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Pusan Perimeter

Satisfactory Essays

The line was drawn in the sand and that line would be the Pusan Perimeter and the battle would be a race against time. North Korea’s objective was probe for a weakness in the UN defensive perimeter and breakthrough and take the sea port of Pusan, taking away the UN’s major supply artery of men and supplies. North Korea needed to reach its objective as soon as possible to prevent the UN from using the port of Pusan to build up its forces for a counter attack. If successful the Korean peninsula would quickly fall under communist rule and result in a North Korean victory. The UN’s objective was to maintain its defensive line until enough reinforcements and supplies could be brought onto the peninsula to counter attack and breakout.
The Battle …show more content…

The UN victory at the Battle of Pusan Perimeter had short term effects upon the war along with long term. In the short term, UN forces were no longer on the defensive in the manor of a withdraw/retreat and was able to establish a secure area for men and supplies to stage from for future operations. This also allowed the UN to gain a numeric superiority over the remaining North Korean forces. North Korean forces also faced an extended logistic line that could be easily harassed by UN air assets only weakening their ability to maintain their position on the Pusan Perimeter. Long term the victory allowed for UN forces to plan and execute a major counter offensive to break out of the Pusan Perimeter that also included an amphibious landing at Inchon. By not having to address engagements from North Korean forces on the Pusan Perimeter, UN command turned their attention to a counter attack that required detailed planning and bold execution to take advantage of the North Korean’s over extension of their logistics in both men and supplies. As a result UN forces were able to gain the momentum in the war and push opposing forces north up the peninsula pas the 38th parallel and almost in to …show more content…

The invasion was deemed unacceptable by the United Nations, which resulted in twenty-one nations providing aid in the defense of South Korea either with military might or supplies. UN command realized the importance in maintaining control of the sea port of Pusan and made a final stand against the North Korean invasion at the Battle of Pusan Perimeter. The importance of the sea port was not lost to the North Korean command and they time was against them if they wanted to gain control of the entire peninsula. If the sea port was not captured then the UN forces would be able to establish a foot hold on the peninsula and the war not be a decisive victory. The UN defense at the battle bought time for reinforcements and supplies to flood through the port and on the peninsula. North Korea’s inability to break the defensive perimeter and take Pusan, only exhausted their men and supplies all while over extending their logistic support. The Battle of Pusan Perimeter was a defining moment in the Korean War for both the UN and North Korean forces. If the perimeter would have collapsed, North Korean forces could have pushed UN forces in to the ocean claiming the Korean Peninsula. UN forces were able to hold the perimeter long enough to establish a counter offensive that allowed for a breakout and a push to the north only to be

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