Tengowski

1. 10. Korean War (Tie)
1950-1953
• WWII-Potsdam Conference (1945)
▫ Agreed to partition Korea @ 38th
parallel
▫ North-Communist-Kim Il Sung
 Supported by USSR
▫ South-Democratic-Syngmann
Rhee
 Supported by USA

2. Korea Split – 38th Parallel

3. Reasons for the Korean War
• 1. NSC-68 (1950)- Quadruples the
Defense Dept. Budget
• 2. US/USSR Withdraw from Korea
(1949)
▫ Had occupied for 4 Years
• 3. Dean Acheson-Defensive
Perimeter
▫ Secretary of State
▫ “We will defend any area to the
East of this line.”
• 4. Stalin’s Approval of the Invasion
• 5. Domino Theory – If one country
falls to communism…they all will.

4. Stage 1: North Korean Attack
• 1. North Korean Attack (June 25,
1950)
▫ UN forces pushed back to the
Pusan Perimeter
 “Struck Like a Cobra”
• 2. June 27, 1950-UN meeting…
▫ Truman commits US troops
 (His toughest decision)
 81% of Americans agreed
▫ UN sends Douglas MacArthur
• 3. July 5, 1950
▫ US troops fought NK and lost

5. MacArthur Had A Plan!!!

6. Stage 2: UN Counterattack
• 2. (Operation Chromite)
September 15, 1950
▫ MacArthur’s Daring Move
▫ Landed at Inchon
 320 Warships & 70,000 men
 Caught North Koreans off
guard!!
▫ Eventually pushed North back
to the 38th Parallel
▫ Now what?

7. Stage 2: UN Counterattack
• UN Troops advance to the
Yalu River (October 1950)
• UN Troops: Told they
would be home by
Christmas

8. Truman & Mac Meet – Wake Island
October 15, 1950
“…and if they tried to get down to Pyongyang
there would be the greatest slaughter.” - Mac

9. Stage 3: Chinese Offensive
• Battle of the
Chosin Reservoir
(Nov. 27 – Dec.
13, 1950)
• 120,000 Chinese
• 20,000 American

10. Stage 3: Chinese Offensive
• 1 million Chinese “volunteers”
cross the border and push the
US back to the 38th parallel
• North Korea Recaptured
• Ready to take South Korea
• Mac wanted to use nuclear
weapons

11. Truman Fired MacArthur
April 11, 1951
• I fired him because he wouldn't respect the authority of the President. I
didn't fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was,
but that's not against the law for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters
of them would be in jail.

12. General Matthew Ridgway

13. Stage 4: Stalemate
• Stalemate at the 38th Parallel
• (July 1951 to July 27, 1953)
• The war bogs down along the
38th parallel

14. Results of the Korean War - USA
• US Casualties
▫ 36,574 Killed
▫ 103, 284 Wounded
▫ PA – 2402 Killed – 2nd Most
• Economic Cost: $403 Billion
• Protected South Korea
• Truman’s Approval Rating –
22%

16. Korean War Memorial (Pittsburgh)

17. Asia (7)
• 1. China
• 2. Israel
• 3. Japan
• 4. North Korea
• 5. South Korea
• 6. Taiwan
• 7. Turkey

18. Europe (6)
• 1. East Germany
• 2. UK
• 3. Greece
• 4. Poland
• 5. USSR
• 6. West Germany