From Civil War to Cold War: China, the US, and the Korean Conflict

Author

Ethan Paul Foss, University of New Hampshire - Main CampusFollow

Date of Award

Spring 2025

Project Type

Senior Honors Thesis

College or School

COLA

Department

History

Program or Major

History

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

First Advisor

Kurk Dorsey

Second Advisor

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Abstract

This history honors thesis investigates US foreign policy in East Asia during the early Cold War, specifically from 1945 to 1953, focusing on the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War. This thesis argues that American policymakers misjudged Chinese communism, Korean nationalism, and regional dynamics due to ideological assumptions and Cold War anxieties. The research examines missed diplomatic opportunities with Mao’s China, the flawed occupation of South Korea, and the escalation of the Korean Conflict, revealing how rigid anti-communist policies contributed to the Korean War's outbreak and strengthened communist alliances. Ultimately, it argues that the Korean War was less an inevitable ideological conflict and more a result of failed diplomacy and American errors in Asia.

Recommended Citation

Foss, Ethan Paul, "From Civil War to Cold War: China, the US, and the Korean Conflict" (2025). Honors Theses and Capstones. 874.
https://scholars.unh.edu/honors/874