Korean War Chart “The Forgotten War”

Causes Cold War Communist revolution in China (U.S. supported Chiang Kai-shek and Nationalists) Japan surrender (gives northern Korea to Soviets, southern Korea to Americans) Only 500 US soldiers in South Korea

Spark June 25, 1950 North Korean army crosses 38 th parallel into South Korea

Strategy United States United Nations involvement 90% of ½ million troops American South Korean involvement (1/2 mill.) Amphibious invasion Surround North Korean forces Heavy artillery Nuclear attack?

Strategy North Korea Communist involvement (China and USSR) Soviet weapons, Soviet-trained military Quick, surprise attack Force of numbers Over 10 million troops

Important/Turning Point Battles Initial attack (1950) Pusan (1 st U.S. victory) Inchon (Sep. 15, 1950) – amphibious landing Seoul (1950) Pyongyang ( Chinese counter-offensive) Chosin Reservoir (1951) - “Attacking in other direction” (leave N. Korea) Pork Chop Hill (July 1953) – flat by end of 6 days Operation Ripper (get back to the 38 th parallel) Stalemate

Heroes and Goats U.S./U.N. Douglas MacArthur Harry Truman Matthew Ridgway Syngman Rhee (1 st pres. of S. Korea) Commies Kim Il-Sung Zhou En-lai Mao Zedong

Costs and Lives Lives U.S. 54,229 killed; 103, 248 wounded; 8142 missing; 3746 captured (169, 365 casualties) UN troops over 1 million casualties; 980,000 S. Korea China 392,600 (some estimates place at 900,000) N.Korea over 500,000 casualties 3-4 million Korean civilian casualties

Cost Dollars U.S. Over $60 billion (defense budget at beginning of war $12 billion) China $3 billion Ammo U.S. 3.3 million tons ($20 billion)

Treaty…uh, non-treaty results June 23, 1951 Soviet Union asks for cease-fire July 1953 Armistice signed War never officially ended 2 Koreas (divided by 38 th parallel) Draw Increased fear of communism Beginning of communist “witch hunts”