The Korean War
- During World War II Japan took over all of the Korean peninsula but when the war ended Russia freed the peninsula up to the 38th parallel
- Communist Russia took over North Korea while the United States was given the southern portion
- South Korea, ruled by dictator Syngman Rhee, and North Korea, ruled by Kim Il Sung both wanted more land than they had reign over
- Before the war even began 10,000 Northern and Southern Koreans died in border skirmishes
- The Korean War began June 25, 1950 with the invasion of South Korea
- 75,000 North Korean People's Army soldiers crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea
- This war was the first military action during the Cold War
- In July, American soldiers entered into the war to support South Korea from communist North Korea
- The Americans fought thinking it was a war against communism in all
- After continuous fighting caused mounting casualties, significant gains and severe losses on both sides
- Americans worked hard to try and get the North Koreans to agree to an armistice
- America feared that if China and Russia entered the war it would become World War III.
- An Armistice was created July 27, 1953 that ended the Korean War. This included South Korea to give up a small portion of land, all prisoners of war had the choice to where they wanted to live after the war ended.
- At the end of the war there was a total of about five million dead soldiers and civilians
- Today Korea is still divided into North and South
Fun Fact: The Korean War was considered a "silent war". There was no real attention in the American media to it at the time. The only real mention of it was on the popular television show "M*A*S*H" which was set in a South Korean field hospital. The show ran from 1972 to 1983.