Background to and the Korean War

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  • Korean war (1950-1953)
    • Background
      • At Yalta and Potsdam in 1945 America, England and the USSR split Korea on the 38th parallel.
        • The North was ruled under a communist government under Kim II Sung and the South under capitalism under Syngman Rhee
      • Syngman Rhee - anti-communist and pro-American. Elected in 1948, removed left wing opposition. Rigid authoritarianism which led to several massacres
      • Kim II Sung - elected in 1948, nationalised healthcare, distributed lands, 8 hour work day and nationalisation of heavy industry, his decision to invade
      • In 1948 a communist insurgency backed by the North happened in the south, guerilla armies were fighting against the government, South Korean and US military efforts reduced these to 1,000 in 1950
      • Aims of Rhee: immediate independence and unification under capitalism.
      • Aims of Sung: unite Korea under a communist system
    • The war
      • Began in June 1950 with a North Korean invasion into the South to arrest Rhee, he had gained support of Russia and China
      • The North Korean People's army (NKPA) easily defeated the Republic of Korea's army (ROK)
      • By September the NKPA had conquered almost all of South Korea
      • The US went to the UN to get troops to defend South Korea and Russians could not veto this as they were boycotting the UN
      • In September 1950, UN troops led by MacArthur landed in Korea and drove the NPKA back, by October the UN forces had almost conquered all of NK to the Yalu river
      • The Chinese Army got involved in November 1950, they drove the American army back, they recaptured NK and advanced into SK
        • In response the Americans landed more troops and drove them back to the 38th parallel
          • Truman ordered MacArthur to stop his military action but he did not so he was fired
      • From 1951-1953 the war went on as border clashes and developed into a stalemate
      • The US took advantage of their airpower to try and break the stalemate, they bombed villages, transportation, infrastructure
      • The USSR did not get directly involved but sent military aid
    • General MacArthur
      • Successful in driving back North Korean forces during the initial offensive
      • He made a rogue decision to push back the NK troops further North and wanting to bomb
      • In 1951 Truman fired him due to this incident
    • Inchon Landing
      • Landing of American and SK forces on the port, this changed the tide of the war and forced NK retreat
      • This attack was intially doubted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff
    • Reasons for US intervention
      • Domino theory - theory that if Korea fell to communism the rest of Asia would follow
      • Created by various security agencies
      • The USSR had set up its first atomic bomb which heightened Cold War paranoia

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