Korean War Chart

Korean War Chart 1950-1953 “The Forgotten War”

Causes • Cold War • Communist revolution in China 1945-1949 (U.S. supported Chiang Kai-shek and Nationalists) • Japan surrender (gives northern Korea to Soviets, southern Korea to Americans) • Only 500 US soldiers in South Korea

Spark • June 25, 1950 • North Korean army crosses 38th parallel into South Korea

Strategy • United States • United Nations involvement • 90% of ½ million troops American

• South Korean involvement (1/2 mill.) • Amphibious invasion • Surround North Korean forces • Heavy artillery • Nuclear attack?

Strategy • North Korea • Communist involvement (China and USSR) • Soviet weapons, Soviet-trained military

• Quick, surprise attack • Force of numbers • Over 10 million troops

Important/Turning Point Battles • Initial attack (1950) • Pusan (1st U.S. victory) • Inchon (Sep. 15, 1950) – amphibious landing • Seoul (1950) • Pyongyang (1951 Chinese counter-offensive) • Chosin Reservoir (1951) “Attacking in other direction” (leave N. Korea) • Pork Chop Hill (July 1953) – flat by end of 6 days • Operation Ripper (get back to the 38th parallel) • Stalemate

Heroes and Goats • U.S./U.N. • Douglas MacArthur • Harry Truman • Matthew Ridgway • Syngman Rhee (1st pres. of S. Korea)

• Commies • Kim Il-Sung • Zhou En-lai • Mao Zedong

Costs and Lives Lives • U.S. • 54,229 killed; 103, 248 wounded; 8142 missing; 3746 captured (169, 365 casualties)

• UN troops • over 1 million casualties; 980,000 S. Korea

• China • 392,600 (some estimates place at 900,000)

• N.Korea • over 500,000 casualties

• 3-4 million Korean civilian casualties

Cost Dollars • U.S. • Over $60 billion (defense budget at beginning of war $12 billion)

• China • $3 billion

Ammo • U.S. • 3.3 million tons ($20 billion)

Treaty…uh, non-treaty results • June 23, 1951 • Soviet Union asks for cease-fire

• July 1953 • Armistice signed

• War never officially ended • 2 Koreas (divided by 38th parallel) • Draw • Increased fear of communism • Beginning of communist “witch hunts”