Korean war

• During World War 2 Korea was occupied by Japan.

  • At the end of the war Korea was liberated by SOVIET soldiers in the NORTH and by US soldiers in the SOUTH.  
  • The country was temporarily PARTITIONED along the 38th PARALLEL until elections could be held and the country reunited. 
  • However, the USSR and the USA could not agree on the kind of government 

  1. The USSR wanted a COMMUNIST style government
  2. The USA wanted a CAPITALIST DEMOCRACY.  
• North Korea was a communist country supported by the USSR and led by Kim Il Sung
• South Korea was a Capitalist country supported by the USA and led by Syngman Rhee
• In JUNE 1950, North Korean forces invaded the South. Within days the capital, Seoul, had been taken. The USA suspected that Stalin was behind the invasion. They also feared the ‘DOMINO’ effect – that one country after another would fall to communism. The USA appealed to the UN, which put together a force to stop the invasion.
• The UN force was 90% American and led by General Douglas MacArthur, He made a highly successful landing at INCHON in September 1950 and pushed the North Korean forces out of South Korea and above the 38th parallel, going beyond UN orders.  
• MacArthur’s intention was to reunite the whole country.  A goal the American President Truman worried about. This deeply worried, North Korea's huge and powerful Communist neighbour, CHINA. As a result, China invaded into North Korea with an estimated 1 million men. They completely surprised the UN forces and pushed them all the way back to the 38th parallel.  
• ​The Soviet air force was involved, though dressed as Chinese pilots (Stalin did not want to be seen to be directly involved).  
• In 1953 there was a change of leadership in both the USA and the USSR.  

  • EISENHOWER succeeded Truman as US President.  
  • STALIN died and was succeeded by Nikita KHRUSHCHEV. 

  The two new leaders wanted peace and In July 1953 a ceasefire was agreed. A PERMANENT BORDER between North and South was agreed, just north of the 38th parallel and a demilitarised zone was created between the two states. 
• CONSEQUENCES:

  • The border barely changed despite the death of 2 million people
  • Containment worked and communism had not spread.
  • The relationship between North and South remained very tense.
  • The military aspect of NATO had been introduced.