June 25th, 1950 - July 27th, 1953

THE KOREAN WAR

“KOREAN WAR”• Never declared an official War by Congress• American troops were deployed as a “police action”• United Nations coalition – not just the United States

CAUSES OF KOREAN WAR

1. Containment• 1947 commitment to

Containment forced the US to intervene with Soviet threat of communism in Korea

CAUSES OF THE KOREAN WAR

2. Truman Doctrine• 1947 Truman committed

the country to the defense of “free peoples” everywhere against communist aggression.

• Korean War was the first place that American troops fought and died for this principle .

www.trumanlibrary.org

CAUSES OF KOREAN WAR3. China’s fall to Communism

• China will become two nations: - Mainland China under Mao Tse-tung- Anti-Communist China under Chiang Kai-shek on the island of Taiwan.

Kim Il Sung will gain Soviet permission to attack South Korea to reunite the country.

Mao Tse-Tung

Chiang Kai-shek

KOREA’S HISTORY

1945 after WWII Korea was divided into northern and southern parts at the 38th parallel to avoid conflict between US and USSR.The Soviet Union controlled Korea north of the 38th parallel. The United States would be in charge of Korea south of the 38th parallel.The Soviet Union established a communist government in North Korea.In South Korea, the United States promoted a democratic system.

KOREAN WAR BEGINS• June 25th 1950 North

Korean troops invaded South Korea.

THE START OF THE KOREAN WAR• North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950.

• Most leaders in the United States were surprised by this attack.– American troops stationed in South Korea since

WW II had recently completed their withdrawal.– The United States was not well prepared to fight

in Korea; however, the decision to fight was made quickly.

• Truman decided that the United States would take a stand against Communist aggression in Korea.

• The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously in favor of the use of force in Korea.

Click icon to add pictureThe war continued going back and forth. North Korea invading South Korea and gaining territory. South Korea pushing back and moving into North Korea then again North advancing into the South and again the south pushing North. This went on for over 3 years until July 1953 an armistice was finally concluded.

PEACE?• A peace treaty has

never been signed, and the peninsula remains divided by a heavily fortified frontier.

• South Korea was where the United States had to take a stand against Communist aggression

• Nothing changed after the war, 38th parallel was reset as boundary between communist North and anti-communist South.

• Cold war tensions continue unabated• The war was a draw, nobody won