The Korean War, 1950- 1953

What were the exact dates of the Korean War?

25th of June 1950- 27th July 1953

What happened to start the war?

Northern Korean People's Army invaded South Korea in a coordinated general attack at several strategic points along the 38th parallel

What is the 38th parallel?

The line that roughly demarcates North and South Korea

What was the aim of North Korea?

North Korea aimed to militarily conquer South Korea and therefore unify Korea under the communist North Korean regime

What was the US reaction?

President Harry S. Truman committed United States air, ground, and naval forces to the combined United Nations forces assisting the Republic of Korea in its defence

Why did Truman get involved?

He was concerned that the Soviet Union and Communist China might have encouraged this invasion

Who did President Truman designate as Commanding General of the United Nations Command (UNC)?

General Douglas MacArthur

What happened in the first several months of the war?

Armies were advancing and retreating up and down the Korean peninsula

What happened after the first North Korean attack?

The United Nations Command forces were driven to a narrow perimeter around the port of Pusan in the southern tip of the peninsula.

What did the General then do?

Surprised the North Koreans in September 1950 with an amphibious landing at Inchon behind North Korean lines, forcing the North Koreans to retreat behind the 38th parallel.

What did MacArthur do after the front had stabilised at the Pusan perimeter?

General MacArthur surprised the North Koreans in September 1950 with an amphibious landing at Inchon behind North Korean lines

What did this surprise attack force the North Korean army to do?

retreat behind the 38th parallel

What happened in October 1950?

The United Nations, urged by the United States Government, approved the movement of UN forces across the 38th parallel into North Korea in an effort to unify the country under a non-communist government

Where did the United Nations forces move to despite warnings from the Chinese government?

Yalu River which marks the North Korean border with Manchuria

What happened in November 1950?

the Chinese attacked in full strength, pushing the UNC in disarray south of the 38th parallel with the communist forces seizing the South Korean capital

What is the capital of South Korea?

Seoul

What happened in early 1951 after the Chinese offensive lost its momentum?

The UNC retook Seoul and advanced back to the 38th parallel. 

What did the Truman association decide to do after July 1951?

They decided to abandon plans to reunite North and South Korea and instead decided to pursue limited goals to avoid the possible escalation of the conflict into a third world war involving China and the Soviet Union. 

Why was General MacArthur relieved him from command in April 1951 and replaced with General Ridgway?

He publicly challenged the Truman Administration's conduct of the war and the President, "...concluded that...MacArthur is unable to give his wholehearted support to the policies of the United States Government..."

Who was the President after Truman? (34th President)

Dwight D. Eisenhower

What happened 7 months after President Eisenhower’s inauguration?

An armistice was signed, ending organised combat operations and leaving the Korean Peninsula divided much as it had been since the close of World War II at the 38th parallel. 

Who prevented North Korea from imposing its communist rule on South Korea?

The Korean U.N. "police action"

What did the United States’ actions in Korea demonstrate? And the other consequences for America?

America's willingness to combat aggression, strengthened President Eisenhower's hand in Europe as he sought to organise European military defence under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and insured that the United States would pursue its military buildup called for in the famous cold war document, National Security Council Policy Paper No. 68.