The Vietnam War: The Korean War

The Korean War was an influential event that started in 1950 and caused a lot of controversy among Americans and Koreans. The war was caused by the US trying to preserve the Democratic side of Korea, the south side. The Koreans were not happy, however, and the Viet Kong and North Korean soldiers fought tooth and nail to get the Americans out of the country. There was eventually an end to the war of course but not without lots of casualties on both sides and a hostile environment around the border of the two countries.

The Korean War was Kim’s idea of reunification through the use of military force. * Soviet Union did not even want to be involved in a war. It was Kim’s idea to get the go ahead with the war and launch the attack against the South. * Most of the soldiers involved were Korean and Chinese, and fought for their own cause of reunification or liberation. 260,000 North Korean, 926,000 Chinese and 590,911 South Korean soldiers involved. * Soviet and American soldiers were not as heavily involved in the fighting, and mostly did so for their political security rather as a desire to fight each other. 480,000 Americans and 26,000 Soviet soldiers involved.

The Korean War was a defining part of the United States foreign policy in the Cold War Era and was a response to threats from the Soviet Union. The Korean War was a culmination of tensions between North and South Korea that had resulted from the influences the United States and the Soviet Union inculcated into the countries during their occupation. When the Korean War was initiated, by the invasion of South Korea by North Korea, the United States and their allies in the United Nations perceived the invasion as a bold communistic expansion effort that occurred without provocation. (Document A). Further validating this idea was the fact that the attack was endorsed by the USSR, and partially lead by Red China, both of which were communist countries

The Korean War occurred from 25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953 when armistice was signed. (Stokesbury) It was between Republic of Korea and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. United Nations were on the South Korea side and China and Soviet Union were at North Korea side. North Korea invaded South Korea after United States’ military evacuation. North Korea occupied most of South Korea, but after Incheon Landing, it turned the tide of the war. Finally, the war ended by declaring ceasefire and made Military Demarcation Line. The war was significant because it was the war between democratic and communist countries. It was also the time of Cold War when Soviet Union and United States were having political and diplomatic conflicts

Americas trooper along with South Korea's troopers pushed North Korea back. According to Cnn (Cnn.com) America sent 90% of the troops that were sent to help South Korea , the U.S. spent almost $67 billion during the Korean war,Along with 103,300 (roughly) soldiers were injured from the U.S. alone..and the soviet Union wasn't to happy with this (Josef Stalin their dictator).The U.S.S.R. sent in more troops to back up North Korea.Now the U.S.S.R and North Korea were against America and South Korea millions of people were killed in this battle/war on the both sides.

The Soviets and Americans were unable to decide on who got the control over what part of the joint trusteeship over Korea, thus leading to the start of the Korean War (Source C.) From 1910 to the end of WWII Korea was being ruled by the Japanese and were ready to have control over themselves. The Korean War was fought from 1950 to 1953, where the North was being occupied by the Soviets and the South by the Americans. Kim thought that the only way to reunify Korea was with the use of military forces. In 1945 Korea was divided on the 38th parallel which was the main cause for going to war. In June of 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, which was considered the first act of the “Cold War”.

The USSR pressured North Korea to invade South Korea, later they decided to attack. Now in Document C, The North Korean troops invaded South Korea and almost won the war, then the USA came in to support South Korea. Which after the USA came in, they pushed the North Koreans to the Yalu River. Since the ally of North Korea, China was concerned, they joined in and pushed the UN troops back to 38th Parallel. Then after some fighting, it ended in a stalemate. This also shows USA’s way of containing communism since South Korea was about to fall to communism and the domino theory might of worked. To quickly summarize. The North Korean army attacked South Korea and almost made it communist, later the USA joined and pushed them to Yalu river. Then China joined and pushed them to the 38th parallel. Later, it ended in a

The war began on June 25, 1950, with communist North Korea’s invasion of South Korea. (Document C) With support from the Soviet Union, North Korea attacked democratic South Korea without warning. Since, South Korea was US supported, president Truman vowed to help defend it along with the United Nations. On September 14, 1950, America sent its forces in Japan to defend South Korea, though this resulted in the forces nearly being pushed off the Korean peninsula. The commander of the American forces at the time was General Douglas Macarthur, who planned a counterattack of the port of Inchon, on November 25, 1950. The attack was successful, it pushed back the North Korean forces to its border between it and China; the Yalu River. In November of 1950, China decided to enter the war to support North Korea's spread of communism. Chinese forces are able to push the UN and the US back into South Korea. This resulted in the border between North and South Korea to move back to where it was originally. The war finally ended three years later on July 27, 1953. The Korean War is a good example of containment because the United States was successful in preventing North Korea from expanding communism into South

North Korea supported Communism and was backed by the Soviet Union and South Korea was democratic and got aid from the United States. North Korea only invaded when Joseph Stalin gave his approval out of his motive to spread communism (Doc C). North Korea pushing into South Korea would help communism spread and take over the entire Korean peninsula. In order to contain communism and prevent this issue, the United States decided they needed to get involved and help South Korea push back. As the war dragged on for three years, more than two million deaths occurred to cause a result of borders at the 38th Parallel (Doc C).

This conflict started when Communist North Korea, which was supported by the Soviet Union, invaded South Korea. The United States decides to help South Korea in the conflict because it is a democratic country. American troops that were stationed in Japan after WWII are sent to defend South Korea. This is a failure and troops are almost pushed off the peninsula but a counter attack,which was very risky, saves them. It allowed them to push North Korea back up to the Chinese border. This made China join the war on the communist side and push the American troops back to South Korea. This battle continued for several years unending in 1953 close to the original borders. Many died in this conflict but it proved the United states policy of containment was a success(Doc.

The Korean War begun far before North Korea had launched their first assault upon South Korea. Nearing of the end of the Second World War, the Korean Peninsula had been under Japanese control. Soon enough it was liberated by both American and Soviet forces, the Soviets occupying the country north of the 38th Parallel, and the Americans south of it. After the war, neither the Koreans, Soviets, nor the Americans could agree on the country's government. This resulted in the foundation of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the south and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north (Ohn Chang-Il, 23). The fact that neither the States nor the Soviets were willing to compromise on anything was a prime factor in the separation of the Korean Peninsula.

The Korean War was the first proxy war, increasing tensions and brought the Communist threat to Asian borders creating the fear of Domino Theory. This war also introduced China as a major player in global affairs due to its intervention when US crossed Chinese borders. Yet since USSR did not help North Korea during this time, tensions decreased slightly.

The Korean War was part of the U.S. system of containment. The Korean War began in 1950 and ended around 1953, it was a case of the US Cold war approach of control. The policy of containment was a foreign policy plan of preventing other countries from becoming Communist-controlled. In other words, it was a policy for containing the spread of Communism. America had one noteworthy objective all through the Cold War which was to stop the spread of socialism. A noteworthy outside strategy that the US advanced all through the twentieth century named it Containment. The Containment Policy expressed that the US would bolster any country that is mistreated by socialism and would not be able to shield themselves from it. This turned into America's real motivation to intercede in the Korean War.

Efforts to unify Korea resulted in more than 100,000 deaths due to guerilla warfare. In April 1950, North Korean leader Kim II Sung persuaded Joseph Stalin to back an invasion of South Korea, convincing Stalin that the United States would not intervene. Stalin agreed to provide arms, equipment, and advisors to the North Koreans (“Korean War”). Kim II Sung did not stop there as he also persuaded the newly communist Chinese to aid the North Koreans. The Korean War, (June 25,1950 – July 27, 1953), occurred when over 75,000 North Korean Army invaded the land across of the 38th parallel. American president Harry Truman was feeling heat after “letting China fall”, so Truman ordered American troops into action on South July, the United Sates entered the conflict on South Korea’s behalf. The next three years would be the darkest and most horrific in Korean history. As seen in American reporter Bill Shinn’s account, “the North Koreans were gruesome…during the occupation of South Korea, they killed over 165,000 civilians. Also, I witnessed a South Korean mass execution of civilians suspected of having helped the communists. Korea was a mess” (“The Forgotten War Remembered: Korea, 1950-1953). This shows the depths of the horror that was perpetrated in Korea for three years.

The United States and China were eagerly ready to be drawn into the Korean War. Why wouldn’t they be? After WWII, Japan was forced to relinquish Korea, among other territories that it claimed , and Korea was left to fend for herself. Korea was managing but the country could not come to an agreement on a major topic: The type of government the country should fall under as a unified nation. The northern half, lead by Kim II Sung, wanted to operate under the communist rule; but the southern half, lead by Syngman Rhee, wanted to operate under a democracy (non-communist and independent ruling). This was like a set of twin siblings arguing and fighting over which of the two of them should carry the basketball as they walk down the street to the basketball court. They are that they both want to play basketball together but they can’t agree on who should be in charge and carry the ball. Well, the older and more experienced neighbors, The United States and China, wanted to play too but since it was Korea’s court, they decided to just sit back and await a decision but could only bear to watch the argument and fight for so long. They too had an opinion about who should carry the ball or should I say which governmental theory to abide; therefore, they wanted to intervene.