U.S. History / Unit 8: World War II and the Early Cold War
8.5 The Korean War
Notes
After WWII, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel: a communist North backed by the Soviets and a non-communist South backed by the U.S.
- In June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea.
- The United Nations sent forces, mostly American, under General Douglas MacArthur. They pushed north toward the Chinese border.
- China entered the war and drove UN forces back south.
- MacArthur publicly called for attacking China. Truman fired him (1951) to keep civilian control of the military and avoid a wider war.
- An armistice (1953) ended fighting near the 38th parallel. No peace treaty was signed, and Korea remains divided.
- About 36,000 Americans died. It was the first war fought under containment and is sometimes called the "Forgotten War."
Practice
Why did the United States fight in Korea?
The war applied containment through the United Nations.
Truman fired General MacArthur in 1951 because MacArthur:
Truman upheld the principle of civilian control over the military.
How did the Korean War end?
The 1953 armistice stopped fighting, but no peace treaty followed.
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