Korean War

2. Background to The Korean
War

3. 1910 - 1945
•Korea used to have some
of Asia's most prominent
communist groups and
activists
•These organizations
worked underground to
reestablish Korea's
independence during
Japan's occupation of the
Korean Peninsula
(1910-1945)

4. Occupation
•In 1945 Korea was occupied
by Soviet forces in the north
and American forces in the
south.
•The line that was chosen to
separate the two was the
same one that Japan and
Russia used in the early
part of the 20th century.
•It was called the 38th
parallel.

5. Kim II Sung
•33-year-old, soviet army
captain, Kim II Sung became
known to be a heroic guerrilla
commander.
•In early 1946, Soviet occupying
forces chose him to head the
provisional government for
North Korea.
•3 weeks after the Southern
Republic of Korea was made,
Kim Il Sung was named premier
of the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea on
September 9th 1948.

6. North Korea under Kim Il Sung
Kim didn't want a Soviet satellite state and instead
embraced Korean nationalism. The focus of which
was the Korean People’s Army. Under Kim's rule:
•Over 2 million acres of land were redistributed in
under a month
•Women were guaranteed equality under the law
•Political action cells were formed to educate the
population
In June of 1949 both the Soviets and Americans
left the peninsula, this is when Kim's plan to unite
Korea became evident.

7. On the Brink of War
•South Korea obviously appeared
to be faltering, but President
Syngman Rhee (South Korea)
unleashed a brutal campaign
against suspected communists
and leftists.
•At first Kim wanted to use force,
however he needed support and
so he turned to Stalin for help.
•Stalin supported his invasion
plan, and advised him to get
support from China’s new
communist leader, Mao Zedong.
He did and was now on the brink
of war.

8. Stage One: The North Attacks
•On 25 June 1950 North Korean
troops invaded South Korea.
•They cross the 38
th
parallel and
surround the capital Seoul.
•The South Korean Army
retreated to Pusan.

9. Why get involved in Korea?
By supporting North Korea
we have an opportunity to
confront the west and
expand communism without
endangering Soviet troops!
After Berlin we need a win!
By supporting South Korea
we can prevent the spread
of communism through
Asia. South Korea will not
the next Domino to fall!

10. This map is from
an American
magazine from
1950. This shows
how much the US
feared
communism in
the far east.

11. United Nations
•The United Nations now had to formulate a
plan. Sixteen member states would provide
troops under a United Nations Joint
Command. It would fight with the South
Korean army.
•This United Nations force was dominated
by America even to the extent of being
commanded by an American general –
Douglas MacArthur

12. Stage Two: The U.N. forces attack
•In September 1950 300,000 U.N.
troops landed at Inchon.
•260,000 of them were American.
•They effectively cut Korea in two.
•The North Koreans retreated
north of the 38
th
Parallel rather
than be completely cut off.
•Over 125,000 North Korean
prisoners were taken.
•General MacArthur boasted the
U.S. troops would be “Home by
Christmas”

13. Why did China enter the war?
•The U.N. forces crossed the
38
th
parallel and invaded
North Korea.
•General MacArthur planned
to ‘liberate’ North Korea
from communism.
•He took the troops to the
Yalu River. This was on the
Chinese border.
•Mao had already stated that
he would not tolerate
American imperialist troops
on its borders.

14. Stage Three: Chinese victories
•On the 25
th
of November 200,000
Chinese soldiers attacked the U.N.
troops.
•They had modern Soviet weapons
and a fanatical hatred of America.
•On 31 December another 600,000
Chinese soldiers joined the
conflict.
•They inflicted heavy casualties and
drove the U.N. troops south of the
38
th
Parallel.

15. MacArthur’s advice: September 1950
1.Make the ultimate aim of the war
the defeat of Communist China.
3.Attack the Chinese mainland to
cut off supplies to the communists
in North Korea.
5.Consider using atomic bombs
against China.

16. Stage Four: Back to the beginning!
•The Americans landed more
troops and pushed the North
Koreans back across the border.
•President Truman abandoned
any plans of invading North
Korea.
•He ordered troops to stop
advancing and considered
making peace with China.
•MacArthur criticised this
decision in a press conference.
•Truman fired him.

17. A slow, agonising march to peace.
•By April 1951 the two sides had
reached a stalemate.
•200,000 Chinese soldiers died in
an unsuccessful push south
during April and May.
•Peace talks began in July 1951
but no cease –fire was agreed
to.
•Between the beginning of peace
talks and November 1952 over
45,000 U.S. troops were killed or
wounded.

18. President Eisenhower
•General Eisenhower had been
in command of the D-Day
invasion.
•As a Presidential candidate he
promised to bring an end to
the Korean War.
•He took power in January,
1953. A formal cease-fire was
signed in July.
•10 Million people had died in
the Korean War – as many as
World War One

19. Armistice – Not a Peace Treaty
•There was an
armistice signed by
North Korea, China,
and the UN but not by
South Korea.
•The armistice was
NOT a peace treaty,
just a temporary
cessation of
hostilities.

20. •Korea is still split up into
North Korea
(communist) and South
Korea (non-communist)
•The border between the
two countries has
remained one of the
most heavily-armed
stretches of land on
Earth