Origins of the Korean War, Vol. 2

Distributed for Yuksabipyungsa Press

In Volume II of The Origins of the Korean War, 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 discusses, among other topics, the containment doctrine as applied to South Korea and the subsequent adoption by the United States of a "rollback" policy aimed at eliminating communism in North Korea.