Mao informed Stalin that he intended to send twelve divisions into North Korea. These forces would engage in defensive warfare while waiting for the delivery of Soviet weapons. The implication was clear: Soviet military assistance was needed if China was to carry out its goal of defeating the United States forces quickly; if China failed to do this, a stalemate would result, leading to a Sino–American war in which the Soviet Union might become embroiled, in line with its commitment under the Sino–Soviet Treaty. Mao’s decision to intervene was thus predicated on extensive Soviet military aid.
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