The I United States during KOREAN_WAR.ppt

The I United States during KOREAN_WAR

1. THE WAR
IN KOREA

2. •AFTER WWII:
•In 1945, Korea was a colony
of Japan. After WWII it was
divided at the 38
th
parallel,
with the Soviets controlling
the North and the United
States controlling the South.
•Both nations removed their
forces in 1949, but Korea
remained divided and tensions
were high between the two
Koreas.
•On June 25, 1950 North Korea
crossed into South Korea. In a
matter of days Communist
North Korea had taken control
of South Korea.

4. •SOUTH KOREA TURNS TO
THE UNITED NATIONS
•FIRST TEST FOR THE UN
AS A PEACEKEEPING
ORGANIZATION
•THE UN VOTES TO
RESTORE THE BORDER
AT THE 38
TH
PARALLEL:
–PRESIDENT TRUMAN
ORDERS AMERICAN
TROOPS TO SUPPORT
SOUTH KOREA
•GEN. DOUGLAS MacARTHUR IS
NAMED COMMANDER OF UN
FORCES IN KOREA pushed
North Korea back across the
38
th
parallel by October 1,
1950.

6. NORTH KOREAN FORCES
ADVANCE TO PUSAN:
–SOUTH KOREAN CAPITAL
OF SEOUL IS CAPTURED
–U.S. (UN) FORCES UNDER
MACARTHUR HOLD THE
PUSAN PERIMETER

10. •AFTER INCHON, TRUMAN
ORDERED MACARTHUR
TO DRIVE THE
COMMUNISTS NORTH
•THE UN MANDATE ONLY
CALLED FOR A
REESTABLISHMENT OF
THE BORDER AT THE
38
TH
PARALLEL
•HOWEVER, TRUMAN SAW
AN OPPORTUNITY TO:
–DEFEAT COMMUNISM IN
KOREA COMPLETELY
–SECURE HIS REELECTION
IN 1952
•THUS, THE UN FORCES
PUSH INTO NORTH
KOREA

11. ENTER THE CHINESE
•COMMUNIST CHINA
FELT THREATENED BY
U.S. TROOPS
•WANTED A BUFFER-
ZONE BETWEEN THEM
AND SOUTH KOREA
•SENT 300,000 TROOPS
ACROSS THE YALU
RIVER TO PUSH
MacARTHUR AND THE
UN FORCES BACK
•STALEMATE SOUTH
OF THE 38
TH
PARALLEL

17. •Mac BELIEVED THE
ONLY WAY TO DEFEAT
NORTH KOREA WOULD
BE TO ATTACK CHINA
•TRUMAN DISAGREED,
NOT WANTING TO
PROVOKE THE RUSSIANS
(WHO NOW HAD ATOMIC
BOMBS)
•Mac WENT TO CONGRESS
AND MET WITH
REPUBLICAN LEADERS
BEHIND TRUMAN’S
BACK

18. ► The war became a major topic in the
1952 election; Truman chose not to run for
reelection, knowing many blamed him for
the US’s involvement.
►Peace talks did not yield results and
more soldiers kept dying as fighting flared
up.
► A cease-fire was signed on July 27,
1953, essentially ending the fighting.
► Korea was again divided roughly along
the 38
th
Parallel.
►BOTH NATIONS SET UP TROOPS
ALONG THE 38
TH
PARALLEL, NOW
CALLED THE DEMILITARIZED ZONE
(DMZ)
► Significant casualties: 1.5 million
Chinese soldiers, 845,000 SK soldiers,
15000 US forces, and 3 million NK and SK
civilians

19. TECHNICALLY, NORTH AND SOUTH
KOREA ARE STILL AT WAR!
Technically, the North and South Koreans
had only signed a truce. The Armistice
Agreement formally ended fighting and divided
the Korean peninsula, but it was not a peace
treaty.
THE DMZ IS THE WORLD ’S MOST
SECURE BORDER, AND SINCE 1953 THE
TWO KOREAS HAVE DEVELOPED INTO
TWO VERY DIFFERENT NATIONS.

20. RESULTS OF AND AFTER
THE KOREAN WAR

In one sense, the Korean War changed nothing since
the border between the two countries remained about
the same and the north remained Communist.
On the other hand, the Korean War pushed back the
invasion of the North Koreans, essentially
maintaining South Korea’s democracy and showing
the world that the US was ready to fight
Communism’s expansion into non-Communist
nations.
After the war...
North Korea’s economy - already in trouble before
the war -was struggling; support from the SU and
China wasn’t enough, and there are still problems
with jobs and housing today. The country also
remains under the rule of a strict Communist
dictatorship.
South Korea quickly ousted its leader after the war
and struggled with its economy for a while; during
the Vietnam War, SK gave support to the US, and
that was rewarded with $200 million from the US,
which boosted its economy. South Korea continues
to do well today.