Korean War

• The Korean War was a tragedy for the Korean people
• The Korean Peninsula was effectively controlled by Japan from 1905 to 1945
• At the end of WWII, Russian military forces were in the north of Korea and US military forces were in the south
• The country was divided along the 38th parallel
• In 1948, separate governments were set up in the north and south of Korea
• Kim Il Sung


  Took power in communist North Korea
• Syngman Rhee


  Won disputed elections in South Korea
• Both Kim Il Sung and Syngman Rhee advocated reunification of the Korean Peninsula
• Syngman Rhee's government was authoritarian and corrupt, and unpopular with many South Koreans
• Many South Koreans actually voted for unification with the communist north in 1949
• The US forces withdrew from South Korea in 1949
• The US refused to supply the South Korean army with advanced military equipment, giving the North a military advantage
• In June 1950, North Korean troops invaded the South with the objective of reuniting the Korean Peninsula by force
• Truman believed the North Korean invasion was centrally directed by Moscow and a test of US containment policy
• The US was worried about the spread of communism, including China's unification under Mao and the USSR's acquisition of the atomic bomb
• The UN Security Council authorised a UN Expeditionary Force to aid South Korea, as the USSR was boycotting the UN at the time
• Initially, the North Korean attack was successful, pushing back the UN forces to the Pusan area
• In September 1950, the US launched a successful breakout and amphibious assault at Incheon, pushing the North Koreans back to the 38th parallel
• Truman authorised US and UN forces to push into North Korea, with the objective of rolling back communism
• China warned the US not to approach the border, but MacArthur ignored the warnings and pushed to the Yellow River
• In October 1950, Chinese forces intervened and overwhelmed the UN forces, forcing them to retreat back over the 38th parallel
• MacArthur advocated using atomic bombs and invading China to defeat communism, but Truman rejected this aggressive strategy
• After a bloody stalemate, an armistice was finally agreed in July 1953
• North Korea invaded South Korea on the 25th June 1950
• The USSR had its own sphere of influence, which included North Korea
• The USA sent troops to defend South Korea against the invasion by North Korea
• Truman's policy of containment meant that he would stop any expansion of Soviet power into other countries
• Truman's containment policy aimed to prevent Soviet expansion by supporting anti-communist governments around the world
• China entered the war in November 1950