Causes

After WWII, the United States and the Soviet Union had agreed that Russia could only occupy Korea as far as the 38^th parallel. This divided the country into North Korea, which was communist, and South Korea, which wasn’t. As the U.S and Soviet Union entered the Cold War, tensions rose between the countries as well as North and South Korea. The first act that started the Korean War was when North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25^th, 1950. They pushed the South all the way down to the border. After this happened, the United States was forced to step in order to stop the spread of communism and to save South Korea, thus beginning the Korean War.

 

This is a photograph of an airplane. It was used by the United States to drop bombs on North Korea. Aeriel warfare was just one tactic both sides used in the Korean War.

Setting

The Korean War was fought in both North Korea and South Korea. While North Korea had few weapons and little technology, the United States had far more advances and supplies, giving them and their South Korean allies an advantage. North Korea had no navy. The United States, on the other hand, had a well equipped navy and was able to surround the Korean peninsula with their ships. North Korea was also lacking in well trained soldiers. The U.S troops were far more trained. However, North Korea did have one major advantage: strength in numbers. They would send out troops toward the U.S in waves, meaning that each set of soldiers sent out would go to be slaughtered, but at the same time be inching toward the U.S with each wave forcing them to fall backward. Both sides pushed back and forth invading each other’s country, causing a “tug-of-war” type warfare until they eventually balanced out.

 

 

This is a photograph of a U.S soldier. He is operating a winch on the USS Mocking Bird. This is just of the shores of Korea.

U.S Involvment

The U.S was already stationed in South Korea prior to the war, but withdrew seeing no reason to stay. This prompted Russian forces combined with North Korean forces to take action and attempt to spread communism into South Korea. The United States first entered the war after North Korea invaded South Korea for the first time on June 25^th, 1950. The U.S pushed for the United Nation’s help by asking for military assistance in South Korea. President Truman sent in air forces, navy forces, and army troops to push North Korea back out of the South. They pushed them all the way back across the 38^th parallel and to the northern border. Ultimately, the United State’s involvement turned the tables and gave South Korea an advantage over the North.

 This is a map showing the crossing over of the 38th parallel by the U.S and North Korea. This created a "tug-of-war" like warfare. The war eventually ended with both countries right where the started on either side of the border.

Home Front

Since the Korean War had followed so close behind WWII, it was not a popular among the American public. They were tired of having friends and family members die for the sake of their country. In fact, in order to draw down tensions, Truman didn’t even call it a war. Instead he called the Korean involvement a “police action.” This caused a huge lack of interest in the war among citizens and unless they had someone directly involved in the war, they often remained ignorant to the fact that a war was even happening. The lack of knowledge and concern caused under appreciation for the Korean War veterans as no one knew the hardships they endured and what exactly they were fighting for.

 

This is a photograph taken in Washington DC. It is a memorial statue paying tribute to those who fought in the Korean War. It is engraved "The Forgotten War," showing how the U.S often still overlooks the importance of the Korean War and under appreciates its veterans.

Korean War Propaganda

This is a propaganda poster in North Korea. It is portraying a North Korean soldier smashing the White House with his fist. It is trying to get North Koreans to join the military by making them appear strong and fearless.

This is a propaganda poster in North Korea. It is portraying a North Korean soldier aiming missiles at the White House. It is trying to get North Koreans to join the military to fight against the U.S.

This is a propaganda poster in the United States. It is portraying a strong, independent woman and is promoting patriotism in women citizens. It is trying to get women to take on jobs in the military.

 

This is a propaganda poster in the United States. This was made towards the end of the war. It is promoting the withdrawal of U.S troops from Korea and peace being restored.

The End of the Korean War

 To be truthful, the Korean War never really ended. North Korea and South Korea to this day are still split a part and still have much tension and conflict between them. Along the 38^th parallel, there is a demilitarized zone between communist North Korea and noncommunist South Korea. The war ended in a stalemate, meaning a there was no winner and military actions just ceased altogether. As the U.S threatened to bomb and invade China, an armistice was signed between North Korea, China, and the United Nations. This caused the ceasefire and the withdrawal of the U.S troops, ending the war in a stalemate and giving the U.S a limited victory.

 

This picture is of the sign that marks the 38th parallel. This line marks the separation between North Korea and South Korea. This is where the war began and also where the war ended.

Quotes

 

1. Talking to the Korean War veterans, the second man I talked to said something that really stood out. “I was a general and me and 50 men were heading towards this place to relieve another 50 men in the middle of the night. When we arrived, we heard nothing and assumed we were under an ambush, but nothing happened as the night pressed on. Morning came and as we were walking, we ended up finding our 50 missing men. They were all lying on the ground with their hands and feet tied up and a bullet through the back of each one if their heads. They had been shot and killed. That’s not war. That’s murder. They murdered 50 men” (Korean War Veteran). This stood out to me because it shows the horrors of war and made me realize how unaware most Americans are of what happened in the Korean War and how underappreciated its veterans are.

2. I talked with a friend after the Korean veterans interview session, and she told me something that her veteran said that also hit home. “We saw a child in the middle of the road walking towards us. She was crying out for help. We knew she had a bomb strapped to her, but we didn’t know what to do. What do you do? Do you shoot her?” (Korean War Veteran). His eyes then welled up with tears. This struck me because it truly captures what the soldiers in Korea endured and the unnerving decisions they should have never been forced to make.

3. My grandfather and I spoke after I told him about our interview session with the Korean War veterans and I asked him what he had thought about it at the time since he was alive. “Kayla, war is hell. No matter what you’re fighting for or against, it’s hell. I’ve never fought in a war and I can tell you that much” (Henry Winslow). I think this perfectly captures the Korean War. Though it ended in a stalemate and is an often overlooked or forgotten war, it was still just like any other; people lost their lives and the people involved still endured horrors that have left an everlasting mark.

4. I asked my grandmother as well what she had thought of the Korean War and just communism in general at the time. She said, “Well, we were taught to be afraid. We lived in fear that the communists would take over and America would fall. It was instilled in our minds and we to this day haven’t forgotten that fear” (Bonita Winslow). I think this explains well about what happened on the home front when communism was on the rise. People were taught to be afraid of communism and lived in constant fear, giving an interesting perspective on how the enemy was portrayed to the United States public.

 

This is a chart summary of the casualties that took place in the Korean War. Thousands of people lost their lives in this war. They should never be forgotten.