ABSTRACT
The Soviet Union was the least visible participant in the Korean War, but its role was nonetheless central. As the “bulwark of the revolution,” it provided essential political, military, and economic support to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as well as to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Moscow therefore had the final voice in all decisions regarding the war, from whether to mount the attack on South Korea to when and how to end the conflict. The Soviet Union provided the bulk of the weapons, ammunition, and supplies that made it possible for its Communist allies to carry out the war. Soviet military advisers with experience in offensive operations supervised the officers of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) as they planned and prosecuted the war in its first months. Once Chinese troops entered in October 1950, the PRC leadership took over operational control, but Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin remained the final arbiter of all significant decisions. Moreover, Soviet Air Force units joined the fight along with the Chinese People’s Volunteers Force (CPVF). From November 1950 to the end of the war, as many as 70,000 Soviet Air Force personnel engaged their American counterparts in the largest sustained military conflict between the two superpowers of the entire Cold War.
