THE KOREAN WAR

Setting the Scene

� “America’s forgotten war”� Americans struggled to push

back the Communists, who had made huge advances

� Both sides dug into their positions

� “sitting war”

Roots� Chinese Civil War� Foreign powers exerted influence on and

held some small possessions of Chinese territory

� Japan and Germany were involved� Japan got control of German

possessions there after WWI, increasing Japanese power in China

� China called for a stronger, more independent country� Democracy, nationalism, or

communism

Nationalist Party

� Nationalists in the north (Chiang Kai-shek)

� Communists in the south (Mao Zedong) around Shanghai

� This led to a civil war in 1927 when Chiang sent troops to attack the Communists and their supporters

Mao� Gained support for the Communist cause

by redistributing land to the peasants and offering the schooling and health care.

� This division continued for a long time between the groups, after WWII

� Nationalists lost support b/c of their harsh treatment of the population, high taxes, and corruption

� Mao’s land reforms and his promise of equality and military victories led Communists to power in 1949

� Nationalists fled to Taiwan

Dividing Korea

� Before WWI, Japan also annexed the Korean peninsula

� Harsh rule by the Japanese� Koreans hoped that the defeat of

Japan would lead to restoration of their own power

� WWII ended before the plans for Korean independence could be worked out

38th Parallel� Allies agreed on a temporary solution� Soviet soldiers accepted the

surrender of Japanese troops north of the 38th parallel, which was the latitude line running across Korea at the midpoint of the peninsula

� Americans did the same south of the parallel

� It was never meant to be permanent� It created a Soviet-occupied northern

zone and an American occupied southern zone

Korean War� Koreans wanted to unify their nation

on both sides of the line� North Korean troops streamed across

the 38th parallel, hoping to reunite Korea by force

� Americans thought this was Soviet-led, a case of aggression

� Truman felt that if the Americans did not respond, Communism would spread

� He believed WWIII would start if the US did not intervene

UN Police Action

� The UN blocked Communist China’s admission to the UN in 1949

� Soviets walked out in protest � Thus could not exercise its veto

power when Truman brought up the issue of North Korean aggression to the UN

� The US gained unanimous approval for resolutions that branded North Korea as an aggressor

Truman’s steps

� Protected Taiwan� Ordered US air and naval support

for the South Koreans� Sent ground troops in� He did NOT go to Congress and

ask for a declaration of war, but Congress was very supportive

� UN set up 16 nations to contribute troops or arms, but the US was 80% of the force

Douglas MacArthur

� MacArthur was Truman’s choice to lead the UN forces in Korea

� Based in Japan� Responsible for establishing

western democracy there and for creating Japan’s new democratic constitution

North Korean advance

� North Korean troops swept through South Korea in a few weeks

� MacArthur defended Pusan (SE South Korea), and then landed troops at Inchon (NW South Korea) and attacked enemy supply lines from behind

� The strategy worked, and the North Koreans fled back across the 38th parallel

China’s warning� China was concerned that the

South Koreans and Americans would take power

� They threatened the US not to advance any further

� MacArthur ignored them� “Home by Christmas” drive: Nov.

24, 1950, designed to drive the enemy across the North Korean border at the Yalu River in to China and end the war

That didn’t work...

� Chinese troops poured across the Yalu River into North Korea to take the offensive

� Chinese and North Korean troops pushed the UN forces back into South Korea

� Led to a stalemate

MacArthur’s next steps

� Wanted to open a second front to break stalemate

� He wanted Jiang’s forces at Taiwan to return to the Chinese mainland to attack the Chinese Communists

� Truman was opposed to this, fearing it could lead to a widespread war in Asia

The letter

� MacArthur sent a letter to House Minority Leader Joseph Martin in March 1951

� Attacked the president’s policies� Martin made the letter public� On April 11th, Truman fired

MacArthur for insubordination� He received a hero’s welcome

when he came back

War continues...� The war dragged on for over two

more years� Truman now very unpopular, did not

have a good approval rating� Eisenhower came in, wanted peace

talks� Ike threatened to use atomic

weapons� A truce was signed in 1953, leaving

Korea divided at about the 38th parallel

Effects of the war

� 54,000 American soldiers killed� 103,000 wounded� Limited results� Communist forces were pushed

back� Containment occurred without

nuclear war

Other effects...� Korean War was the first in which

white and African Americans served in the same units

� Huge increase in military spending� By 1960, 1/2 of budget went to

defense� 1/2 million soldiers stationed around

the world: permanent mobilization� Military-industrial complex: employed

3.5 million Americans by 1960: kept the arsenal going

Relations with Japan

� US signed a peace treaty with Japan in 1951

� Korean War did ruin relations with Communist China