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The Korean War

The Korean War. The Forgotten War:. Background:. 1895 Korea taken from China by Japan Cairo Conference 1943, Allies agree that when liberated, it would become independent. Aug. 12, 1945 Soviets enter Korea and push south to the 38th. American occupy the south. This was to only be temporary.

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The Korean War

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  1. The Korean War The Forgotten War:

  2. Background: • 1895 Korea taken from China by Japan • Cairo Conference 1943, Allies agree that when liberated, it would become independent. • Aug. 12, 1945 Soviets enter Korea and push south to the 38th. • American occupy the south. • This was to only be temporary.

  3. Background • The UN requested Elections be held. • South: Nat’l Assembly formed electing anti-communist Syngman Rhee • North: No elections, taken over by communist Kim Il Sung Syngman Rhee

  4. Background • The de facto partition had become permanent. However, both governments claimed authority over the whole country, and each threatened to unify Korea by force. Kim Il Sung

  5. Background • Soviets withdrew forces in Dec. ‘48. Americans in June ‘49 • But, both powers armed their own client state with weapons. • Two elements: 1. Civil, 2. Proxy Cold War

  6. The Causes of the Korean War "Communism in Korea could get off to a better start than practically anywhere else in the world." — Edwin W. Pauley, Truman's ambassador investigating reparations, traveling in the Russian zone of Korea in June 1946

  7. Causes of the War • 1. Btwn Oct. ‘49 and June ‘50, several thousand soldiers killed in border incidents along 38th. • 2. US Sec. of State Dean Acheson outlined US policy, it failed to mention S. Korea and Taiwan as part of US Sphere of Influence (The Green Light to NK) • 3. June 25, 1950, N. Kor. Invaded south of the 38th • 4. Sov. Boycott UN Security Council over Taiwan issue, unable to veto UN action

  8. Kim was acting on Stalin’s orders. Why? 1. To keep Kim dependent upon the USSR. 2. Create a diversion for the US away from Euro. There was no “unusual” invasion. The US said there was. Why? To take advantage of USSR’s boycott of UN. US baited Kim into the attack. Two Views on Invasion:

  9. Khrushchev’s Memoirs • Stalin approved the invasion, although possibly without considering fully the consequences. • However most likely, Kim acted independently in pursuit of the goal of unification of Korea as a communist state. • Stalin was aware of UN boycott and the consequences and would not have agreed to the invasion.

  10. The Course of the War: "In my generation, this was not the first occasion when the strong had attacked the weak….Communism was acting in Korea just as Hitler, Mussolini, and the Japanese had acted ten, fifteen, and twenty years earlier. I felt certain that if South Korea was allowed to fall, Communist leaders would be emboldened to override nations closer to our own shores." — President Harry Truman "I will defend Korea as I would my own country—just as I would California." — Gen. Douglas MacArthur to Dr. Syngman Rhee, President of the two-month-old South Korean Republic, October 1948

  11. The Course of the War • UN/US forces would be “solely for the purpose of restoring the Republic of Korea to its status prior to the invasion from the North” So… a war of containment-Truman Doctrine! 14 other countries would send troops under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur

  12. S. Kor army and 4 US divisions driven south and only control the area around Pusan. Sept., MacArthur makes a surprise amphibious landing at Inchon. N Kor army found itself trapped by two armies and forced to retreat. By the end of Sept. Seoul liberated and the South secured.

  13. The Course of the War • China Reacts: PM Zhou Enlai warned that if the US went on to invade the North, China would go to its aid! Truman called his “bluff”. He wished to est. a US dominated Kor as a foothold on the Asian landmass. Thus, he had changed the stated purpose of the US involvement from containment to Rollback.

  14. The Course of the War • By the end of Oct. US forces captured Pyongyang, and in some places reached as far N as the Yalu R. • Chinese Reaction: • Feared US backed attack by Chinese Nat’l • MacArthur expressed desire to invade China • Wished to keep N. Kor as a buffer

  15. The Course of the War • 300,000 Chinese “volunteers” from the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) crossed the border and drove the US army back beyond the 38th. Pyongyang and Seoul was captured by the Chinese. • Truman changed plans and settles for containent. • MacArthur criticized Truman’s “Limited War” and called for an all out attack upon Red China. He demanded the authority to blockade China and bomb Manchuria with atomic weapons! • MacArthur called limited war a form of appeasement. • Truman dismisses MacArthur of his duties and replaces him with Gen. Matthew Ridgway

  16. A Chinese offensive failed in June 1951. They sought an armistice in July ‘51. But dragged on for months. Both sides sought to improve its position. The focus on: The exact demarcation line and repatriation of POW’s In the South: Rhee Imposed martial law Arrested opposition deputies in the National Assembly Imposed a Right Wing dictatorship The Course of the War "Even now, I feel guilty that I pulled the trigger." — Lee Joon-Young, 83, who in 1950 was one of the South Korean executioners ordered to murder dissidents by the Syngman Rhee government to keep them from possibly joining up with the invading North Korean army

  17. Newly elected D.D. Eisenhower after himself threatened to use Nuclear attack, signed armistice on July 27th, 1953 • Armies to separate by a DMZ • Restore the status quo ante bellum- 38th Parallel. • POW’s would be exchanged

  18. The Consequences of the War

  19. The Consequences of the War • Deaths: @ 2.9 mil total • 1.3 mil S. Kor • 1 mil Chinese • 500K N. Kor • 54K US • 4500 Allies Destruction: 5 mil Koreans homeless. S. Kor industrial infrastructure damaged, N. Kor was devastated due US bombing.

  20. The Consequences of the War • The war failed to resolve the division of Korea. Still a Hot Spot today. • Increases Sino-American hostilities. • UN saved face for League of Nations failures in Manchuria in 1931. • Est. a precedent for US intervention in Asia to “contain communist expansion” • Increased US Paranoia of Communism at home- McCarthyism. • No more limited wars under Ike. Massive Retaliation policy • Both Korea’s arm themselves using precious resources needed to feed their people

  21. The Consequences of the War • Scarce Chinese resources diverted to the war. • Poisoned Sino-Soviet Relations. • Stimulated US economy as well as Japans • N. Kor turned in upon itself and became a defensive totalitarian state, a corrupt right wing dictatorship. • China gained prestige on world stage for going “toe to toe” with the US. • SEATO formed: South East Asia Treaty Organization. To contain China and N Kor. A failure

  22. This was a Nasty War: Both sides tortured POW’s US used POW’s as guinea pigs to test effects of germ warfare. Indiscriminate bombing of civilians. US used biological warfare by dropping anthrax, the plague, and other diseases on N Kor and China. US prepared to use any means necessary to save its sphere of influence. A Civil War- goal was to unify Korea. A Proxy War: ideological opposition supported by super powers. Third World enters the Cold War. Pressure for developing nations to pick sides. The Significance of the War

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