1. The Korean War:

2. Fast Facts UN/Allied Forces Roughly 150,000 foreign servicemen
3,360 killed
11,886 wounded
1,801 MIA
1,376 POW
British Commonwealth, Belgium, Luxembourg, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Holland, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey

3. Background 1945: USSR invaded Korea to root out Japanese
U.S. responded by landing troops in south
Uneasy agreement reached- 38th parallel divided Korea
Kim Il Sung organized Comm. gov’t in N
U.S. backed Syngman Rhee in South – Rep. of Korea
By U.S. supported South, Soviets the North

4. Armed Conflict Begins North Korea crossed 38th, June 25, 1950
UN Security condemned invasion
Soviets absent- 6 months earlier left council in protest
Truman attached U.S. forces to Korea- never officially a ‘war’- only a ‘police action’
Truman reaction was not surprising (Truman Doctrine) but outside of assumed reaction
1948: U.S. gradually w/drew troops from Korea
Dean Acheson, Sec of State claimed Korea was outside of U.S. defense perimeter

5. Why did U.S. Intervene Tense Cold War Politics
U.S.S.R. atomic ready- 1949
U.S.S.R. intimidation of Turkey & Greece
‘NSC 68’: analysis recommended heavy increase in military spending to offset Soviets
1949- Communist China came to power
Truman criticized for ‘losing’ China
1950 McCarthyism- Truman criticized for being to soft on Communism
Korea may be lost- can’t ‘lose’ another country in Asia
Fear Soviet & China sphere of Communism