U.S Postwar challenge: containment- stopping the Communist spread into

Korea The Forgotten War 1950-53• 1945 Japanese forces North of

38th parallel surrender to Soviets forces, South - surrender to U.S. forces.

• Soviets influenced Northern Korea to communism - U.S. influence Southern Korea to democracy.

• Northern and Southern Korea attempt to unite the peninsula with their adopted style of gov’t.

• This created tension among the super-powers as well for the Korean people.

1950-North Korea invades the South• N. Korea is equipped

with Chinese and Soviet weapons, crosses 38th parallel

• N. Korea achieved surprise and quick successes, captures 90% of the peninsula.

• Truman feared WWIII had started.

• U.S. troops in Japan come to S. Korea’s aid.

U.S./ United Nations React• U.N passes resolution to send

forces to Korea.• President Truman places U.S.

General Douglas MacArthur controls American/U.N. forces.

• MacArthur recaptures S. Korea and most of N. Korea.

• China feels threatened by massive # of U.S./U.N troops, China reacts with 200,000 troops pushing U.S back to the 38th parallel.

The War Drags-on• War front shifted several

times.

• Jet air-craft entered battlefield U.S. F-86 pilots confronted MIG-15 Soviets pilots.

• War became a deadly stalemate, no side claims clear victory.

• MacArthur repeatly suggested using A bomb on China: Truman relieved MacArthur of command.

A Divided Korea - Still• No peace treaty has been

signed to this date!!!!! The two Koreas are divided by a heavily armed DMZ - demilitarized zone.

• North Korea still vows they will someday united the North and South.

• Today about 34,000 U.S. troops still stand guard on the Korean peninsula - troop strength is being diverted from Korea to Iraq.

The Final Resolution in Numbers• Casualties South Korea: 673,000 dead

United States: 36,516 dead(33,686 combat, 2,830 non-combat),103,000 wounded, 8,142 MIAUnited Kingdom:1,078 dead, 2,674 wounded, 1,060 MIA/POWTurkey:721 dead, 2,111 wounded, 168 MIATotal: 1,271,244 to 1,818,410

• North Korean: 200,000+ deadChinese: 171,687 dead (combat +non-combat), 260,000 woundedSoviet:315 dead

• Total: 1,858,000 to 3,822,000

Photo references• Korean map http://web.utk.edu/~hchoo/personal/korea2001.jpg

• 38 parallel http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Crossing_the_38th_parallel.jpg/250px-Crossing_the_38th_parallel.jpg

• MacArthur http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Douglas_MacArthur_smoking_his_corncob_pipe.jpg

• Aircraft http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/generations/mig15-f86.jpg

• A divided Korea http://www.korea-is-one.org/IMG/DMZ-400.jpg, http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/pubs/jul00/dmz.jpg

• Korean War memorial http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/korean/KoreanWar02.jpg http://z.about.com/d/godc/1/0/J/1/koreanmmgal.jpg