[News in War History] Ukraine Fears the 'Forgotten War'... Will the 'Tibet Tragedy' Repeat?

Ukraine Aid Bill Overshadowed by Israel
War of 1812 Overshadowed by Napoleonic Wars
China's Tibet Invasion and Annexation During Korean War

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

International attention is focused as the U.S. Senate rejects the Ukraine aid bill despite appeals from U.S. President Joe Biden. On the surface, this is interpreted as a result of partisan conflict between the Republican and Democratic parties ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November next year. However, both inside and outside the U.S., interpretations suggest that this is closely related to the rapidly waning interest in the Ukraine war, which will enter its third year next year.

In particular, as clashes between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas continued in October, interest in the relatively long-stalemated Ukraine war has significantly decreased. The Ukrainian government is concerned that the conflict between their country and Russia might be completely forgotten by the international community and the media.

A war that has fallen far from public attention can be a critical issue that determines the fate of a country, especially for nations desperately needing international aid. In this segment, we will look into the gradually forgotten situation of the Ukraine war, as well as the history of wars forgotten amid the interests of past great powers.

◆News: U.S. Ukraine Aid Bill Fails to Pass... Zelenska: "Leaving Us to Die"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

First, let's look at the news. On the 9th (local time), Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, in an interview with the British BBC, emphasized, "We really need help. Simply put, we cannot afford to be tired of this situation because if we get tired, we will die," adding, "If the international community gets tired, it means leaving us to die." This statement came as she expressed regret over the U.S. Senate's rejection of the Ukraine aid bill.

Earlier, on the 6th, the U.S. Senate voted on a $110.5 billion (approximately 145 trillion won) security package budget that included aid to Ukraine, but it was rejected with 49 votes in favor and 51 against. This budget package was submitted by the Biden administration, bundling support for Ukraine and Israel, aid to Indo-Pacific countries including Taiwan, and border control enhancements, but it was rejected due to opposition from the Republican Party.

The Republican Party, adhering to the party line that strong measures to curb immigrant inflows at the border must precede additional Ukraine aid, saw all 50 Republican senators vote against the bill. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders also voted against it, criticizing unconditional security support for Israel, resulting in a total of 51 opposing votes.

Especially with the U.S. presidential election coming up in November next year, public opinion within the U.S. regarding Ukraine aid has deteriorated significantly. Even if partisan conflicts with the Republicans are resolved immediately, continuous support for Ukraine from the Democratic Party side is expected to be difficult.

Jewish individuals positioned in major U.S. political and economic circles are lobbying for priority support for Israel amid the Israel-Hamas clashes. There are even concerns that the Ukraine war might become one of the countless "Forgotten Wars" in history.

◆History 1: White House Reduced to Ashes... The 'War of 1812' Forgotten Amid the Napoleonic Wars

An illustration of the Battle of New Orleans, known as the battle that marked the end of the War of 1812 between the United States and Britain. [Image source=U.S. Library of Congress website]

One of the wars commonly known as a forgotten war in history is the War of 1812 between the United States and Britain, fought on the American continent from 1812 to 1815. At the time, it was overshadowed by the so-called Napoleonic Wars, which France led under Napoleon and which involved all of Europe, causing the war to be forgotten both in post-war America and Europe.

However, the war itself was fiercely fought over three years. The British army burned Washington D.C., the U.S. capital, destroying the White House and the Capitol building, while the U.S. captured Toronto, the heart of British Canada, during the war. Both sides suffered severe damage. Notably, Washington D.C. remains the only time in U.S. history that the capital was burned by enemy forces.

The initial cause of the war was provided by the British side. At the time, Britain was suffering repeated defeats against Napoleon's French forces in Europe, leading to severe manpower shortages and large-scale conscription in the American colonies. They even committed atrocities by kidnapping American men to conscript them. Despite continuous protests from the U.S. government, the British government ignored these requests due to the urgent situation in Europe.

Within the U.S. political sphere, hardliners began to call for a surprise attack on British Canada, leading to the outbreak of the War of 1812. Early in the war, U.S. forces advanced into Canadian territory and captured Toronto, gaining momentum, but the British soon counterattacked, putting the U.S. forces at a significant disadvantage.

The British used their overwhelming naval power to launch a surprise attack on Washington D.C., which was poorly defended in the rear, temporarily capturing the U.S. capital. During this, the White House and Capitol building were burned, causing significant damage.

However, by 1814, as the Napoleonic Wars were winding down, Britain no longer had the capacity to continue the war in America. In December 1814, the U.S. and Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war. Due to communication limitations, the war officially ended only in February 1815.

The main content of the Treaty of Ghent was to restore all conditions to their pre-war status. There were no territorial changes or alterations in the status or relations between the two countries; the war situation was simply ended. As a result, the war was perceived as neither a victory nor a defeat for either side and was completely overshadowed by the Napoleonic Wars, becoming a forgotten war.

◆History 2: China's Invasion of Tibet Amid the Korean War... Western Powers Including the U.S. and Britain Turn a Blind Eye

The Chinese troops entering Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, in October 1951. [Image source=People's Daily Online]

Such forgotten wars also appeared in the 20th century. The Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 is a representative forgotten war. In the U.S., the term "forgotten war" usually refers to the Korean War of 1950, but the Tibet invasion was completely ignored by the international community, overshadowed by the Korean War.

In early October 1950, the Chinese People's Liberation Army launched a large-scale invasion of Tibet, two weeks before their illegal intervention in the Korean War. In response, Tibet immediately condemned the Chinese invasion to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in November 1950 and requested UN intervention.

However, the UN, whose attention was fully focused on the Korean War, ignored Tibet's request. The Republic of China, a permanent member of the UNSC at the time, claimed Tibet was part of China, not an independent country. The document Tibet sent to the UNSC was also dismissed on the grounds that it was sent from India and its authenticity could not be verified.

Consequently, the UN General Assembly declared that discussing the peace issues concerning Tibet, China, and India at the UN was inappropriate, and no UNSC meetings were held. This was influenced by the interests of major powers such as the U.S. and Britain, who had no particular stakes in Tibet, unlike the Korean Peninsula.

In the U.S., which was engaged in the Korean War, there was significant concern that fighting China in Tibet as well could provoke direct Soviet intervention in Central Asia. They did not want to widen the front lines, and there were no special interests in the region.

Britain, having already lost India’s control, had little interest in the region and focused on protecting British Hong Kong, striving not to provoke China. Unlike the Korean Peninsula, where complete communist control could surround Japan and Hong Kong, Tibet, blocked by the Himalayas, was considered a region with less risk.

Ignored by the UN and major powers, Tibet was fully occupied by Chinese forces within a year, including its capital Lhasa. The Tibet issue, one of today's international controversies, began here.

◆Implication: Tragedies That Can Occur Anywhere in Conflict Zones... The Necessity of Self-Defense

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

The history of these forgotten wars shows that no matter how existential a war is for the region involved, if the international community and major powers become indifferent, it can become a forgotten war at any time, potentially altering the fate of a nation.

Especially in situations like the Ukraine war, where prolonged external aid is necessary to sustain the conflict, becoming a forgotten war can lead to the death of a nation, as First Lady Zelenska said. This is a warning that all countries in conflict zones could face the same fate at any time.

Ultimately, to prevent such tragedies, it is essential to have the strength to defend one's country without relying on others. This underscores how urgent and crucial it is to achieve self-defense.