Containment

The Korean War

Chinese Nationalists vs. Communist forces

• The U.S.’s policy of containment led to their involvement in several conflicts in Asia.

• Chinese Nationalists had been struggling with Communist forces before WWII.

• During the war, they temporarily put their strife on hold to fight against Japanese troops who were invading their land.

• After WWII ended, the strife between the two groups resumed.

Financial Assistance

• The U. S. didn’t want to see China fall to Communism, so they sent the Chinese Nationalists $2 billion to aid them in their fight.

• Due to corruption and incompetence, the money was squandered and not used for its intended purpose.

• By 1949, the Chinese capital of Beijing was captured by Communist forces.

• This was also the same year that the Soviets tested their 1st atomic bomb.

Communism-the law of the land

• After Beijing fell to Communism, the U. S. quit sending them financial assistance.

• The Communist Party successfully established the People’s Republic of China in October of 1949.

• Less than 1 year later, the People’s Republic of China signed a treaty with the Soviet Union.

• The U. S. and other Western nations began to fear that China and the Soviet Union would begin spreading Communism to other European nations.

Making friends with Japan

• After China (who had been our best ally in Asia) fell to Communism, the U. S. realized that they needed to change their policy regarding Japan.

• They began to help Japan try to rebuild their industries.

• West Germany would be our key to defending Europe against Communism and Japan would be our key to defending Communism in Asia.

The Korean War

Map of Korea

Korea

The Division of Korea

Dividing the Territory

• Japan controlled the Korean peninsula until the end of WWII.

• Once the Allies was sure that Japan was going to be defeated, they agreed to allow Korea to be independent.

• The leaders decided to divide Korea along the 38th parallel.

• The top portion of Korea would be North Korea and would be Communist. The Southern portion would be non-Communist.

The Division of Korea

Soviet troops would control the Northern part of Korea while the Americans controlled the

South Korea.

38th Parallel

38th Parallel

MilitarismThere was

constant tension between North

Korea and South Korea.

The Soviet Union began supplying North Korea with

military assistance.

This aid allowed them to quickly

build up an army.

Reasons for War

• June 25, 1950, North Korean troops invaded the South Korean border.

• South Korean troops were ill-equipped to fight the Northern forces and were easily defeated by the North Korean troops.

• Since the United States is allied with South Korea, they quickly came to their defense by sending in the Navy and the Air Force.

• When U. S. forces advanced into North Korea, their ally (China) came to their defense.

Support from the United Nations

Truman asked for assistance from the

UN and succeeded in getting it because the Soviet representative

wasn’t present for the vote (He had

been boycotting the UN over its decision concerning China).

With the U. N. firmly behind him, Truman

ordered General Douglas MacArthur to remove American troops from Japan and send them to

Korea.

Inchon Landing• In September of 1950, General MacArthur

ordered an invasion at the port of Inchon.• This completely caught the North Koreans by

surprise.• They were forced to flee back across the 38th

parallel into North Korea.• MacArthur’s troops continued to push the

North Korean troops until they reached the border with China at the Yalu River.

Inchon

China Enters the War

The People’s Republic of China warned the UN troops against continuing to advance near their border.

After their warnings were ignored, Chinese troops were sent in to force UN troops back across the 38th parallel.

General MacArthur was so angered by the actions of the Chinese troops that he asked for approval to expand the war to include blockades of Chinese ports and nuclear bombings of Chinese cities.

The Firing of General MacArthur

• Truman was adamantly against expanding the war into China.

• General MacArthur was so upset with Truman’s decision that he began to publicly criticize him and the direction of the war.

• Truman was forced to fire MacArthur for insubordination in April 1951.

MacArthur goes Home

• Even after Truman fired General MacArthur, he remained popular with the public.

• It was Truman’s popularity that began to suffer among many Americans at home.

• Congress and the military did support Truman’s commitment to a “limited war”.

• Truman did not want a nuclear war to break out in Europe.

SEATO• After the Korean War, the U. S. became more

involved in Asia.• The signed defense agreements with South

Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Australia.• The U. S. also began sending aid to French

forces who were fighting communism in Vietnam.

Korean War Memorial

The Armistice

• North Korea and South Korea never officially ended the war.

• They signed an armistice in 1953 to end the 3 year war.

• An armistice is a truce, not an official peace treaty. Since it’s not an official end to the war, either side can re-declare war.

• North Korea has done this 3 times since 1953: 2003, 2009, and 2013.

Casualties of War

North Korea lost approximately 1 million soldiers.

South Korea lost approximately 1.2

million soldiers.

The United States lost approximately

50,000 soldiers.

China lost approximately

600,000 soldiers.

Effects of War

• After the war, thousands of families were separated.

• The border between North Korea and South Korea is currently the most fortified border in the world.

• The fortified border that separates North and South Korea is 155 miles long and 2.5 miles wide.

Korean War Memorial D. C.

Korean War Memorial D. C.