the United Nations, which at several key points in the conflict provided an important institutional framework within which less powerful nations were able to restrain the aggressive tendencies of the United States.


In Stueck's view, contributors to the U.N. cause in Korea provided support not out of any abstract commitment to a universal system of collective security but because they saw an opportunity to influence U.S. policy. Chinese intervention in Korea in the fall of 1950 brought with it the threat of world war, but at that time and in other instances prior to the armistice in July 1953, America's NATO allies and Third World neutrals succeeded in curbing American adventurism. While conceding the tragic and brutal nature of the war, Stueck suggests that it helped to prevent the occurrence of an even more destructive conflict in Europe.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War

496 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

William Stueck is Distinguished Research Professor of History at the University of Georgia.

Reviews

[Oleksiy Kononov · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think, the author had picked a wrong title. It should have been A Diplomatic History or Diplomacy Behind the Curtain. No discussion of the military action is compensated by a superb analysis of diplomatic efforts aimed at stopping the bloodshed in Korea. UN has never been efficient in preventing or combating wars. The Korean conflict was UN's first serious test which it failed, and Stueck describes how and why.

[Benemint · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a history of international relations surrounding the Korean War; so the book does not discuss what actually was going on in the Korean peninsula. Highly recommended to those who like reading diplomatic history. It's a good book but just not my taste.