Korean+War-+American+Aid

What made the Korean war different from the other wars? Primary Sources- http://www.koreanwar.com/ http://nhs.needham.k12.ma.us/cur/WWII/06/p2/TD/images/korean_war_map.jpg
 * __Korean War__**-Yun Cho

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Narrative: The Korean War sparked during the late 1940’s, right after World War II. Knowing that Japan was weak and ungrouped from the bombing of Hiroshima, Stalin and the Soviets declared war on Japan. On August 15, 1945 Japan had no choice to surrender because they were in no shape to be in a war. In Japan’s surrender the Soviets obtained North Korea. This was a big red flag to the U.S and the United Nations. Another country controlled by communist was not what the U.S wanted. President Truman set a joint occupation in Korea where the 2 powers were separated at the 38th parallel. The north was occupied by the soviets and communistic leaders and the south was occupied by the U.S and democratic leaders. This set up the start of the Korean War. First nationalist in Korea wanted unity in the country, but since communism and democracy was in play idealism took over. During 1945 and 1946 political figures were established in both North and South Korea. This shattered any hope of unity. This division and political figures had built up to a civil war. Then the first shot by the North Koreans was on June 25, 1950. My essential question was “What made the Korean War different from other wars?” First off, it wasn’t even a civil war. Yes, it is the same country but 2 different nations were fighting for control. (One being the Soviets and the other being the U.S.) Also this was the first war in which there wasn’t a “winner”. The Soviet Union wanted total control of Korea in a communistic government, but the U.S wanted to contain communism. This war also carried over from WWII and was the first “big” war of the Cold War. The North Koreans pushed into South Korea all the way down to Pusan, which located in the southwest part of Korea. 2 days later American aid had came along with the Japanese hero Macarthur at the lead. The U.S predicted that this war was going to be a quick war in which Macarthur boasted that he would “have these boys home by Christmas.” Macarthur misjudged the communistic power. On November 1950 Chinese communist bombarded the U.S forces, pushing them back to the 38th parallel. This was the first war that was lead by politicians and not by the Generals. Macarthur wanted to end the war in victory, but the politicians wanted to contain communism, not beat it. On April 11, 1951 President Truman removed Macarthur because Macarthur was taking the war issues publicly to the president. The war ended in a stalemate on July 27,1953. This war was a status quo because nothing really happened. At the beginning of the war Korea was separated at the 38th parallel and it ended there too. Over all the Korean War was a milestone in wars in that it was the first war that didn’t result in winner or a loser. Also this was the first war where it was more strategy than power.