The Korean War

1
The Korean War

• 1950-1953

2
Background

• 1910-1945- Japan controlled Korea
• 1945- Japan surrenders to the Allied Powers
• Troops north of the 38th parallel surrendered to
  the Soviets and south of the 38th parallel
  surrendered to the Americans
  
• Two separate countries developed- Communist North
  Korea and Democratic South Korea
  
• Potsdam Conference- Korea was supposed to be
  united

3
North Korea

• 33 of the population
• Contained most of the mineral wealth
• Most of the industry
• Kim Il Sung- leader of North Korea
• 1948- Soviets withdraw their military after
  heavily arming the North Koreans

4
South Korea

• 66 of the population
• Mostly agricultural
• Syngman Rhee- leader
• 1949- U.S. withdraws its military leaving 500
  military advisors
  
• January 1950- S/S Dean Acheson made a speech
  stating that the U.S. would not defend South
  Korea and Taiwan they would depend on themselves
  and the United Nations

5
The Attack-June 25 1950

• North Korea crossed the 38th parallel and invaded
  South Korea
  
• Truman reacts to the Communist aggression
• Orders naval and air support for South Korea
• June 27- U.N. resolution to help South Korea
• USSR was boycotting the China controversy and did
  not veto the U.N. move

6
The U.N. Force

• 21 nations sent 400,000 troops to resist North
  Koreas aggression
  
• U.S.- contributed 320,000
• South Korea- 400,000 troops
• 800,000 troops under the command of General
  Douglas MacArthur

7
The Korean Military Seesaw

• June-Sept. 1950- North Korea pushes U.N. forces
  to the southeastern part of the country captured
  Seoul, the capital
  
• Sept.-Oct. 1950- U.N. forces push North Korea
  back across the 38th parallel
  
• Korean objective accomplished- North Korea
  contained

8
The U.N. Decision

• Oct.1950- cross the 38th parallel and reunite the
  Koreas
  
• U.N. war now an offensive war
• Communist China threatens war if North Korea is
  invaded
  
• Oct 1950- Truman and MacArthur meet at Wake
  Island
  
• MacArthur convinces Truman that the Chinese will
  not get involved

9
Chinese Intervention

• Oct 1950- U.N. troops into North Korea
• Nov. 1950 Communist Chinese have crossed the Yalu
  River and force the U.N. forces to retreat
  
• Dec. 1950- U.N. troops were driven south of the
  38th parallel

10
Mac Arthurs Proposal

• Wants to extend the war to China
• Wants a naval blockade of Chinese coast
• Wants to drop 30-50 atomic bombs on Chinese
  industrial and transportation centers
  
• Wants to strike at Chinese air bases
• Wants to use Chiang Kai-sheks troops in Korea to
  invade southern China

11
Trumans Reply

• Rejected MacArthurs ideas
• Did not want U.S. in a massive land war in Asia
• Attacking China could mean WW III because the
  U.S.S.R. had a treaty with China
  
• March 1951- U.N. troops had pushed back to the
  38th parallel

12
MacArthurs Reply

• Urged full scale war against China
• Did not like Trumans limited war
• Began to write letters to Republican leaders in
  Congress
  
• March 1951- sent a letter to Joseph Martin,
  Republican leader of the H/R
  
• Martin released the letter to the Press
• There is no substitute for victory
• April 11 1951- Truman fires MacArthur