Transcript Brief History of the Korean War

I. The Korean War
The ‘Cold War’
Heats Up!
Korean War (1950-1953)
“The Forgotten War”: U.S. nickname.
 North vs. South Korea but w/ major help

China
Communist
United States
K
o
r
e
a
China: Ruled Korea for many centuries
until 1910.
 1910-1945: Japan ruled Korea.
 After WWII, Korea divided along the
______
38th parallel. (Latitude or longitude?)



North: Soviet-occupied until 1948.
 Pyonyang: capital.
South: U.S.-occupied until 1949.
 Seoul: capital.
Brief History of the
Korean War



6/25/50: North Korea crosses the _____
parallel
9/15/50: N.K. had conquered almost entire
peninsula except for SE corner (called Pusan
Perimeter)
9/15/50: Gen. Douglas MacArthur leads
surprise “amphibious” invasion of Inchon on
West coast & behind N. Korean lines.
 United Nations (U.N.) vs. North Korea, China, and Soviet Union.
 No declaration of war by the U.S.
Brief History…

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11/24/50: US/South K. had
pushed N.K. out of the South &
had conquered most of N. Korea.
11/24/50: China crosses the
Yalu River to aid N. Korea. This
surprised the US/S. Korea &
caused a retreat.
1951-1953: Fighting back &
forth near 38th parallel.
4/10/51: MacArthur fired by
President Truman.
A. 1950-53
1. 1953 Armistice kept
division at 38th parallel
(no real change).
2. Communism “contained.”


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5 million dead.
Korea devastated.
In the next 50 years, SK
become economically
successful while NK did not.
 The United Nations and North Korea are still (technically) at war!!
Korea’s & China’s leaders during the
Korean War

NK: Kim Il Sung


SK: Syngman Rhee


Ran authoritative police state but was antiCommunist
China: Mao Zedong


Ruled NK 1948-1994, relied on China &
USSR, anti-Western, dealt arms to
developing countries
Communist People’s Republic of China (PRC)
declared in 1949
USSR (Not directly involved): Stalin

Stalin did not think US would get involved so
he gave Il Sung “permission” to invade SK.
5th Marine
Sniper in
Punchbowl.
37th Scout Dog Platoon,
25th Infantry Division,
Korea in January 1954.
My Dad
in Korea,
1953.
155-mm self propelled gun for
massive fire-support, 1952.
Russian made MiG-15.
American made F-86.
A Russian MiG-15 shot
down by a U.S. ‘F-86’
over MiG Alley.
A propaganda picture opposing the United States
made by North Korea. A North Korean soldier is
destroying the United States Capitol.
B.
To stop Soviet
aggression:
1. S.E.A.T.O. –
Southeast Asia
Treaty
Organization.
2. C.E.N.T.O. – Central
Treaty Organization.
Off the coast of Korea, 2003.
 SEATO – To stop Soviet aggression in the East. Members were U.S.,
Eng, Fr, Pakistan, Thailand, PI, Australia, and New Zealand.
CENTO – To stop Soviet expansion to the South. Members were
Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Eng, and U.S.
MASH was a hit
tv series set during
the Korean War, but
filmed in Malibu.
Artist Pablo Picasso’s painting Massacre in Korea (1951) depicted
violence against civilians during the Korean War.
By some accounts, killing of civilians by U.S. forces in Shinchun,
Hwanghae Province was the motive of the painting.
Important Lesson That Wasn’t
Learned by the U.S.

Stick to your original objectives.

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How does this apply to Korea?
Korea was a warm-up
for Vietnam!!