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NSC-68

A National Security Council report that presented four strategic options regarding the US response to Soviet expansion.

Massive rearmament

The fourth strategic option of NSC-68, advocating for the expansion of US and allied military forces.

38th Parallel

The line dividing North and South Korea established after WWII.

Kim Il-Sung

The leader of North Korea, trained in Moscow, who aimed to reunify Korea by force.

Syngman Rhee

The anti-communist leader of South Korea during the Korean War.

Inchon

The location of a high-risk amphibious landing by UN forces led by General MacArthur in September 1950.

Rollback

MacArthur's strategy to push not only to liberate the South but to eliminate communism in the North.

Pusan Perimeter

The defensive line established by South Korean and UN forces in the far south during the North Korean invasion.

The Chinese Counter-Attack

The phase of the Korean War where Chinese forces intervened and recaptured Seoul in January 1951.

Operation Big Switch

The exchange in September 1953 of 77,000 communist fighters for 12,700 UN troops.

Ceasefire on July 27, 1953

The end of active hostilities in the Korean War, although a formal peace treaty was never signed.

Human Cost of the Korean War

Approximately 3,000,000 civilian casualties and significant military deaths, including 36,914 from the USA.