Korean+War

The Korean War By: Robyn Mazur

At the end of World War two Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into soviet (North Korea) and the United States (South Korea). The republic of Korea was proclaimed in the South and the People's Democratic Republic of Korea in the North. In 1950 the Soviet Union boycotted the United Nations security council. On June 25th, 1950 North Korean forces invaded South Korea. This was the first significant armed conflict in the Cold War. The United Nations condemned this invasion as an act of aggression and demanded the withdrawal of North Korean troops from the South. On June 27th the United States President Truman allowed Americas land, sea, and air forces in Korea. His reasonings were to stop communist expansion because if a illiberal nation, such as communist North Korea, was successful in taking over South Korea it may be a gateway for enabling other nations to be taken over which may eventually pose a threat to the United States liberalism like it did during Germanys attack during Hitlers rule.

From August to September 1950 the United States ddestroyed 32 bridges, petroleum refineries, and harbors to eliminate North Koreas military supply. The United States invaded the city of Incheon on September 15th, 1950 with methods such as psychological and guerrila warfare which destroyed most of the city. On the 25th of September the North Korean forces begin to retreat because they are outnumbered. During October the South Korean police executed people who were suspected to be sympathetic to North Korea. On October 1st 1950 the UN and South Korean police invaded North Korea. The reasons were to prevent North Korean leaders from escaping and releasing American prisoners of war. The UN forces held 135 000 North Korean prisoners of war. On the 25th of October China enters the war. The United Nations and North Korea signed the Armistice Agreement on July 27th 1953 to end the war. Both sides believed they had won.