Topic Abstract Korean War: Politburo of the Soviet Union, 1948

National Security Apparatus | Washington, D.C. | February 11-14, 2021 A Georgetown International Relations Association, Inc. Conference Dear Delegates and Advisors,

Greetings from NAIMUN LVIII! The staff has been working hard to make the conference the most rewarding and educational experience yet, and we are excited to welcome you all to D.C. in February!

This document is the topic abstract for the Politburo of the Soviet Union. It contains three key elements to allow you to prepare well in advance for the committee: topic descriptions, questions to consider, and research avenues. This abstract will give you a better understanding of the committee’s content and procedures, and it can act as a starting point for further research.

We hope to be of assistance to you in your preparation for NAIMUN LVIII. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact the Secretary- General, Director-General, or your Under-Secretaries-General. You may also contact your dais directly at [email protected]. We look forward to welcoming you to the NAIMUN family!

Best,

Alexander Chen Sanjna Jain Secretary-General Director-General [email protected] [email protected]

Christopher Boose Abby Keating Under-Secretary-General, Under-Secretary-General, National Security Apparatus National Security Apparatus [email protected] [email protected]

Topic Abstract | naimun.modelun.org | 2 What is the National Security Apparatus? The National Security Apparatus (NSA) is NAIMUN’s most dynamic and unique organ. The only one of its kind on the high school circuit, the NSA is made up of five crisis-style committees existing within the same universe (Think of it as the MCU of MUN). Each committee has 18-24 delegates.

This year, we will continue to push the organ into uncharted territory. At NAIMUN LVIII, we will be running the Korean War, starting the committees in 1948. Unlike before, each committee represents an independent state, though this is not simply a five-way joint crisis committee. Rather, each of the five committees will have to navigate their historical alliances along communist and capitalist lines. The five committees are as follows: the Politburo of the Soviet Union (USSR), the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (PRC), the Cabinet of Kim Il-sung (N. Korea), the Cabinet of Syngman Rhee (S. Korea), and the United States Coalition. Each committee will have to consider their relationship not only with the opposing side but with their allies as well.

Politburo of the Soviet Union, 1948 | naimun.modelun.org | 3 The NSA is unique on the circuit due to its interactive nature. As delegates push individual crisis arcs, their impact will go beyond their own committee and affect the other committees in the organ as well. As each committee reacts to new crises, they must carefully consider how their actions will shape the responses of other committees in the organ. Because each committee has a different focus, they will each experience the crises from different perspectives, and communication among delegates between committees will be crucial to coordinate responses on each side. The stakes are high, and we are confident that the interconnected crisis will challenge even the most seasoned delegates.

As we approach the conference, more information on the specific procedures and methods that committees in the NSA will use to communicate with will be available. In preparing for the conference, it is helpful to have an overall understanding of the Korean War and how each committee will approach the crises. In your research, you may also find it useful to skim through the topic abstracts of other committees in the organ in order to have a more concrete understanding of the organ as a whole.

Topic Abstract | naimun.modelun.org | 4 What is a Crisis Committee? Crisis Committees are markedly different from both GAs and ECOSOCs. They tend to focus on specific issues, geographic areas, and historical periods. For example, the Court of Louis XIV, 1665 simulates the peak years of King Louis XIV in power, tackling issues from the international expansion of the French empire to developing domestic institutions. In essence, crisis committees have a narrower and more specific focus, while GAs and ECOSOCs focus on broad global concepts and issues. Crisis committees also have the distinguishing characteristic of portfolio powers, where delegates have and can use individual powers that are part of their bio in order to shape the “world” they interact in. Crisis committees also include crisis updates, which are unplanned “crises” that delegates must resolve through debate and directives. Last, crisis committees are the smallest of committees, usually with less than 30 delegates per committee. They tend to be faster-paced and more dynamic than assemblies with set topics.

Adapted from “NAIMUN Delegate Training Guide” Topics Overview As the Politburo of the Soviet Union, the overarching goal remains to expand and solidify the reach of the USSR empire, whether it be near or far from the homeland. In Eastern Europe, our Politburo should strive towards creating a buffer zone of friendly states under the Soviet sphere of influence to ensure it is never invaded again. Abroad, the conflict on the Korean Peninsula is one where communism must prevail, and the Politburo will do well to engage against the spread of capitalism with necessary finesse and success.

Politburo of the Soviet Union, 1948 | naimun.modelun.org | 5 Topic A: Expanding and Securing Soviet Influence In 1946, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union passed a resolution formulated by the party secretary and cultural boss at the time Andrey Aleksandrovich Zhdanov. Out of this resolution was born the Zhdanovshchina movement, an anti-Western campaign to purge Soviet society of Western culture and all vestiges of cosmopolitanism.1 The challenge remains to ensure that this campaign reaches all spheres of intellectual activity, to both destroy any trace of Western biases and revive the great Soviet society in its pure entirety. This endeavor only becomes more urgent as capitalist control spreads around the world, and it must not be allowed to taint this nation.

Furthermore, the offensive American actions of the Berlin Airlift remain a direct challenge to the Soviet blockade and its representation of Soviet control in Germany.2 If left unchecked and not handled with the utmost care, further insubordination may arise in other Eastern European countries. Beyond the logistical issues of preventing the airlifts, diplomatic optics must also be preserved; actions to disprove American technological superiority and combat the vilification of the Soviet Union in the international arena must be taken.3

Questions to Consider for Further Research 1. How and with what resources can the necessary propaganda be spread to ensure that all vestiges of capitalism are rooted out? 2. What are ways to secure Soviet control over post-war Eastern Europe, especially considering the constant meddling of the US? 3. How can the Politburo work towards an effective Soviet image for the international community to recognize and respect?

1 “Zhdanovshchina.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., July 20, 1998. https://www.britannica.com/event/Zhdanovshchina. 2 “Berlin Blockade.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., January 28, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/event/Berlin-blockade. 3 “Berlin Airlift Begins.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, November 13, 2009. https://www.histo- ry.com/this-day-in-history/berlin-airlift-begins. Topic Abstract | naimun.modelun.org | 6 Topic B: Advancing Communism on the Korean Peninsula North Korea serves as an opportune gateway for the advancement of communism in East Asia, and Kim Il-Sung requires support and assistance from its communist allies.4 Weapons and financial support will prove essential for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to overcome its US-backed southern neighbor, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and reunify the Korean Peninsula under communism.

With the increasing threat of the Cold War and nuclear brinkmanship with the United States, Soviet leaders realize that they must engage in support through more covert means to avoid all-out world war. Mao in China represents a significant ally and potential proxy for the conflict on the Korean Peninsula.5 However the Politburo decides to engage in this conflict, whether it be through collaboration with Mao, financial assistance for Kim, or sabotage of American forces, promises to have consequential implications for the struggle between capitalism and communism.

Questions to Consider for Further Research 1. How should the Soviet Union support the DPRK in its endeavors to reunify the Peninsula? 2. What potential allies or proxies can be established in the East Asian region? 3. How should the Soviet Union avoid the next world war, but still achieve its expansion of communism around the globe?

4 Wilson Center Digital Archive. “Soviet Union-North Korea Relations.” Wilson Center Digital Archive. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2020. https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/collec- tion/120/soviet-union-north-korea-relations. 5 Weathersby, Kathryn. “SOVIET AIMS IN KOREA AND THE ORIGINS OF THE KOREAN WAR, 1945-1950.” Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Florida State University, 1993. Woodrow Wilson Interna- tional Center for Scholars. http://cau.ac.kr/~seronto/SOVIET%20AIMS%20IN%20KOREA%20&%20THE%20ORI- GINS%20OF%20THE%20KOREAN%20WAR.pdf Politburo of the Soviet Union, 1948 | naimun.modelun.org | 7 Resources for Further Research Below is a list of resources that will be useful in preparing for the committee. Overall, a general understanding of the Soviet Union and the Cold War, US-Soviet relations, and the Korean peninsula would be helpful for this commitee. https://www.britannica.com/event/Korean-War Korean War - Encyclopedia Britannica https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google. com/&httpsredir=1&article=3591&context=theses The Soviet Union and eastern Europe: considerations in a political transformation of the Soviet bloc - University of Massachusetts Amherst https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/nceeer/2004_817-16_Gibianskii.pdf The Soviet Union and the Establishment of Communist Regimes in Eastern Europe - The National Council for Eurasian and East European Research https://www.jstor.org/stable/1027290?seq=1 Soviet Policy in Eastern Europe - American Academy of Political and Social Science https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/2892/ North Korean Relations with China and the Soviet Union: The Impacts of Changes in the Leadership of the Two Communist Powers on North Korea - Eastern Illinois University https://www.jstor.org/stable/2756413?seq=1 Soviet Policy Towards North Korea and Korean Unification - University of British Columbia

Topic Abstract | naimun.modelun.org | 8 A Georgetown International Relations Association, Inc. Conference