Overview of Korean War

38th parallel Korea was a Japanese colony during WWII When Japan lost the war, Russian and American troops liberated Korea The Russians and Americans decided that Korea should be divided at the 38th parallel in 1945 North Korea 38th parallel South Korea

Question: What is a “puppet government?” Puppet Governments The U.S. administered the South and put an anti-communist, pro-American leader in charge The USSR administered the North and put a Communist leader in charge Russians and Americans withdrew troops from this area in 1948 and 1949 Question: What is a “puppet government?”

In 1949 China became Communist. Why is this fact important to Korea? Important to the U.S.? North Korea South Korea

Both Northern and Southern leaders wanted to unite the country – but with different types of government. Kim Il Sung (North Korean leader) understood that to resolve the problem of unifying the two Koreas was very difficult -- that he would need help. Of course the help he was hoping to get would come from the Soviet Union.

Attack!!! 1950- NK invaded SK with 90,000 troops equipped with Soviet weapons & tanks Afraid that Korea would fall to Communism like China, the U.S. began to rush in troops. The U.S. brought the Korean situation up with the U.N.… The Russians were boycotting the U.N, so the U.S. convinced the UN to authorize a ‘police action’ to help the South Koreans. About 90% of troops were American

Why American Involvement? President Truman "Korea is a small country, thousands of miles away. But what is happening there is important to every American. The fact that communist forces have invaded Korea is a warning that there may be similar acts of aggression in other parts of the world ..." The U.S. led UN forces pushed the North Koreans back to the 38th parallel and then kept going. They pushed all the way to the border of China…

After several more years of inconclusive fighting back and forth, a cease fire was signed. Signed in 1953, it declared the 38th parallel once again as the break between the two countries.

Significance Reflects new American foreign policy of containment Limited warfare (did not use atomic bomb) Integrated Armed forces Begin to see a dramatic increase in military spending & permanent mobilization To this day, North & South Korea remain divided. The U.S. has no formal diplomatic relationship with North Korea.