The Korean Conflict 1950- 1953 By Sydney N.

1 Background

• Result of boundary adjustment of Korea along 38th parallel. • Both Koreas were determined to unify again • North Korea = Communist (9 Sept 1948) (Kim Il-sung) • North Korea was in USSR • it had planned on taking Manchuria

2 Background

• South Korea = Republic (15 Aug 1948) (Syngman Rhee) • South Korea occupied by US • During WWII they were going to invade Japan • South Korea was poorly trained and weak compared to North Korea • fear on South Korea and America’s part that North Korea could attack at the 38th parallel at any time.

3 Timeline

15 Sept 1950 US troops at 1945 Allies Inchon, Busan. frees Korea Take back from Japan 1950 N. attacks Seoul

1949 Soviet 1950 UN Union helping troops to S. N. Korea Korea

4 Timeline

Oct 1950 US pushes China takes 38th Seoul, then 27 July parallel to UN takes 1953 truce Yalu River back signed

Nov 1950 Spring China 1951 attacks stalemate for truce talk

5 Defense perimeter

• Dean Acheson • American • Secretary of State (1949-1953) • Assisted in creating the alliance of the West against the Soviet Union and communist states.

6 Defense perimeter

• Gave a speech 12 Jan 1950 to the National Press Club • Excluded Korean Peninsula from “defense perimeter” • Taken to mean that US would not protect S. Korea. • North Korea felt more confident • If US would not help S. Korea, they would have better chance of winning

7 US and Korea

• Most US citizens supported cause in Korea • Felt Communism needed to end • America saw itself as defender of free world • Some thought to use atom bomb, others worried it “Hetalia: Axis Powers” by Hidekaz Himaruya would cause nuclear war

8 Strategies- Stalin

• Stalin became skeptical of the actions of the West, specifically the US • Extended communist control into Central and Eastern Europe • Bound new communist states in Europe to Soviet union

9 Strategies- Stalin

• Increased the range of power the Soviet Union had against the West • To increase ability to win against capitalism • Never directly fought US, but fought in Korea • Convinced Mao Zedong and Kim Il-sung to continue conflict • Approached North Korea carefully • 1949 Kim Il-sung said they should invade S. Korea • Stalin refused and said that N. Korea was not prepared

10 Strategies- Mao Zedong

• Convinced that Korea could become Communist • 1945-1950 got help from Soviet Union to defeat Chinese Nationalists

11 Mao Zedong

• Used large numbers to fight • Chinese army was very large and could break up UN • Was a Stalinist leader and greatly admired Stalin’s work • Managed to gain his support • Allowed China and the Soviet Union to act as big brothers to N. Korea • helped out and brought strong forces to assist in battles

12 China

• China was Communist • Led by Mao Zedong • Supported North Korea in the conflict • Had many troops that went into N. Korea to fight against S. Korea and the UN

13 China

• Approached the conflict aggressively • Large troops allowed for multiple attacks on UN forces • Convinced that supporting N. Korea and Kim Il-sung would let communism spread • Winning the conflict would bring it across the world

14 38th Parallel Battles

• 25 June 1950 • North Korea across 38th toward Seoul • 53,000 men in KPA I Corps across Imjin R. • 54,000 men in II Corps through Chunchon and Inje into Hongchon, also Kangnung • US defeated, driven south

15 38th Parallel Battles

• 27 June 1950 • Truman declares that US is intervening • Congress supported despite fear of open warfare w/ USSR • Did not declare war, but Congress told him he could send in troops • UN decides to give military support to S. Korea • General MacArthur from US would become commander of all UN forces

16 38th Parallel Battles

• 20 July 1950 • At Yecheon • First US victory • Won by black 24th infantry • August 1950 • Half of ROK army had been destroyed • Defense perimeter created around Busan • 15 Sept 1950 • General Douglas MacArthur w/ amphibious landing at Incheon 17 38th Parallel Battles • October 1950 • Pyongyang • UN and S. Korean troops across border • To Yalu R. but stopped by Chinese forces • Mostly even between both sides • One side would gain and then the other would push back • Whenever N. Korea would gain land the UN would eventually take it back. 18 General MacArthur

• General Douglas MacArthur • Attended West Point • Graduated 1903 with highest honors in class • Relieved by Pres. Truman 1951 due to fear of the start of a war with China

19 General MacArthur

• Aggressive battle strategies • Would cut off supplies to N. Korean troops • Often on the offensive • Troops were quick to recover in order to fight against the Chinese army • Especially at Incheon • His aggressive tactics caused him to be relieved of duty • Insubordination • Did not want to conduct a low-key war 20 MacArthur and Truman

• Truman had sent MacArthur without making a declaration of war • Feared a nuclear war • Caused him to relieve MacArthur • Showed civilian control over military

21 Limited Engagement

• The idea that a country will use only a limited amount of their weaponry. • Little mobilization, citizens are not as involved as a regular war. • Truman decided that the U.S. should not use nuclear weapons because feared a full war with China and the Soviet Union.

22 The end of the conflict

• Late Nov, China attacked Seoul, but UN was finally able to stop them and remade their defensive line along the 38th parallel. • After MacArthur’s removal April 1951 because of disagreement with Truman • May 1951 became a stalemate • Unification could not work without using more weapons • Meetings began 10 July 1951

23 The end of the conflict

• It took very long to make agreements • Arguments over cease-fire agreements caused 1.5 year delay • Prisoner exchange • Foreign force withdrawal • 27 July 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement was signed • President Rhee did not want Korea to be divided and occupied by China in N. Korea. • Eisenhower had to promise aid and post-conflict security

24 Results

• Korea is still divided • N. Korea is still communist • The “end” of the conflict never really resolved the division • Still fears of attack by N. Korea • Pres. Rhee did not get a reunified Korea

25 OPCVL

26 Origin • “Not a General’s Job” • 1951, a day before MacArthur was removed • Cartoon by D.R. Fitzpatrick • Shows the U.S. with a conflict between Truman and MacArthur for control over “World War III in Asia”

27 Purpose

• To voice the discontent people felt with how the conflict was being managed • To argue that a general should not be in charge of making these decisions • Show the general view that Americans had regarding military management abroad

28 Value

• This was created immediately before MacArthur’s removal, so it shows how the Americans got involved in the issue and had a say in military management • Shows that the Americans had the same fears that Truman had (conflict would turn into nuclear war) 29 Limitation

• Portrays only one view on MacArthur’s actions • While many Americans did not like his management of the issue, others may have had a similar opinion to his • Fairly extreme • “World War III” • Could be blown out of proportion and may not accurately describe the events 30 • Marquette, Scott. “Korean Conflict.” EbscoHost, http://web.b.ebscohost.com/hrc/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=17aef14a-3f08-494c- b728- f542f88c4a81%40sessionmgr103&hid=125&bdata=JnNpdGU9aHJjLWxpdm U%3d#db=khh&AN=8809456&anchor=AN0008809456-13. Accessed 16 Feb 2017. • Hosch, William L. The Korean War and the Vietnam War. Britannica Educational Publishing, 2010. • "Joseph Stalin." American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., Gale, 1998. Student Resources in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1602000887/SUIC?u=albu23958&xid=58361d 37. Accessed 17 Feb. 2017. • "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics." Gale Encyclopedia of World History: Governments, Gale, 2009. Student Resources in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3048600125/SUIC?u=albu23958&xid=d7a67 6b2. Accessed 17 Feb. 2017.

Bibliography 31 • "Military Participation—The Korean War." DISCovering Multicultural America: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2116204353/SUIC?u=albu23958&xid=8cb3f4 92. Accessed 21 Feb. 2017. • Millet, Allan R. “Korean War.” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/event/Korean-War. Accessed 22 Feb 2017. • "Korean War." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, edited by Thomas Carson and Mary Bonk, Gale, 1999. Student Resources in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ1667500359/SUIC?u=albu23958&xid=0febcd 51. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017. • "Douglas MacArthur." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 13 Jul. 2011. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Douglas-MacArthur/49614. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.

Bibliography 32 • History.com Staff. “Truman orders U.S. forces to Korea.” History.com, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-orders-u-s-forces-to-korea- 2. Accessed 7 Mar 2017. • Beck, Tim. “Korean War PPT”. Accessed 7 Mar 2017. • Kriner, Douglas and Shen, Francis. “Limited War and American Political Engagement”. The Journal of Politics, Vol. 71, No. 4 (Oct., 2009), pp. 1514- 1529. • Tucker, Spencer C. "Korean War." World History: The Modern Era, ABC-CLIO, 2017, . Accessed 13 Mar. 2017.

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