War & Peace in a Dangerous
World
Historical Notes on the Korean
War-2003
A.
Causation:
a.
Japanese
surrender in 1945 divided the Korean Peninsular at the 38th
Parallel. American forces occupied the South while Soviet forces occupied the
North.
b.
Koreans
on both sides wanted a united Korea under Korean leadership.
c.
U.S. petitioned U.N. to require
unifying elections in 1947. Soviets
refused to allow elections in the North.
In the South, Synghman Rhee
was elected and his government was recognized by the United States.
The Soviets recognized the government of communist, Kim Il Sung in the North.
d.
Although
Stalin refused Kim Il Sung’s request for help in a
unifying invasion of the South in March, 1949, he approved this request later
in the year for the following reasons:
i.
PRC
had been established
ii.
Soviets
had exploded an atomic bomb.
iii.
Soviets
and PRC had signed a Treaty of Friendship
iv.
Stalin
believed the US lacked the will to respond to
events in Asia.
1.
Acheson
Speech.
B.
Salient
Events:
a.
June 25, 1950, North Korea launches a surprise attack upon South Korea with a force of ten divisions led
in part by Soviet Advisors.
b.
South Korea appeals for help to the United States but the US has no contingency plan in place
to deal with such an invasion.
c.
US
goes before the UN Security Council to seek an
international coalition against the expansion of communist bloc power on the
Korean Peninsular.
d.
US
succeeds in passing a resolution for action because
the Soviets are boycotting UN meetings because of UN refusal to recognize the
PRC as the legitimate government of China.
e.
Sixteen
nations join a US led coalition of forces and Truman announces the beginning of
a “Police Action” in Korea.
This avoids the constitutional requirement of a Declaration of War.
f.
Mac
Arthur is named leader of UN forces going into Korea and dispatches American troops to Korea.
i.
Mac
Arthur’s army was not battle-worthy.
g.
Seoul falls in three days and the South
Korean Army along with Mac Arthur’s forces are quickly routed and driven to an
enclave around the Pusan Perimeter.
h.
Mac
Arthur effects the Inchon
Landing with the 1st Marine Division on September
15, 1950,
cutting the Korean Peninsular in half and reversing the course of the war.
i.
Mac
Arthur’s forces recapture Seoul restoring the boundary between
North and South Korea at the 38th Parallel
i.
More
than fifty-thousand South Koreans lose their lives while caught in the
crossfire.
ii.
The
house to house fighting in Seoul is the bloodiest combat of the
Post World War II era.
j.
Mac
Arthur urges Truman to allow him to pursue retreating North Korean forces into North Korea and drive them to the Chinese
border thereby reunifying the Korean Peninsular under non-communist,
pro-western leadership. Military
realities on the ground are driving American Foreign Policy in this
environment. This is a break with the
Strategy of Containment.
k.
Truman
approves Mac Arthur’s plan based upon assurances that a UN invasion of North Korea, led by the US, would not bring the Chinese
Communists into the war.
l.
The
Chinese fear an American presence in North Korea, particularly the placing of
American air assets in a position to disrupt communist reconstruction of the
Chinese mainland. Concerns over hegemony
are driving PRC policy.
m.
North Korea appeals to Mao for help in
repelling Mao’s forces. Pyongyang falls to US and ROK troops on October
19, 1950. Mao decides to enter the war on the North
Korean side.
n.
Truman
and Mac Arthur meet at Wake Island. Truman
awards Mac Arthur the Distinguished Service Star and Mac Arthur reassures
Truman that the Chinese will not enter the war and even if they do, Mac
Arthur’s forces will make quick work of this peasant army.
o.
As
the 8th Army and the Marines pause for Thanksgiving, Mao orders an
all out attack on UN forces.
Three-hundred thousand Chinese “volunteers” stream across the Yalu motivated by Mao’s call for “Patriotic Defense of the
Motherland.”
