Post-WWII Korea Divided September 1948 – USSR installs a communist government in North Korea Promoted the idea of reuniting Korea June 25, 1950 – North.

Post-WWII Korea

• Divided

• September 1948 – USSR installs a communist government in North Korea

• Promoted the idea of reuniting Korea

• June 25, 1950 – North Korea invades South Korea

The Decision for War

• Surprise attack (?)

• U.S. believed insurgency would be the option used by North Korea

• U.S. troops were pulled out

• North Korea encouraged by USSR– Get U.S. to move troops from Berlin– Believed U.N. would not act

The U.N. Steps In

• Pressured by the U.S.• USSR boycotts U.N.• U.N. recognized Nationalist China as the

official government of China (not the Republic of China)

• The Republic of China was not recognized at all

• U.N. Security Council votes to use military action

Comparison of Militaries

• North Korea – 135,000 troops– Trained by Chinese and Soviets (WWII)– 8 full divisions– Artillery regiment– Armored Brigade (120 Soviet T-34 tanks)– 180 Soviet aircraft

• South Korea – 95,000 troops– Limited training (U.S. advisors)– 8 divisions (only 4 at full strength)– No tanks– Only 89 howitzers– 15 days worth of supplies

ATTACK

• North Korea quickly took over 38th parallel

• Moved along west side of the Korean peninsula

• Sights on Seoul (3 days)

• South Korean troops abandoned Seoul

Night of the 25th and 26th

• U.S. calls for Security Council meeting

• Truman instructs MacArthur (Tokyo) to supply ROK forces with aid and to evaluate the situation

• Truman orders the 7th Fleet to Taiwan

• Air Force on alert in Japan

• U.S. troops storm into Pusan

Problems

• U.S. military was small

• Why?

• Where was the bulk of U.S. troops?

• Equipment = leftovers from WWII

• Military not trained well at that time for combat

Air PowerU.S. B-29 v. MIG-15

Major Issues

• Gen. Douglas MacArthur – Extend war into China

• President Truman – stick to the U.N. Charter – “Re-establish the 38th Parallel”

• MacArthur fired after going to the press

• Matthew Ridgeway replaces MacArthur

• Go from a being mobile troops to dug in troops

Working for an End of the War

• 1st Armistice meeting plans– July 1-10, 1951• July 21, 1951 – first meeting

– Four Languages (English, Korean, Chinese, Russian)

• Kaesong – town in “no-man’s land”• July 26 – a point of “fixation” was met• North Korea – begins to stall• Moving troops• August 22nd meetings end

Negotiations Resume

• October 25, 1951

• May 1952 – Issues over repatriation deadlock

• February 1953 – U.S. suggests the exchange of sick and wounded prisoners (no response from the North)

Armistice

• 10:00 a.m.

• July 27, 1953

• All firing will stop in “exactly 12 hours

• Fighting was heavy up to that time (provoked by the North)

Results

• 38th established• War is not “officially over”• U.N. casualties

– 550,000– 95,000 dead

• U.S. casualties– 142,091– 33,629 dead

• Enemy casualties– 1,500,000– 2/3 of these casualties were Chinese