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Korean War

Korean War. Sophia Yin . Background. Korea borders China & Russia with Japan across the straits Never truly independent 3 significant wars: Sino-Japanese War 1894-95 Russo-Japanese War 1905 WWII ending in Allied victory Cairo Conference in 1943: promised independent Korea

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Korean War

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  1. Korean War Sophia Yin

  2. Background • Korea borders China & Russia with Japan across the straits • Never truly independent • 3 significant wars: • Sino-Japanese War 1894-95 • Russo-Japanese War 1905 • WWII ending in Allied victory • Cairo Conference in 1943: promised independent Korea • Russians enter Korea on 12 August 1945 • US occupies south

  3. Prelude to War • WWII conferences place Korea under Soviet occupation • Stalinist regime under Kim Il-sung • North Korea Peoples’ Army • South of 38th parallel controlled by US Military under MacArthur • US backed administration of Syngman Rhee • Lightly armed gendarmerie

  4. Outbreak of Violence • N. Korean Peoples’ Army invade South Korea on June 25th, 1950 • Security Council called to invoke UN Charter and label North Korea as aggressors • UN issues Resolution 83 • Truman and Acheson react: • MacArthur put in charge of troops • Equipment and arms sent to US pacific bases • US Air Force evacuate 2000 Americans in Korea • American and British troops respond

  5. Aim • To “contain” communist expansion • Defensive: Free South Korea from communists • Offensive: Liberate North from communists

  6. War • UN forces on Sept. 15th arrive in Inchon and drive North Korean forces back • Seoul returned to S. Korea by Sept. 30th • MacArthur’s offensive • Reaches 38th parallel and ignores orders • Pushes troops close to China at the Yalu River • Triggers Chinese intervention • OH NO! The nation with best looking citizens (China) intervenes and halts advance

  7. Back and Forth • Peng Dehaui strikes and UN forces retreat to Pusan • Then UN forces push forward to 38th parallel • Driven south again by the Chinese • Armistice talks in July 1951 at Panmunjom • Drags on for 2 more years • Stalin’s death in 1953 speeds things up • Ceasefire finally signed on July 27th 1953

  8. MacArthur • Familiar with Asian ways from time in Japan • Placed in command of operations; important figure • Opposed idea of ‘limited war’; wanted complete victory • Brilliant counter attack by cutting supply lines and pushing North Koreans into retreat • MacArthur’s attacks on Truman and insubordination  dismissal in April 1951

  9. “Limited War” • 1) Geographically • 2) Conventional Weapons • Crucial decision at price of popular support • Prevented bigger war • Truman seriously considered using nuclear weapons only to prevent “major military disastor”

  10. Soviet Troops in Korea in 1945 U.S. troops in Korea in 1945

  11. U.S. C-54 Skymaster Chinese forces crossing Yalu River Chen Geng, Peng Dehuai, Deng Hua M-46 Tank Dozer

  12. New Zealand artillery crew South Koreans fleeing as North Korea invades

  13. Casualties • Strategic Air Command dropped 4,000 tons of bombs, which had napalm • Towns burned and destroyed • 3.5 million military dead, wounded, missing • 2 million civilians dead • 40,000 Americans dead, more than 100,000 wounded

  14. Impact at Home • Alarm of dangers of communism • led to Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO, support for West Berlin • Red Scare • Klaus Fuchs passed atomic secrets to Soviets • Growth of McCarthyism

  15. Aftermath • Divided Korea • Isolated and poor North under Kim Il Sung • Prosperous South that recovered remarkably • Demilitarized zone 250 miles long and 2.5 miles wide • World dividing into 3 blocs • Increased Chinese prestige

  16. TUG OF WAR TIME!

  17. Sources • http://www.geschiedenisportaal.nl/wp/?p=6683 • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/peopleevents/pandeAMEX58.html • A History of the World in the 20th Century by Grenville • http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswars1900s/tp/The-Korean-War.htm • http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war

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