The Korean War

    How was Korea set up after WWII?

Why was the United States able to secure support from the United Nations in the Korean War?

Why was General MacArthur relieved of his command?

What effects did the Korean War have on America?

   After freeing Korea from Japanese rule, the Soviets and Americans split the country in half, with the Soviets taking North Korea and the Americans possessing South Korea.

The Soviets set up a communist government in the North while the Americans set up a democratic South Korea.

However, in 1950, the North Koreans decided to invade South Korea in order to unify the country.

   With the North Koreans invading, the United States called for a United Nations meeting in June 1950.

The UN unanimously denounced the invasion of South Korea and pledged to support troops to defend the South Koreans from the North Koreans.

The Soviet Union would have been able to stop UN support because it held the power to veto, but it was boycotting the United Nations because the UN did not recognize Communist China.

    President Truman quickly took action, sending troops to Korea to push back the invaders.

This corresponded directly with the anti-communist policy of Containment, which basically meant allowing communism in places where it already was, but preventing it from spreading.

The joint American and UN troops successfully pushed back the invaders.

Truman and General MacArthur then decided to attempt to take over the entire country for the South Koreans.

  When MacArthur and his troops inched near the Yalu River, the border of Korea and China, the Chinese government and their communist leader Mao Zedong warned the Americans to keep their distance.

Failing to heed the Chinese threat, the Americans were invaded by 33 divisions of Chinese soldiers in South Korea.

  After months of bloody fighting with the Chinese, General MacArthur’s forces again reached the 38 th parallel, the line that they agreed upon with the Soviets to be the dividing line between North Korea and South Korea.

Truman then ordered MacArthur to hold the position while a peace settlement was made with the Chinese and North Korea.

   MacArthur was angered with Truman’s request.

He protested, declaring that he could achieve total victory if Truman allowed him to continue, drop the Atomic Bomb on the Chinese, and blockade the country.

Furious with MacArthur, Truman relieved him of his command.

     In 1953, the border was set permanently at the 38 th parallel.

America had spent $54 billion on the war and lost over 54,000 lives.

Moreover, war and defense spending between 1950-1953 climbed from one-third to two thirds of the entire federal budget.

The national government was spending close to 66% of its taxpayer money on WAR!

Many Americans felt that communists were truly trying to take over the world.