World History II – Spring 2013

The Korean War

Korea had been ruled by Japan since 1910

Japan surrenders to Allies in September 1945

Allies decide to divide Korea along 38th parallelSoviet troops will occupy the

northU.S. troops will occupy the south

Koreans are excluded from these conferences

Division and occupation were intended to be temporary

Background

Syngman Rhee Korean nationalist who had

been exiled by the JapaneseWants to unify Korea Does not want to trade

Japanese imperialism for American/Soviet

1948 becomes first President of South Korea

Establishes authoritarian regime

Supported by U.S. because he is anti-communist

South Korea

Kim Il-SungCommunist guerilla leader

who had been exiled by the Japanese

Served in the Soviet Red Army during WWII

Stalin placed him in charge of newly formed North Korea

Wanted to unify Korea under communist rule

North Korea

North and South engage in reunification negotiationsTalks are off and on for two yearsNeither side will change political ideologyBorder skirmishes are common

Nearly 10,000 North and South Korean soldiers are killed in battle before the war even starts

Tensions build

June 25, 1950 North Korean troops launch a surprise attack on South Korea

United Nations Security Council votes to support South KoreansSoviets boycott the meetingTruman sees this as an opportunity for containment

15 UN Member Nations send troops 88% of troops are from U.S.Combined forces led by General MacArthur

War begins

MacArthur’s troops push North Koreans past 38th parallel and engage in an offensive to “liberate” North Korea from the Communists

U.N. troops reach the Yalo River, North Korea’s border with China

U.N. offensive

Mao Zedong warns that crossing into China will mean full-scale war

Truman knows this might risk war with Soviets, who now have a nuclear bomb

MacArthur wants to engage China and is fired for insubordination

Threats from Communist China

Chinese forces cross the Yalo River into Korea on October 16, 1950

Combined North Korean and Chinese forces push U.N. troops back into South Korea in January 1951

For six months, territory is traded back and forth within 100 miles of the 38th parallel

In July 1951, armistice negotiations begin but no agreement is reached until July 1953

Boundary at 38th parallel is reestablished and a two-mile-wide Demilitarized Zone is created

The End of the War

First armed conflict of the Cold War“Proxy War”- when opposing powers use third

parties as substitutes for fighting each otherFirst time US engaged with an enemy in

possession of a nuclear bombFirst containment of communism outside of

EuropeFirst racially integrated US troopsTest of the United Nations as an international

peace-keeping body

Why is the Korean War important?