End of the Korean War and Cuba

1
End of the Korean War and Cuba

• Lesson 21

2
Korea
3
Approaching the Yalu

• MacArthur continued to push north, ignoring
  threats of Chinese intervention
• On October 25, the Chinese army attacked after
  having infiltrated into North Korea
• After suffering setbacks, the U.N. forces
  stabilized their lines by November 5
• Chinese withdrew northward
• MacArthur launched a great offensive toward the
  end of November, which he optimistically hoped
  would end the war in Korea

4
Counteroffensive

• MacArthurs all-out offensive to the Yalu had
  barely begun when the Chinese attacked en masse
  on the night of November 25.
• Roughly 180,000 Chinese troops shattered the
  right flank of Walkers Eighth Army in the west,
  while 120,000 others threatened to destroy the X
  Corps near the Chosin Reservoir.
• On November 28, MacArthur informed the Joint
  Chiefs, We face an entirely new war.
• U.N. retreat ended about 70 miles below Seoul.

5
Stalemate

• Beginning January 15, Ridgway led the U.N. in a
  slow advance northward.
• U.N. re-recaptured Seoul (the fourth and final
  time it changed hands) on March 15, and had
  patrols crossing the 38th parallel on March 31.
• In the meantime, MacArthur had been steadily
  pushing Washington to remove the restrictions on
  his forces.
• Truman declined for fear of widening the war and
  fired MacArthur for insubordination on April 11.

6
MacArthurs Relief

• MacArthur repeatedly made public statements that
  were contrary to official US policy
• In August, he sent a speech to be read to the VFW
  proposing Formosas utility as a base of
  operations
• He suggested that Truman Administration policies
  were responsible for the retreat of the Eighth
  Army

MacArthur and Truman met at Wake Island, Oct 14,
1950
7
MacArthurs Relief

• On Dec 6, 1950, Truman published an executive
  order aimed at MacArthur requiring all
  government officials to clear their public
  statements on foreign and military policy with
  the Administration
• Truman planned to use recent military successes
  to invite the Communists to negotiate
• MacArthur broadcast an ultimatum to the enemy
  which undermines Trumans authority
• Sent a letter to Congressman Joseph Martin
  further criticizing the Administration

8
MacArthurs Relief

• I deeply regret that it becomes my duty as
  President and Commander in Chief of the United
  States Military Forces to replace you as Supreme
  Commander, Allied Powers Commander in Chief,
  United Nations Command Commander in Chief, Far
  East and Commanding General United States Army,
  Far East. You will turn over your commands,
  effective at once, to Lieutenant General Matthew
  B. Ridgway.

But once war is forced upon us, there is no
other alternative than to apply every available
means to bring it to a swift end. Wars very
object is victory, not prolonged indecision. In
war there is no substitute for victory.
MacArthurs Farewell Address Apr 19, 1951
9
Civilian Control of the Military

• President serves as Commander in Chief and Chief
  Executive
• Ensures civilian control over military policy
• Appointment of officers
• Appointment of Secretary of Defense

• Congress provides for the common defense
• Declares war
• Raises and supports armies
• Provides and maintains a Navy
• Controls budget
• Make rules for the government and regulation of
  the land and naval forces

10
Negotiation and Stalemate

• On June 29,1951, Ridgway broadcast a message to
  his Communist counterpart announcing his
  willingness to negotiate
• Eighth Army transitioned to an active defense
• Unsuccessful attempts to break Communist supply
  line with air and artillery

Matthew Ridgway
11
Operation Ratkiller

• The slowing down of maneuver allowed the UN to
  turn its attention to counterguerrilla
  operations.
• Behind the lines in South Korea there were over
  8,000 guerrillas and bandits, 5,400 of whom were
  reported armed.
• Concentrated mainly in the mountains of the
  rugged Chiri-san area of southwestern Korea
• Although they were chiefly of nuisance value,
  there was always the chance that in the event of
  a major offensive, they could pose a real and
  dangerous threat to supply and communication
  lines and to rear areas.

12
Operation Ratkiller

• During November 1951 there was an upsurge in
  raiding operations as the guerrillas launched
  well-coordinated attacks upon rail lines and
  installations.
• In mid-November Lieutenant General James Van
  Fleet ordered the ROK Army to set up a task force
  composed of the ROK Capital and ROK 8th
  Divisions, both minus their artillery units.
• Van Fleet wanted the group organized and ready to
  stamp out guerrilla activity by the first of
  December.

13
Operation Ratkiller

• Since the Chiri-san held the core of guerrilla
  resistance, Van Fleet directed that the first
  phase of the task force operations cover this
  mountainous stretch some twenty miles northwest
  of Chinju.
• On December 1, the ROK Government declared
  martial law in southwestern Korea.
• Restricted the movement of civilians, established
  a curfew, and severed telephone connections
  between villages.
• On the following day Task Force Paik initiated
  its antiguerrilla campaign, Operation Ratkiller

14
Operation Ratkiller Phase One

• Encirclement
• Moving in from a 163-mile perimeter, Task Force
  Paik closed on the Chiri-san.
• The ROK 8th Division pushed southward toward the
  crest of the mountains and the Capital Division
  edged northward to meet it.
• Blocking forces, composed of National Police,
  youth regiments, and security forces located in
  the area, were stationed at strategic positions
  to cut off escape routes.

15
Operation Ratkiller Phase One

• As the net was drawn tighter, groups of from ten
  to five hundred guerrillas were flushed, but only
  light opposition developed.
• After twelve days, Task Force Paik ended the
  first phase on December 14 with a total of 1,612
  reported killed and 1,842 prisoners.

16
Operation Ratkiller Phase Two

• The hunt shifted north to Cholla Pukto Province
  for Phase II with the mountains around Chonju the
  chief objectives.
• From December 19 to January 4 the ROK 8th and
  Capital Divisions ranged the hills and sought to
  trap the guerrillas and bandits hiding in the
  rough terrain.
• By the end of December it was estimated that over
  4,000 men had been killed and another 4,000 had
  been captured.

17
Operation Ratkiller Phase Three

• When Phase III opened on January 6, the task
  force returned to the Chiri-san to catch the
  guerrillas who had filtered back into the area
  after Phase I.
• On January 19, the Capital Division carried out
  the most significant action of the campaign.
• While the ROK 26th Regiment took up blocking
  positions north of the mountains, the ROK 1st and
  Cavalry Regiments attacked from the south, in two
  consecutive rings.
• Although one small group broke through the inner
  ring, it was caught by the outer circle of
  troops.

18
Operation Ratkiller Results

• What was believed to be the core of the
  resistance forces in South Korea perished or was
  taken prisoner during this drive.
• When Phase III ended at the close of January,
  over 19,000 guerrillas and bandits had been
  killed or captured in the Ratkiller operation.
• The last phase became a mopping-up effort against
  light and scattered resistance.
• Ratkiller officially terminated on March 15, when
  the local authorities took over the task.

19
EncirclementFM 90-8, Counterguerrilla Operations

• Encirclement offers the best chance to fix
  guerrilla forces in position and achieve decisive
  results.
• The battalion and larger units will usually plan
  and conduct encirclements.
• The company and smaller units normally do not
  have the manpower and command and control
  capability to execute encirclements except as
  part of a larger force.
• Encirclements require accurate intelligence on
  the location of guerrilla elements.

20
Encirclement Initial occupation

• Planning, preparation, and execution are aimed at
  encircling the guerrilla force rapidly.
• Maximum security and surprise can be gained by
  occupying the initial encirclement positions
  during darkness.
• In large operations, air assault and airborne
  troops add speed and surprise to the operation.
• Positions are occupied simultaneously in order to
  block escape. If simultaneous occupation is not
  possible, probable escape routes are covered
  first.
• Initial occupation is the most critical period of
  the operation. When the guerrillas become aware
  that they are being encircled, they will probably
  probe for gaps or attack weak points and attempt
  to break out.

21
Encirclement Contraction

• Following completion of the encirclement, the
  circle is contracted to capture or destroy the
  guerrilla force. As the circle is contracted,
  units may be removed from the line and added to
  the reserve.
• Against small guerrilla forces, the encircled
  area may be cleared by contraction and a final
  sweep.
• Against larger guerrilla forces, however, at some
  point, some action other than contraction will be
  required.

22
Wedge Technique

• One technique consists of driving a wedge through
  the guerrilla force to divide it and then
  destroying the guerrillas in each subarea.

23
Hammer and Anvil Technique

• Another technique, employed after some degree of
  contraction, is to employ a blocking force on one
  or more sides of the perimeter while the
  remainder of the encircling force drives the
  guerrillas against the blocking force.
• Either element may accomplish the actual
  destruction.
• This technique is effective when the blocking
  force can be located on, or immediately in the
  rear of, a natural terrain obstacle.

24
Negotiation and Stalemate

• In spite of the slowdown in major maneuver, both
  sides expend enormous amounts of effort to
  solidify their lines
• Costly seesaw battles like Bloody Ridge,
  Heartbreak Ridge, and Old Baldy
• Negotiations characterized by intransigence
• POWs a major obstacle
• Armistice not signed till July 27, 1953

Heartbreak Ridge with Bloody Ridge in background
25
Korean War and the Cold War

• Truman put limitations on MacArthur because he
  had concluded that Korea was not worth risking a
  third world war
• Korea was part of the US policy of containment,
  but stopped short of initiating the policy of
  roll back
• Contributed to the formation of the Southeast
  Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) by Australia,
  France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Pakistan, the
  Philippines, Thailand, and the US in 1954

Secretary of State John Foster Dulles advocated a
policy of rolling back Soviet gains and
unleashing Chiang Kai-shek
26
Korea Today

• The war ended with an armistice, not a peace
  treaty
• The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) encompasses 2
  kilometers on either side of the 151 mile long
  Military Demarcation Line (MDL)
• North Korea remains communist and a nuclear threat

Panmunjeom is the official diplomatic
headquarters at the DMZ. North Korean guards, in
brown, face their South Korean counterparts, in
blue.
27
Cuba
28
Fidel Castro

• In the early 1950s Cuba was controlled by a
  moderate right-wing military regime that was
  friendly to the US government and businesses
• The US supported Fulgencio Batista as an
  anti-communist and a proponent of the US in
  domestic and international policies
• However, in 1959 Fidel Castro was able to
  mobilize the disaffected rural peasants and
  topple Batistas regime

A Cuban crowd listens to Castro after his takeover
29
Fidel Castro

• Castro assumed dictatorial powers and announced
  his goal was to create a society based on Marxist
  principles
• He nationalized large-scale landholdings, sought
  economic aid from the Soviet Union, and tried to
  export revolution throughout Latin America
  through peasant and urban guerrilla warfare

Che Guevara directed many of Castros Latin
American operations until he was killed in
Bolivia in 1967
30
Bay of Pigs

• The US could not accept the presence of a
  revolutionary Marxist government so close to its
  borders and President Eisenhower authorized
  planning for a force of anti-Castro Cubans to
  invade Cuba and overthrow Castro
• When Kennedy became president he authorized the
  invasion but stipulated that the US not be
  involved in the landing itself

31
Bay of Pigs

• The invasion took place at the Bay of Pigs in
  April 1961 and proved to be a disaster
• Instead of rallying to the invaders, the local
  population supported the Castro government
• The failure embarrassed the US and weakened
  President Kennedy in the eyes of the Soviet Union
• However, it strengthened Kennedys personal
  resolve to act more vigorously in any future
  crisis

Castro helping to repel the invasion
32
Cuban Missile Crisis

• Castro feared the US would try again to overthrow
  him and he called for additional support from the
  Soviet Union
• Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev responded by
  sending medium-range bombers and missiles to Cuba
  to help defend Castro and threaten the US
• In Oct 1962, US spy planes discovered missile
  sites under construction in Cuba

Map used to brief the range of missiles and
bombers being deployed to Cuba.
33
Kennedys Response

• Kennedy responded decisively, demanding that the
  Soviets remove the missiles and bombers or face
  their destruction by air strikes or invasion
• He also imposed a naval quarantine of Cuba

34
Quarantine
The US destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy stops, boards,
and inspects a dry-cargo ship of Lebanese
registry under Soviet charter to Cuba on Oct 26,
1962
35
(No Transcript)
36
US Victory

• On Oct 28, Khrushchev agreed to remove the
  missiles
• Eyeball to eyeball, they blinked first.
• Dean Rusk, US Secretary of State
• The Cuban Missile Crisis had shown the dangers of
  nuclear apocalypse in the bipolar world
• It was a major Cold War victory for the US and a
  major loss of face for the Soviet Union and
  Khrushchev

1962 British cartoon showing Kennedy and
Khrushchev arm wrestling on top of nuclear weapons
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Cold War Society
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Next

• Vietnam