The Korean War

The Korean War

1. At 4:00am on the 25th June, the NKPA launched an attack across the 38th Parallel,

   • They totalled 135,000 and had combat experience from the Chinese Civil War
     • Kim Il Sung expected a quick victory.
       • Stalin authorised this for a number of reasons: 1. They had tested the atom bomb in 1949, 2. China was now an ally, 3. The unclear nation of US policy, 4. NSC 68 - South Korea is not vital to US Interests

2. The NKPA started off very successfully. The 95,000 troops in the south were woefully underprepared

   • Seoul taken 29th June, NKPA looking for quick victory
     • US troops rushed from Japan, whilst a Stand or Die order was held over Pusan. If Pusan was lost, the supply route to Japan would be gone and the war would be over
   • Walker held Pusan for 5 weeks, and soon superior air support arrived

3. General MacArthur was a national institution, almost untouchable

   • MacArthur launced a daring attack on Inchon called Operation Chromite. The attack was very successful, and NK troops fell across the South. The army (and Air Superiority) around Pusan pushed the NKPA back across the 38th Parallel
     • America's policy changed from Containment to Rollback so it made sense to invade North Korea
       • Militarily it would be more sensible to stop at a more defensive position further north
       • Possibility of the North recovering and reattacking
       • USSR sanctioned the 1950 attack, breaking the 1945 agreements
       • The Rise of McCarthyism

4. Invasion of North Korea

   • American's crossed October 1950. The Americans struggled to navigate the mountains and underestimated the threat from the Chinese
     • They were walking into a trap - Hundreds of thousands of Chinese waiting to attack
   • The Chinese attacked November, and the US retreated 300 Miles. Morale plummeted and the Chinese retook Seoul but were considerably damaged by US air support

5. Sacking of MacArthur and Ending of the War

   • MacArthur continued to disobey Truman's orders. By March 1951, American's recaptured Seoul. Truman had to sack MacArthur when he wrote to the Republicans claiming a Total Victory was needed,
   • Although an armistice had been reached, the war would continue until 1953. Peace negotiations stuck over the location of the Border, a distrust between the two sides and the issue of POWs.