The Korean War 1950-1953

IGCSE HISTORY CASE STUDY

What's the importance of the Korean war? [3]

- One of first major cold-war conflicts

- Tested US containment policy

- Showed how cold-war tensions can result in actual battles even without war between US/USSR

Which country controlled Korea from 1910's [1]

Japan

Why did Koreans expect independence in 1945? [2]

What happened instead? [1]

Hint: what parallel?

- Korea had been part of the Japanese Empire

- Expected independence once Japan had been defeated

- Korea was instead split along the 38th parallel

Describe Northern Korea:

- Which country liberated it

- Political standings

- Describe the leader

[3]

- Northern half was liberated from Japan by USSR troops

- Remained Communist controlled

- Led by Kim Il Sung, who had been in the Soviet Army; was therefore & loyal to communism (1948-94)

Describe Southern Korea:

- Which country liberated it from Japanese control

- Political standings

- Describe the leader

[3]

- Southern half was liberated from Japan by US troops

- It was anti-Communist but not especially democratic

- Led by Syngman Rhee (1948-60)

What were some reasons that brought North/South Korea closer to war? [4]

- Both leaders wanted Korea reunification under their ideologies

- Stalin increasingly supported Kim Il Sung's plans to invade South Korea

- Communist victory in China in 1949 encouraged communist confidence in Asia

- US feared Domino Theory

Who was the leader of the United Nations forces in Korea? [1]

Douglas MacArthur

Describe four facts about MacArthur [4]

(apart from being the Leader of UN forces in Japan)

- Decorated war hero from WWI & WWII

- Commander in war against Japan in WWII

- Virtually controlled Japan 1945-51

- Tried running for president in 1952

Which years was the Korean War?

1950-1953

Describe the start of the Korean War [3]

(give months)

Hostility between Kim Il-Sung & Syngman Rhee:

- June 1950 - North invaded South

- Sep 1950 - communist controlled all but small corner of South Korea

Why was the US involved in the war? [1]

- President Truman was determined to contain Communism, hence the US involvement in the Korean War

Describe the response of the US/UN [4]

• Truman sent advisers/supplies/warships to Korea

• However didn’t want to take military action alone, wanted UN support

• Truman pressured UN to condemn North Korea actions 

  • US was UN’s biggest financial contributor

• UN used member armies to fight North Korea out of South Korea, led by MacArthur

  • 18 member countries contributed; mostly Americans

Describe the proceedings of war with US/UN advancements/involvement [2]

1. When did they land?

2. Where did they land?

3. Where did they help fight?

• Sept: UN force arrive at Inchon

• Helped push N.Korea away from Busan in weeks

When (month) did the UN/S.K. forces push N.K. back to the 38th parallel? [1]

October 1950

What happened in October after N.Korea had been pushed back to the 38th parallel [3]

• What happened?

• What did the UN think?

• What was the consequence?

• Oct: UN forces pushed further

  • UN originally wanted to push N.Korea back to 38th

  • China threatened to join war if US didn’t stop - hates US & committed to communism

Why did China join the war? [2]

Hint: {proves…}

• UN approved plans to advance despite warnings, reaching China borders

• Proves US (mostly MacArthur) wanted communism eradication instead of containment

Describe Chinas’s interventions in the war [2]

• Oct-Jan: 200k Chinese troops joined N.Korea, pushing UN back into S.Korea

  • China had modern tanks & planes 

What happened on March 1951 after China joined the war? [3]

Hint: {MacArthur}

• MacArthur wanted to invade China and publicly threatened an attack, ignoring UN orders.

  • “Invading china” etc bombing Manchuria supply lines

• Truman and the UN opposed this escalation because the US wanted containment, not a wider war

• MacArthur fired

What happened in June 1951?

• Peace talks began

Describe the reasons for ending the Korean War [3]

• June 1951: Peace talks began as fighting reached stalemate at 38th parallel

• 1951: Eisenhower replaced Truman and wanted to end the war.

• 1953: Stalin's death weakened Chinese/N.K. confidence

How & when does the war officially end? [1]

• July 1953: Armistice signed

(Border remained at 38th)

List the casualties of the War [4]

• Communist deaths

• S. Korean deaths

• Total deaths

• 800,000 Communist soldiers/civilians

• 600,000 S.korea

• 1.4mil total deaths

Other (optional)

• 30,000 American soldiers

• 4,500 other UN soldiers