Download The Korean War - Waverly-Shell Rock School District

10th American History
Unit IV- A Champion of Democracy
Chapter 15 – Section 4
The Korean War
The Korean War
The Main Idea
Cold War tensions finally erupted in a shooting war in 1950.
The United States confronted a difficult challenge
defending freedom halfway around the world.
Reading Focus
• What was the situation in Korea before the war began in 1950?
• What were the circumstances that led to the start of the Korean
War?
• What were the key battles of the Korean War?
• How did the fighting in the Korean War end?
Democracy vs. Communism: The Korean War (08:52)
Korea before the War
After World War II, Japanese-occupied Korea was
temporarily divided into northern and southern parts.
The Soviet Union controlled Korea north of the 38th
parallel. The United States would be in charge of Korea
south of the 38th parallel.
The Soviet Union established a communist government in
North Korea. North Korea called itself the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea. Its first leader was Kim Il
Sung.
In South Korea, the United States promoted a democratic
system. The Republic of Korea was led by president
Syngman Rhee.
Kim Il Sung.
• North Korean political leader, chief of state of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1948–94).
• During the nearly four decades of his absolute rule in the
northern half of Korea, he has developed a political
thought known as chuch'e, a concept of self-reliance.
• In his effort to reunify the divided country militarily, and
convinced that the people in the south would welcome
being ruled by his government, he launched an attack on
the Republic of Korea in the south in June 1950, starting
the Korean War.
• In the aftermath of the war, Kim successfully used the
opportunity to purge his political rivals, and took on the
task of reconstruction of North Korea which had been
devastated by the war.
Syngman Rhee
• The first president of South Korea from
August 1948 to April 1960.
• He was in his 70’s when became
president.
• Rhee was a strong anti-Communist,
wanted Korean Independence and led
South Korea through the Korean War.
• Rhee became unpopular with his allies
for refusing to agree to a number of
ceasefire proposals that would have left
Korea divided.
• He also argued for stronger methods to
be used against China and often
expressed annoyance at the reluctance
of the U.S. to bomb it.
• His presidency ended in resignation
following popular protests against a
disputed election.
North Korea Successfully Invades South Korea and the U.N. and U.S. Respond (03:21)
Korea Before the War
• What was the situation in Korea before the
war began in 1950?
• Recall – Which neighboring nations have
had a strong influence on Korea?
• Explain – How did North Korea come
under Soviet control?
• Evaluate – How do you think the North
and South Koreans goals of reunifying the
country differed?
The Start of the Korean War
• North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950.
• Most leaders in the United States were surprised by this
attack.
– American troops stationed in South Korea since WW II had
recently completed their withdrawal.
– The United States was not well prepared to fight in Korea;
however, the decision to fight was made quickly.
• Truman decided that the United States would take a
stand against Communist aggression in Korea.
• The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously
in favor of the use of force in Korea.
Defeat Seems Inevitable as the North Korean Forces Continue South (03:33)
• Task Force Smith was the first U.S. Army ground maneuver unit to enter combat in
•
•
•
Korea.
On June 30, 1950, President Harry S. Truman authorized General Douglas MacArthur to
commit ground forces under his command to Korea, and MacArthur sent a makeshift infantry
battalion of the 24th Division to be flown to Korea in the six C-54 transport aircraft available.
The remainder of the division followed by water. The initial force was to make contact with
the enemy and fight a delaying action. This was Task Force Smith, "that arrogant display of
strength" that MacArthur hoped would fool the North Koreans into thinking a larger force was
at hand. Some officers assumed that even this small force would give the North Koreans
pause once they realized whom they were fighting
The Battle of Osan was the first engagement between United States and North Korean forces
during the Korean War. Vastly outnumbered and ill-equipped, U.S. Task Force Smith of 540
men suffered 180 casualties while inflicting about 120 casualties on the North Korean force
and delaying them half a day.
The Start of the Korean War
Role of the United States
• South Korea was where the
United States had to take a
stand against Communist
aggression.
• Truman ordered American
naval and air forces to
support Korean ground
troops.
• Truman asked the United
Nations to approve the use
of force to stop the North
Korean invasion.
Role of the United Nations
• The UN Security Council
supported the use of force
in Korea.
• Truman sent ground troops
to Korea.
• The troops sent to Korea
were to be a United Nations
force.
• Instead of calling this a war,
the whole effort was
referred to as a UN police
action.
American Forces Fight Back: The Pusan Perimeter and Inchon (04:57)
The Start of the Korean War
• What were the circuimstances that led to the
start of the Korean War?
• Recall – Why was the UN Security Council able
to vote unanimously to use force in Korea?
• Explain – Why was President Truman
committed to helping South Korea?
• Make Inferences – What can you infer from the
fact that the United States and Soviet Union had
withdrawn their troops from North Korea at the
time that Kim IL Sung ordered the invasion of
South Korea?
Combat in the Korean War
The Inchon
Landing
•
UN forces made an amphibious landing behind North Korean
lines at the port city of Inchon.
•
MacArthur’s surprise attack worked beautifully.
•
The September 1950 invasion at Inchon was a key victory for UN
forces.
•
Offensives from Inchon and Pusan resulted in the destruction or
surrender of huge numbers of North Korean troops.
North Korea
on the Run •
By October 1950 all of South Korea was back in UN hands.
•
UN forces had begun to move into North Korea, but the when
260,000 Chinese troops joined the North Koreans the UN began
to retreat.
•
UN forces retreated all the way back to Seoul. It was the longest
fallback in U.S. military history.
UN Forces
Retreat
Mao Decides to Aid North Korea as the U.S. Allows MacArthur to Go North with a Warning (02:58)
U.N. Forces Face Chinese Retaliation and Freezing Winter Weather (03:53)
U.N. Forces Abandon the Chosin Reservoir (02:32)
Truman Fires MacArthur (02:08)
MacArthur (03:43)
General MacArthur Is Fired
• MacArthur said that the UN faced a choice between defeat by the
Chinese or a major war with them.
• He wanted to expand the war by bombing the Chinese mainland,
perhaps even with atomic weapons.
• Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway stopped the Chinese
onslaught and pushed them back to the 38th parallel—without
needing to expand the war or use atomic weapons.
• MacArthur disagreed with President Truman about the direction of
the fighting and challenged the authority of the president.
• Truman fired MacArthur.
• Many Americans were outraged at the firing of MacArthur.
Key Battles of the Korean War
• What were the key battles of the Korean
War?
• Recall – Why was the Inchon landing
important?
• Identify Cause and Effect – What
happened as a result of MacArthur’s
decision to tale all of North Korea?
• Evaluate – Why was it important to hold
the port of Pusan?
Key Battles of the Korean War
• Describe – What was the public reaction
when President Truman fired General
MacArthur?
• Evaluate – Do you think President Truman
made the right decision when he fired
MacArthur?
Peace Talks Begin but Do Not Bring an Immediate End to the War (02:32
Fighting Ends in Korea
Negotiating for Peace
• In July 1951 peace talks began.
• One major obstacle was the location
of the boundary between the Koreas.
• Meanwhile battles such as Bloody
Ridge and Heartbreak Ridge
continued, inflicting heavy casualties
on both sides.
• In October 1951 peace talks stalled
over prisoners of war.
• Negotiators in Panmunjom
continued to argue over the details of
a peace agreement throughout 1952.
Events of 1953
• In 1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower—who
promised to end the war—was elected
president.
• Fighting remained deadly—in the final
two months of the war, UN forces lost
57,000 men and the Communists lost
100,000.
• An armistice agreement was finally
reached on July 27, 1953.
• The Korean War left the map of Korea
looking much as it had in 1950.
• The human costs were huge.
–
37,000 Americans died
–
60,000 UN Troops killed
–
2 million Communist forces died
–
3 million North and South Korean
Civilians
July 22, 1953; Peace Treaties Signed to End the War (01:31)
Fighting Ends in Korean
• Summarize – Why did
negotiations for peace drag on for
so long?
• Evaluate – What did the Korean
War accomplish?
Korean War Veterans Memorial –
Washington D.C.
As you approach the memorial, the first things you see are the nineteen
soldiers on patrol heading up hill. The use of Juniper bushes in the field is to show the rugged terrain they met.
Veterans who visit the memorial view the granite slabs, located in front of each soldier, as obstacles that
American soldiers had to overcome. A low granite slab does not do justice to the many obstacles that they had
to overcome. The ponchos that each is wearing can only give you a hint as to the miserable weather they
faced. The soldiers at the front of the patrol represent the first soldiers sent to the Korean peninsula. Many of
the first soldiers were ill equipped and ill trained yet they persevered. American soldiers faced foul weather,
rugged terrain, poor equipment, not to mention 54 divisions of communist Chinese soldiers but in the end they
were able to overcome all these obstacles.
The soldiers represent a unit on patrol. There is much to see in the field, most of which is not readily apparent
to the average visitor. The original design of the memorial was to have 38 statues to represent the 38th parallel.
Most of the fighting occurred along this line but due to space limitations the number of statues had to be cut in
half.
•The highly polished surface of the wall of faces reflects all nineteen
soldiers producing a total thirty-eight figures. It is not just the Army
represented in the field. All four branches of the United States
Military have representatives.
•If you look in to the faces of the soldiers you will notice that they
represent all different races. Even though the United States had a
very segregated society, the armed forces had begun to integrate
units. Visitors to the memorial are so awe struck by the soldiers, that
before they know it they have missed the other parts of the
memorial. Along the north side of the memorial is a low stone wall,
on which are engraved the 22 countries that made up the United
Nations forces in Korea. Not all the nations participated militarily.
Several contributed much needed medical supplies and personnel.
These 22 nations felt strongly that their freedom was also being
threatened, and was willing to help in whatever way they could.
• Along the south side of the memorial is the wall of faces. When the
wall is viewed from a distance, the faces form the outline of the
rugged hills that are a dominant part of the Korean landscape. The
images depicted on the wall were taken from actual photographs of
soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who participated in the
conflict. The faces along the wall represent the support troops it
took to keep our foot soldier in the field. We do not often think about
those who are behind the front lines. It is somewhat ironic that one
of the best-known TV shows about war, MASH, takes place in
Korea and is about doctors and nurses in the Korean War.