Was the Soviet Union Responsible for the Outbreak of the Korean War?

This study analyzes the role of the Soviet Union in the outbreak of the Korean War from-an atypical perspective. Rather than reexamine the limited information with the result being a recapitulation of the .acts, the analysis will focus on the influence of the Cold War in shaping the western claim that the Soviet Union was responsible for the North Korean invasion. In this context, the study will review and examine the Great Power conferences of World War II as they relate to Korea analyze Soviet-American relations in Korea and postwar Europe with emphasis on Iran, Greece, Turkey, and Berlin assess the influence of ideologies on foreign policy examine the Sino-North Korean relationship consider Soviet motivations for instigating the war and finally, discuss the role of personalities in shaping perceptions. The study concludes with the proposition that the Western claim that the Soviet Union was responsible instigating the Korean War is based on historical misperceptions, Cold War ideologies, and personalities rather than empirical evidence of Soviet complicity. Korean War, Soviet Union, Korea, Cold War, Military history.