The Korean War

Wednesday - April 16, 2025

Truman’s Policy focused on what?

Containment

What was Truman’s strategy for the Cold War?

limited wars (proxy wars) fought with conventional weapons

Which two limited wars are well-known in US history?

The Korean & Vietnam War

How many men were dead and wounded after the Korean War (3 years)?

33,000 dead & 103,000 wounded

In 1948, Truman mainly focused on combatting Stalin’s what in Europe?

Berlin Blockade

In 1949, where does Truman’s focus shift?

Asia

Why did Truman’s focus shift onto Asia?

China became communist & Russians had an atomic bomb

What was North Korea’s political and economic system of choice?

dictatorship & communism

What was South Korea’s political and economic system of choice?

democracy & capitalism

When did North Korea attack South Korea?

June 25, 1950

How did Truman respond to NK’s attack on SK?

He sent 13,000 marines & lots of US troops

When and what was General MacArthur’s “Inchon Land Invasion”?

September 15, 1950 - a land invasion that eventually pushed NK forces back up & out of SK

In November 1950, how was the Inchon Land Invasion going?

The US pushed NK to the Chinese border, causing the Chinese to start fighting back

How many nukes did General MacArthur want to use on China?

34

What happened to General MAcArthur on April 11, 1951?

Truman fired him for wanting to nuke China

How was MacArthur viewed/received upon return from his land invasion?

He was celebrated & had national parades

By 1951, how did Americans start viewing the Korean War?

It was controversial, many Americans were war fatigued & frightened

In the Election of 1952, who represented the Democratic Party? How could you describe him?

Adlai Stevenson - basic, average

In the Election of 1952, who represented the Republican Party? How could you describe him?

Dwight D. Eisenhower - different, no political experience, simple communicator

How many EC votes did Adlai Stevenson get? How many did Dwight Eisenhower get?

89 & 442

How did Eisenhower feel about the Korean War?

Eisenhower thought the K-War was stupid. If elected, he said he would personally end it himself.

What kind of new technology did Eisenhower use during his campaign?

TVs