Transcript The Korean War

The Korean War
The Forgotten War
1950 – 1953
Early Origins
 1910-1945 Korea was
ruled by Japan
 After WWII it was divided
into North & South Korea
 By 1949, the U.S. began
withdrawing troops while
the Soviets increased
supplies to North Korea to
aid the invasion of South
Korea
War Begins
 June 25, 1950 North
Korea invades the
South
 Truman fears
repeating
“appeasement” &
demands support for
containment
 *1st armed
confrontation of the
Cold War
Role of the United Nations
 South Korea asks the U.N. for assistance
 Due to the Soviet boycott & the position of
China with Nationalist Taiwan, the Security
Council agrees to help
 The U.N. sends 15 nations (including the U.S.,
Britain & Canada)
 Troops are led by General Douglas MacArthur
US & UN Pushed to Pusan
Korean War
 By Sept 1950, the North controls
the entire Korean peninsula
except for Pusan
 MacArthur designs an attack at
Inchon where the South
Koreans force half of the North
Koreans to surrender & the rest
to retreat (by attacking from
Pusan in both directions)
 Inchon is risky but successful &
the South recaptures its capital
at Seoul
U.N. & U.S. Push to China
China’s Involvement
 U.N. troops continue to push
north to the Yalu River (border of
China)
 China has warned that if the Yalu
is breached, it will react [China is
worried of U.S. influence in Asia]
 Oct 1950 the Chinese enter & this
becomes a war between China &
the U.S.
 The Chinese push troops South &
recapture Seoul
 Chinese unexpected entry turns
the tide of the war
General MacArthur
 MacArthur threatens the use
of the atomic bomb (but
Truman disagrees)
 MacArthur goes to Congress
(behind Truman’s back) >
fired for disobedience
 *[Despite the fact that the
U.S. enters the war without
a declaration of war by
Congress]
M*A*S*H*
 Mobile Army Surgical
Hospital
 *1st used in the Korean
War
 Greatly reduced the
casualties of war
 Books, movie & TV series
based on MASH units
End of the War
 By 1952, the U.N. has Seoul & South Korea
 A stalemate ensues (see-saw fighting) & by
July 1953, a cease-fire is signed
 Division remains at the 38th parallel
 Approximately 5 million die in this war
 4 million Koreans & 54,000 Americans (a
significant amount considering the short time
period of the war)
Stalemate
Post War in North Korea
 Kim Il Sung promotes
collective farms
 Development of nuclear
weapons
 Economic problems of
shortages of food &
energy
 1996 troops enter
demilitarized zone
 Current issues??
Post War in South Korea
 Syngman Rhee (disputes over election
results) but backed by U.S.
 South Korea prospers from U.S. aid
 1960s develops industry & trade
 1980-90s one of highest economic
growth rates
 U.S. maintains ~40,000 troops here