North Korean Troops in Europe. Historical and Significant!

Looking at past examples of Asian troops in Europe, which is a major escalation in the new Axis of Aggression’s war on the West

The news that North Korea is sending upwards of 10,000 soldiers to Russia to aid in Putin’s war against Ukraine is a major development in this conflict. But it should be noted that this is the first time an East Asian nation has engaged in combat in Europe since the Mongols were forced out of Russia in 1480. This is both historically significant, and also a major escalation in cooperation in the new Axis of Aggression’s war on the West.

The Mongols controlled large parts of Eastern Europe and Russia from the early 1200s to the late 1400s. The greatest extent of the Mongol invasions of Europe was at the gates of Vienna in the 1240s.  Other Asian nations and peoples have invaded (or fought in) Europe over time.  Let’s look at a few of the bigger examples:

Going back to ancient times, we see the Persians invade Greece several times (remember the pro-Sparta movie, named 300?).  The Huns, originally hailing from Central Asia, invaded the Roman Empire, making life tough for most Europeans before finally settling down in what is now Hungary. Prior to the Huns, other Central Asian nomadic peoples invaded Roman Europe, including the Avars, Alans, Magyars, the original Bulgars, and others who came to Europe and fought the locals. Most of them settled down and their descendants are now European.

Also, from the 1200s into the 20th Century, Turks (both Seljuk and Ottoman), invaded and conquered large parts of southeastern Europe (i.e. the Balkans), and like their Mongol predecessors, also got as far as Vienna. The Turkish people originally came to the Middle East (which is geographically a part of Asia) from Central Asia.  Raids from the Muslim Arab Empires, and also the Tartars into southern Europe and the Ukraine/Russia region also took place over the centuries.

Of course, invasions OF Asia BY Europe form a significant part of world history from the 1500s to the the 20th Century in the form of extensive colonialism.  India became part of the British Empire, and the British made extensive use of the large population of their most important colony, by raising a huge (British) Indian Army to help them fight their wars. 

To answer the original point, the last time Asian forces fought in Europe prior to the North Koreans in Russia/Ukraine, was in World War Two. The British imported several Army divisions of Indian troops to help them fight the Italians and Germans.  Not quite the same as Russia importing several thousand North Koreans to do their dirty work, but actually rather similar.

Of course, the big news about this intervention by Communist North Korea in the biggest European war since World War Two, is the increasing cooperation between Russia, North Korea, China, and Iran (and Iran’s proxies: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis).  Their  new Axis of Aggression is already cooperating in more and better ways, and forming a sort of military-industrial complex far above what the old Axis of Germany, Italy, and Japan ever achieved.

The presence of North Korean troops in the Russia-Ukraine War is a significant escalation. This development should be of great concern to the Western allies, but with the U.S. election and the Middle East War dominating the news, this North Korean intervention is not getting the attention it needs.