Korean War Chart1950-1953

“The Forgotten War”

Causes

• Cold War• Communist revolution in

China 1945-1949 (U.S. supported Chiang Kai-shek and Nationalists)

• Japan surrender (gives northern Korea to Soviets, southern Korea to Americans)

• Only 500 US soldiers in South Korea

Spark

• June 25, 1950 • North Korean army

crosses 38th parallel into South Korea

Strategy

• United States• United Nations

involvement • 90% of ½ million troops

American

• South Korean involvement (1/2 mill.)

• Amphibious invasion• Surround North Korean

forces• Heavy artillery• Nuclear attack?

Strategy

• North Korea• Communist

involvement (China and USSR)• Soviet weapons, Soviet-

trained military

• Quick, surprise attack• Force of numbers

• Over 10 million troops

Important/Turning Point Battles

• Initial attack (1950)• Pusan (1st U.S. victory)• Inchon (Sep. 15, 1950) –

amphibious landing• Seoul (1950)• Pyongyang (1951 - Chinese

counter-offensive)• Chosin Reservoir (1951) -

“Attacking in other direction” (leave N. Korea)

• Pork Chop Hill (July 1953) – flat by end of 6 days

• Operation Ripper (get back to the 38th parallel)

• Stalemate

Heroes and Goats

• U.S./U.N.• Douglas MacArthur• Harry Truman• Matthew Ridgway • Syngman Rhee (1st

pres. of S. Korea)• Commies

• Kim Il-Sung• Zhou En-lai • Mao Zedong

Costs and Lives

Lives• U.S.

• 54,229 killed; 103, 248 wounded; 8142 missing; 3746 captured (169, 365 casualties)

• UN troops • over 1 million casualties; 980,000 S. Korea

• China • 392,600 (some estimates place at 900,000)

• N.Korea• over 500,000 casualties

• 3-4 million Korean civilian casualties

Cost

Dollars• U.S.

• Over $60 billion (defense budget at beginning of war $12 billion)

• China• $3 billion

Ammo• U.S.

• 3.3 million tons ($20 billion)

Treaty…uh, non-treaty results

• June 23, 1951 • Soviet Union asks for cease-fire

• July 1953 • Armistice signed

• War never officially ended• 2 Koreas (divided by 38th parallel)• Draw• Increased fear of communism• Beginning of communist “witch hunts”