The Korean War

By isyraf

  • Soviet's successful testing of the atomic bomb

    The Soviets had successfully tested their atomic bomb for the first time and this was earlier than expected thus causing panic in Washington as the US had only expected the Soviet to develop their atomic bomb in the mid 1950s-1951. This had caused the end of the US atomic monopoly and braved the USSR in challenging the US from then.

  • Fall of China

    The Chinese Communist Party won the civil war and the nationalists had fled to the off-shores of Taiwan.

  • Acheson's Defense Perimeter Speech

    Acheson had excluded South Korea from a list of countries where the US would automaticaly intervene in the case of aggression which then boosted Stalin's confidence in accepting Kim's request for an invasion.

  • Stalin agreed to Kim's invasion plan

    Stalin cautiously agreed to Kim's invasion plans but warned later in April 1950 that Russia woul dnot intervene directly in the conflict.

  • Stalin sent advisors

    From May to June 1950, Stalin sent advisors and military supplis to North Korea as he was looking after the interest of the USSR. If North Korea won, it would benefit the USSR and threaten America's new ally Japan and have at his disposal South Korea's extensive reserve of lead.

  • The US calls for military action against North Korea

    US sponsored a resolution in the UN Security COuncil calling for military action against North Korea as the USSR was boycoting meetings in the SC in responso to US's refual to accept newly communist China as a permanent member of the council.

  • Truman ordered American troops into Korea

    Troops were withdrawn from Japan and relocated into Korea

  • North Korean captured Seoul

  • Counter-Offensive by Communists

    The UN forces suffered 11,000 casualties of which 3000 US troops died and the communist then launched a major counter-offensive, reoccupying Pyongyang and recaptured Seoul. The US then had to fight a limited war in order to prevent another war with the USSR and thus restored the aimof restoring the 38th parallel.

  • Peace Talks Began

    Dragged on for 2 years becaouse of the issue of repatriation of prisoners of war.

  • Stalin's death

    When Stalin died, an armistice was agreed upon in July 1953 and the 38th parallel set as a boundary between North Korea and South Korea.