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Korea is Divided into 2 Countries
After World War II, Korea is divided into communist North Korea and anti-communist South Korea at a spot called the 38th parallel. Russia controls North Korea and the U.S. controls South Korea. This is important because it anticipates warfare, North Korea is communist and being supplied by communist nations, whereas South Korea is anti-communist, and backed by the UN -
Harry Truman Promises to Fight Communism
President Harry Truman gives a speech and says that that the U.S. will help any country that is threatened by communism. The speech is called the Truman Doctrine. This is important as Communism is on the rise in Russia, China, and now North Korea. -
South Korean President Executes 100,000
Worried that South Koreans will join the communists, President Syngman Rhee starts the Summer of Terror and orders over 100,000 people killed. On this same day North Korea invades Seoul, South Korea. (the capital) This event is relevant to war as it shows how paranoid people were of communism, the president slaughtered his own people because he was so scared they would succumb to communism. -
North Korea Invades South Korea
With permission from Russia, North Korea invades South Korea and continues on to the capital of Seoul. South Korea does not have a strong enough army to stop it. This is huge because South Korea and the UN are losing ground, the communist countries and North Korea just made an enormous push. -
USA Joins the Korean War
President Harry Truman sends U.S. troops to Korea. The U.S. and other countries in the United Nations join the war because they want to stop communism from spreading to South Korea. The UN tells the public they joined because it's their human duty to defend the helpless. This is important because it shows how huge this war is becoming, it's now the United Nations vs. China, Russia, and North Korea. -
China Joins the Korean War
China joins the war to fight on the side of North Korea. China's army, called the People's Volunteer Army, wins several important victories and pushes the U.S. and South Korean troops back across the 38th parallel. This is important because with the joining of China, the Communist supporting armies are growing, this war is also growing in size. -
General MacArthur is Fired
After General MacArthur publicly disagrees with President Truman about whether or not to bomb China, MacArthur is fired. Truman believed that bombing China would have led to a much bigger war. China is a well-known communist ally of Russia and North Korea at the time. This is important because MacArthur is a very aggressive, world-renowned General, firing him makes the US look weak and anti-war. -
Battle of Heartbreak Ridge
American and French troops start a battle with North Korean and Chinese troops in a part of South Korea known as the Punchbowl. The U.S. and France win the month-long battle. Over 25,000 Chinese and North Korean soldiers die. This is significant to the overall war as it shows how much the Communist party was pushed back in this one battle. -
North and South Korea Agree to a Truce
North Korea and South Korea sign an agreement to stop fighting. Korea is still divided, but the two countries agree to create a neutral zone called the Demilitarized Zone to separate the countries. This is significant because it shows that physical fighting is over, both countries have taken huge losses and it's time to settle things. -
Geneva Talks Fail to Unite Korea
Representatives from the United States and China meet in Geneva to talk about uniting Korea. However, the countries cannot come to an agreement and Korea remains divided. The 38th Parallel remains the unofficial border of the Koreas, even today. This is significant because it shows how stubborn both of these nations are, they refuse to make peace and would rather remain in a standoff.
