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The Korean War: 1950-1953. 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. Background.
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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
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 1950- U.S. supported South, Soviets the North
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
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