Wednesday May 16, 2007

KOREA - The Forgotten War

1. In June 1950, North Korean forces pushed their forces across the 38th parallel(the separating line between North and South Korea). First, the UN was being pushed back, but then General Douglas MacArthur pushed them back up into North Korea.
2. On November 25th, 100's of 1,000's Communist Chinese joined the war. They pushed UN troops back to the 38th parallel. General MacArthur requested permission to blockade China's coastline and bomb China. Truman said no in fear that it might start a 3rd World War.
3. MacArthur was mad and wrote to magazines and newspapers saying what President Truman was doing. Truman was outraged and fired MacArthur and still didn't set up a blockade.
4. In July of 1951, Truman decided not to run again. Democrats elected Adli Stevenson and Republicans choose General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower won by a landslide.
5. Eisenhower talked with the North Koreans and the Chinese and agreed to compromise to end the war. He also warned them that he was ready to use nuclear weapons and carry the war into China.
6. President Truman was afraid that the USSR's plan to take over all of Korea was just the beginning of World Domination.
7. The United Nations was called for and emergency session, fortunately the USSR didn't show up so it was easier for the U.S.A., Great Britain and France to pass a resolution urging members of the United Nation to help South Korea against attack.
8. When the Chinese attacked, the United State's winning streak had suddenly been loosed. China had struck the U.S. hard and ruthlessly.
9. When China had joined in, it had come to be winter, and the U.S. was being pushed back to the 38th parallel. The fighting of the war had ended where it had started.
10. North and South Korea agreed to a cease fire on June 27th, 1953, but two years passed until all fighting ended in Korea.