The Korean War

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by lucycarrick03gmailcom | Friday 20th of January 2023

The Korean War


The Korean War, which lasted from June 1950- July 1953, was essentially a civil conflict. Although its origins lay in the divisions caused by Japanese occupation and the subsequent dividing of Korea in 1945, the desire for reunification came from within. Both Syngman Rhee and Kim Il Sung (the respective leaders of South and North Korea) wanted to rule the entire peninsular, but it was the North that took military action in an attempt to bring this about by invading the South in June 1950. The conflict was prolonged and made bloodier by the involvement of both the UN and the Chinese, with the former acting to protect a capitalist, Western ally from communist aggression and the latter showing solidarity with their communist comrades once the conflict neared their border. The initial Northern invasion was highly successful and UN forces were unable to reverse it until the tactical genius of General MacArthur ordered amphibious landings at Inchon. This enabled the North to be pushed back beyond the 38th parallel, but the subsequent decision to enter North Korean territory then prolonged the conflict and turned it into a bitter stalemate following Chinese involvement. The death of Stalin and election of Eisenhower eventually allowed for an uneasy armistice but the treaty was never actually signed by the South Koreans themselves; technically, North and South Korea remain at war today. 


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