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End of US monopoly of atomic bomb & US action
Successful soviet testing of the atomic bomb ended the US's monopoly of the atomic bomb, thus Truman immediately authorized the development of the hydrogen bomb. -
Acheson's defence perimeter speech
Omitted South Korea from a list of countries which the US would automatically defend in the event of aggression. This allowed Kim Il Sung to believe that the war would only last a matter of days, and that his desire to unify the Korean peninsula under communist rule would be welcomed due to growing opposition under Syngman Rhee's rule. -
New Communist Threat
China and the SU sign a 30-year mutual assistance treaty under which the soviets promised to provide China with $300 million credits. -
US UN-SC resolution for military action
US sponsored a resolution in the UN SC calling for military action against NK. It was passed only because the USSR was boycotting meetings. Although this seemed like outwardly like a UN exercise, it was essentially a US operation. US committed 260,000 troops while UN soldiers from other nations never exceeded 35,000. -
Stalin warns Kim
Although cautiously agreeing to the invasion in January, Stalin warns Kim that Russia would not intervene directly or lift a finger if his plan backfires (playing it safe). He did, however, send military supplies and advisers to NK in May & June. Mao also gave limited support and gave no firm promise of military assistance due to immediate priorities of establishing communist rule in China and defeating nationalist forces in Taiwan. -
North Koreans capture Seoul
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UN Forces hold only a toehold around PUsan
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China joins the war
MacArthur grossly underestimates their numbers at 30k (actual = 260k), they pour across the Yalu River. -
UN Forces suffer 11k casuaties in 2 days
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Communists recapture Seoul
Major counter-offensive, reoccupying Pyongyang and recapturing Seoul. -
Truman relieves MacArthur of his command
MacArthur's warmongering was seen as insubordination to Truman. -
Peace talks began
But dragged on for 2 years because:
1.Stalin was influencing negotiations to extract further concessions from the US.
2. NK and Chinese rejected the principle that POWs should not be returned to their native countries against their will. -
Death of Stalin
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Armstice Agreement
The death of Stalin and compromise on the matter of repatriation resulted in this armstice, but 3 years of fighting had changed nothing. US lost 33k dead, SK 415k, UN allies 3000 while total communist dead and wounded were estimated at 2mil.
