The Korean War

Question What happened to Korea after WWII?

Korea Japan had ruled Korea since With the end of WWII, the Japanese surrendered control of Korea to the Allied Powers. Japanese troops north of the 38 th parallel surrendered to Soviet troops. South of the 38 th parallel, Japanese troops surrendered to American troops. Two nations developed: One Communist and one Democratic.

Korea South of the 38 th parallel, the Republic of Korea is established in (South Korea)

Korea Syngman Rhee- President of the Republic of Korea Anti-Communist

Korea The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is formed. (North Korea)

Korea Kim Il Sung- Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from Communist

Korea With the support of the Soviet Union and the Chinese, the North Koreans invaded South Korea on June 25 th, 1950 in an attempt to reunify the country under communist rule.

Summarize In your own words, summarize what happened to Korea after WWII.

Question What were the causes of the Korean War?

Domino Theory

The Domino Theory was the belief that if one country or region fell under the influence of communism, other countries in the area would soon become communist as well. Domino Theory was used to justify U.S. intervention around the world through the 1980s in order to prevent the spread of communism.

China In 1949, the Chinese Communists forced the Chinese Nationalists to the island of Formosa (Taiwan). China, the most populated country in the world had fallen to communism.

Domino Theory It was believed that if Korea fell completely to communism, other countries in the area would soon follow. The US had important trading partners in the area, especially Japan, who they did not want falling under communist control.

Soviet Support Stalin wanted to see Communism expand, as long as it did not force a direct conflict with the United States. The Soviet Union provided economic and military aid to North Korea. Elite Soviet fighter pilots flew combat missions during the Korean War, though there were few and faced certain self-imposed restrictions.

NSC- 68 April, 1950 The US National Security Council issued a report recommending that the US move from “containment” policy and start actively “rolling back” communism. Korea provided that opportunity.

Proxy War Both the United States and the Soviet Union did not want to get involved in a “hot” war with each other. The war in Korea provided an opportunity for the US to fight communism and the USSR to spread communism, without the two superpowers coming into direct conflict.

Korean Unification The failure to have free elections throughout Korea in 1948 heightened tensions between the two sides. The Soviets and North Koreans did not think the United States would get involved in the Korean war. North Korea then attempted to reunify the country by force.

Summarize In your own words, summarize what caused the Korean War.

Question How was the war fought in Korea?

The Korean War On June 25 th, 1950, North Korea launched a surprise attack across the 38 th parallel and into South Korea. The U.N. Security Council responded quickly, authorizing the use of force against North Korea. June 27 th, Truman ordered troops stationed in Japan to support the South Koreans.

The Korean War 16 Countries sent roughly 520,000 troops to aid South Korea. Over 90% were American. South Korea had 590,000 soldiers The combined force was placed under the command of General Douglas MacArthur.

The Korean War June North Korean Troops capture the capital of South Korea, Seoul. September North Korean Troops push South Korean and UN forces to the southeast corner of Korea.

The Korean War Sept. to Oct UN troops under MacArthur land at Inchon and move north from Pusan. This two-pronged attack drives the North Koreans out of South Korea. UN troops continue into North Korea all the way to the Yalu River.

China Intervenes Nov to Jan The Chinese intervene and force the UN troops back across the 38 th parallel.

China Intervenes China had warned that they would act if the Americans came to their border. 300,000 Chinese troops joined the war on the side of North Korea. China wanted Korea as a buffer zone to protect their northeastern provinces.

The Korean War The war had become a stalemate. MacArthur called for an extension of the war into China. Truman rejected the request. By April, 1951, the UN and South Korean forces had retaken Seoul and moved back up to the 38 th parallel.

The Korean War MacArthur continued to criticize the President, which eventually got him fired. Truce talks began in July In July 1953, the two sides signed an armistice ending the conflict. The war had cost America 54,000 troops and $67 billion in expenditures.

Summarize In your own words, summarize how the Korean war was fought.