1. Ch 15 sec 4
The Korean War

2. I. Korea Before the War
Korea had been controlled by the Japanese since 1905, and was influenced before that by China and Russia.
After WW2, Korea was divided up between the Soviet Union and the U.S. even though the Soviet Union never fought against Japan.

3. I. Korea Before the War
After the war, Korea was supposed to have elections and to be independent, but the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. would provide security temporarily.
The country was divided into North and South Korea, separated at the 38th parallel. When the Cold War broke out, each side established a government that was sympathetic to themselves.

4. I. Korea Before the War
The North was communist, led by Kim Il Sung, and he wanted to unify the country under his communist rule.
The South was democratic, led by Syngman Rhee who acted more like a dictator, and he wanted to unify the country under his rule.

5. I. Korea Before the War
The discussions between the two sides would break down, and war broke out between the two sides in 1950.

6. II. The Start of the Korean War
In June of 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea using Soviet weapons and materials. They were able to push south quickly because there was little preparation made to fight in the South.
The United States was also taken by surprise, and did not have the manpower needed to repel the attack. But the U.S. was willing to fight, and planned a response to the invasion.

7. II. The Start of the Korean War
Truman felt he had to respond to the Communist threat, and if he didn’t then other countries would never trust the U.S. to help them either.
Truman sent the navy and air force to support South Korean troops, and asked the United Nations for permission to send troops to stop the attack.

8. II. The Start of the Korean War
Truman did not want to send troops in, but the North Koreans were moving farther, so he eventually authorized them. Since this was a United Nations police action, other countries sent troops as well.
The commander of the armed forces was General Douglas MacArthur, and the troops landed at Pusan.

9. III. Key Battles of the Korean War
The UN forces established a perimeter around Pusan, and were told to defend that at all costs.
Then MacArthur had a plan to land troops at Inchon, behind enemy lines, and attack them from the rear. The landing area was not good for a landing, but it worked and the troops were able to control the area.

10. III. Key Battles of the Korean War
They moved south, and troops from Pusan were able to break north, and the North Koreans were in full retreat.
The question then came to either stop at the 38th parallel or to take the entire country over. MacArthur favored taking it all, even though the Chinese had threatened to attack if they crossed the 38th parallel.

11. III. Key Battles of the Korean War
They followed MacArthur’s plan and drove almost to the border of Korea and China, but then the Chinese attacked, and drove the army back down to Seoul.
MacArthur wanted to bomb China, and use nuclear weapons, or else he thought the Chinese would win.

12. III. Key Battles of the Korean War
But the UN troops pushed back the Chinese to the 38th parallel, and Truman thought MacArthur was out of line for pushing for a full-scale war with China.
MacArthur started making public statements about the need to destroy communism and China, so Truman fired MacArthur. This led to public backlash against Truman for his treatment of a WW2 hero.

13. IV. Fighting Ends in Korea
Military leaders supported Truman’s decision, and peace talks began with North Korea. The major obstacle to peace was the border between the countries.
The North wanted the 38th parallel to be the border, but UN troops had taken territory farther north of that. Talks broke off and more fighting continued.

14. IV. Fighting Ends in Korea
When talks resumed, the issue was POWs. Syngman Rhee refused to send communist soldiers back in the hopes that the UN would fight to unify the country.
Fighting continued as the two sides could not come to an agreement that both were happy with.

15. IV. Fighting Ends in Korea
Eisenhower was elected as president in 1952 on the promise of ending the war in Korea. When he took office in 1953, he started that process.
The Communists were also ready to end the war, and both sides were able to come to an agreement.

16. IV. Fighting Ends in Korea
The borders remained almost the same as they were in 1950, but the North lost a small amount of territory.
But the cost in lives was enormous. As many as 3 million Korean civilians died, 37,000 Americans and 60,000 UN troops also died. The war is still technically going on, the two sides only agreeing to a cease-fire.

17. In your notebooks
Create a full page advertisement showing what the Korean War accomplished. Use color illustrations and descriptions to explain how the United States benefited from participating in the war.