The Echo of the Khabarovsk Trials: The USSR and the Allegation Campaign against the USA of Using Biological Warfare during the Korean War (1950–1953)

Abstract

During the Korean War (1950–1953), China and North Korea accused the US of waging bacteriological warfare, includ-ing  the  use  of  biological  weapons  developed  Japanese  war  criminals  from  Unit  731,  who  had  been  convicted  during  the Khabarovsk Trials in 1949. The Soviet Union did not immediately join in the allegation campaign against the Allies, with the Soviet Foreign Ministry initially taking a restrained stance. However, with Moscow’s backing and active involvement in international orga nisations and the media, a powerful propaganda campaign was unleashed against American-led UN troops in Korea, as well as the political leadership of the US. The campaign was markedly political in nature and it involved many prominent individuals, including public figures from Western countries. An extensive action plan was developed, although its implementation was incoherent, which was a reflection of both the lack of evidence and a rapidly changing international environment.
 The article demonstrates how the Soviet stance on the use of biological warfare during the Korean War changed and reveals how the extensive campaign was launched amid the Cold War.