The Korean War (1950-1953) Canada’s Forgotten War

1. The Korean War (1950-1953)Canada’s Forgotten War Kim Il Sung, the division of North and South Korea

2. Assess Canada’s participation in world affairs with reference to the United Nations, Cold War and Modern Conflicts • Evaluate Canada’s response to modern conflicts – the Korean War • Demonstrate effective research skills including assessing and evaluating data, citing sources • Counter Points – 138-139 Objectives

3. Korean War Introduction Video

4. Highlight or mark in the handout where Canada was involved in the war • How does the Korean War relate to the Cold War? Korean War Handout

5. During the Second World War, Korea was occupied by Japan • After the Japanese surrendered in 1945 (V-J day, end of the war), Korea was divided in half at the 38th parallel • This ended 35 years of Japanese occupation in Korea • between the Soviet backed communist government in the North • and the U.S. backed democratic government to the South • The North Koreans invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950 with more than 100,000 troops. They had support of Soviet tanks and aircraft • They invaded the capital of Seoul, which fell in less than a week The Korean War, 1950-1953Canada’s Forgotten War

6. Korea divided at the 38th parallel

7. A UN Force of 22 countries, led by American forces, were sent to fight in Korea • Over 26,500 Canadians served in the UN action in Korea • A total of 1,000 Canadians were wounded, another 400 killed • When the war ended July 1953, although both sides agreed to armistice (a state of peace agreed to between opponents so they can discuss peace terms) Korea remained divided between North and South The UN Force

8. The Soviets were allies with North Korea • China (Republic of China) had a seat as one of the permanent members with a veto vote on the UNSC • In 1949, Mao Zedong founded the communist part of China and created the People’s Republic of China. ROC retreated to Taiwan but still held their seat in the UN • The US wanted to prevent another permanent communist seat in the UN. The Soviets responded by boycotting. • The Soviets boycotting the UN security council at the time were not able to veto the American plan for a multinational “police action” • The Korean War was the first great test of UN resolution as well as a show of strength by the United States The UN and Soviet Veto

9. For the first time, Canadians served under US leaders • Canada supplied three battleships and a Royal Canadian Air Force transport squadron. Later they sent in ground troops • The US now eclipsed the British as a military power, and Canada adopted US equipment, tactics, training and weaponry, abandoning British strategies (autonomy?) • Switching military tactics from Britain to the US was accelerated by the Korean War Importance of the Korean War

10. The UN “police force” of American, South Korean, and British troops were pushed back by the Soviet-backed Northern Army • Red China, now under the leadership of Mao Zedong, gave more troops to North Korea – hundreds of thousands of troops • The war cost more than 3 million lives • At one point, the US considered using nuclear weapons The War in Development Canadian infantry advance in rice paddies

11. Kap’yong is a valley on a key route to Seoul

12. In your groups, read the handout of Canadians in the Korean War • Discuss in your groups the following questions: • How did Canada respond to the Korean War? • Why was the battle of Kap’yong important to the overall war? • How were Canadian efforts honoured? Record your answers or highlight in the handout where these answers are addressed and we will return as a class Kap’yong information handout

13. Kap’yong and Canadian Veterans Video

14. At Kap’Yong (1951), Canadian troops turned back a major Chinese advancement • Canada committed 27 000 military personnel, the 3rd largest contribution of the 22 nations that took part • Canadian soldiers helped stop a communist invasion force from overrunning the Kapyong Valley and – in the view of many historians – stopped them from ultimately capturing Seoul, the present-day capital of South Korea. • Canadian units received a citation from the US government for their bravery Canada in the Korean War: Kapyong 1951 Battery of guns from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery , 1951

15. The provincial exam may ask you to consider primary sources as evidence. One of them may be excerpts from documents • What you must do is read each of the documents in full and make sure you understand what it is saying. Take notes or paraphrase it on the paper • Consider: who is speaking? Who is it addressing? When was it written? • In your written portion, you must cite (give credit) to which document you are referring to. For example: • The United Nations called for military support for South Korea against communist North Korea two days after the North invaded (Document 1). Their involvement was immediate and supported a democratic nation faced with communist threat Document Based QuestionDue tomorrow work during class time