Preview

The Korean War: The 38th Parallel

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
159 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Korean War: The 38th Parallel
The Korean War occurred between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, associated with the People’s Republic of China, with military aid from the Soviet Union and the Republic of Korea, supported by the United Nations and the United States of America. The war was caused by the physical division 38th parallel made by the victorious Allies in the closing days of the Pacific War.

As Korean peninsula was a colony of Japan until 1945, for the Japanese surrender, American administrators had created the 38th parallel, divided the peninsula in order to occupy the southern part and Soviet troops to be stationed in the northern part.

In 1948, the North established a Communist government due to the failure to hold free elections in the peninsula.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Korean War

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Despite the total victory and unconditional surrender in the recent World War II, the Korean War was not along the same lines whatsoever. The Korean War began when the North and South were divided at the 38th parallel; suddenly, the Communist North invaded the south and most of it was consumed except for a final southernmost city. There, General MacArthur was sent my President Truman to Korea for a “police action.” With U.N advancements up near the Chinese-Korean border, the Chinese sent their own troops to force MacArthur back near the original border lines, where MacArthur called for extra support and was denied.…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Berlin Wall Dbq Analysis

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages

    According to document 5, the description written by Sook Nyul Choi in Korea between the end of WWII and 1950, Korea was actually a “victim country” for the Cold War that existed between the US and the USSR. This could be proven by the fact that people were affected negatively by these communist soldiers and weapons such as tanks and guns. The communist troops from both China and Russia not only threatened people which led to the Northern refugees to escape to Seoul, people who are “labeled” as traitors were shot with machine guns and hanged in the town square for other people to see as a bad example to not follow. Then looking at document 6a, the map shows the result of the Korean War from 1950-1953. North Korea and South Korea were being divided along the 38th parallel due to their difference in supporters and political views. These evidences shows how the Cold War made Korea into battlefields and by the Russians supporting communist in the north, and the Americans spreading capitalism in the south, this led to the Korean War. The war not only led to the division of Korea, it also caused millions of soldiers and civilians to lost lives and which destroyed the economy in both North and South…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first thing that has to be noted about the Korean War is the indirect confrontation of the superpowers thus united states of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). These two super powers were of different ideology and beliefs. The USA believed in democracy and was capitalist whilst the USSR was more of dictatorship and was communists. The USSR came in Korea to support the Northern part of Korea which was under the rule of the communist, Kim ll Sung, after the defeat of Japan by the USA. The USSR supported the south because of its ‘sphere of influence’. The USSR saw Korea as an easy access to the newly ‘born’ communist Japan. It had its own economical interests. On the other hand, the USA under the approval of the UN joined by giving military support to the anti-communist Dr.Syngman Rhee, the leader of the South Korea, for several reasons. Some of the reasons were; Truman was convinced that the attack by Kim II Sung was Stalin’s doing and saw it as a Russian plan to spread communism as widely as possible so she had to take action as soon as possible. Also, some Americans saw the invasion as similar to…

    • 1151 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Korean War

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Under a UN agreement, both the Soviet Union and the United States withdrew their military forces from Korea, but both left large numbers of advisors on the peninsula. The two sides were to continue negotiations over elections to reunify the country, and although the United States preferred that the resulting government not be communist, in 1949 it was still not prepared to commit militarily to preventing that outcome.…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Before going into detail about the after effects of the Korean War on the world, it is important to understand the basic events that took place, and its causes. After World War One, America and the Soviet Union (still allies) decided to help Korea establish a stable government; the US helped areas of Korea south of the 38th parallel, and the Soviet Union helped Northern Korea (Granfield xix). After the relationship between the US and the Soviet Union took a turn for the worst with the beginnings of the Cold War, Northern and Southern Korea became their own separate regimes, the North being Communist and the South Capitalist and anti-communist.…

    • 1860 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Explain the causes of the Korean War The Korean War began in 1950 when Communist North Korea crossed the 38th parallel into Capitalist South Korea, however, it was not just an ordinary civil war, it involved 3 of the world’s biggest superpowers of the time, USA, China and Russia. Ultimately, their fight was indirectly played out in this small country. However, the main causes of the war can be debated.…

    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Korea lies in the eastern part of Asia. This peninsula is divided into two countries: North Korea and South Korea. Although there is a division of landscape, government, and culture, the bulk of people in Korea consider themselves a part of the Korean nation. Regardless of that, the countries do have their differences. The entire peninsula is cut off from Northeast China by rugged mountains and sizable rivers (Rowntree 365). The north suffers from heavy deforestation, however it has more natural resources. The south has made extensive reforestation efforts post WWII and so they have more greenery. In terms of culture, there are more intense differences. In the South, k-pop and Korean drams have gone global. The culture has appealed to people worldwide. Meanwhile, North Korea remains somewhat in isolation. What’s more, North Koreans attempt to flee into Northeast China, quite often. Yet no one flees South Korea. This shows that there are different cultures and levels of comfort in each…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    * Northern – Russian. Southern – Americans * UN arranged for Korean elections in 1947…

    • 2359 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Amanda Evanson Immediate and Long-Term Effects of the Korean War University of Phoenix The Korean War started with communist North Korea invading anti-communist South Korea. The United States, who were already in North Korea to some extent joined forces with South Korea to help them against the North Korean invasion. They saw the Korean War as a fight against communism and felt that if North Korea was able to take over South Korea it would lead to communism spreading and taking over one area at a time until there were none left. President Truman felt it vital to get involved before it reached that point.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Korean War

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Korean War Senna Albunni HIS 135 July-16, 2012 Gregory Taylor The Korean War Two of the immediate effects of The Korean War are that it was one of the most destructive of the 20th century, and The Korean War also brought social damage to Korea, especially in the North. North Korea remained a communist nation and South Korea became a free republic. This social difference still brings conflict even today.…

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    After the Second World War, and the split of Korea, the North became Communist and the South anti-Communist and undemocratic. In September 1950, with the start of the conflict, Communist advances pushed the South Koreans into the very South Eastern corner of the mainland.…

    • 788 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Korean War also referred to as the “Forgotten War,” set an unforeseen reconstruction into the Air Defense Artillery branch of the modern Army. This bloody war was an important event in the world or the Air Defense Artillery branch. The contingency missions of today’s Army were solidified during the Korean War and it helped cement the Air Defense Artillery motto of “First to Fire.” There were many important events that occurred for ADA during this war. From the first air defense unit arriving to the key battles that took place, this conflict provided significant advancements for air defense in the U.S. military. The Korean War commonly referred to by many as “The Forgotten War,” should never be forgotten by Air Defense Artillery, as…

    • 1325 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    38th Parallel Analysis

    • 92 Words
    • 1 Page

    When the World War Two was going to the end, the Japanese-held Korean Peninsula was liberated by Soviet and the American military. And the battle line that between America and Soviet was called “ 38th Parallel ”. In that case, the north of the 38th parallel was occupied by Soviet troops and the American troops dominated the south of the 38th Parallel which led to a limited border war between the South’s newly formed Republic of Korea Army and the North Korean border constabulary as well as the North’s Korean People’s Army.…

    • 92 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Generally summarizing the Korean War as in Blair’s Forgotten War – At the end of World War II the western half of the world (the Capitalist side) and the eastern half of the world (the Communist side) divided the Korean peninsula into two nations, the northern half communist and the southern half American occupied and capitalist. The two nations were divided at the 38th parallel. The Korean War itself began when the communist North Koreans invaded their South Korean neighbors by advancing over the 38th parallel boundary, on the 28th of June 1951 when the North Korean army, using Russian equipment and advisors, had conquered much of South Korea, a poorly equipped and poorly led U.S. Army came to the rescue of the South Koreans. President Truman had basically stripped the U.S. Army’s equipment and manpower down to nothing for budget reasons, believing that his military advisors spoiled, dumb, and “big spenders”, (sparing no expense to win a battle). Truman believed that he could do better than any military official. General Douglas MacArthur, on whom Blair spares no criticism, had been overseeing the occupation of Japan, and was a decorated general during WWII in the Pacific theater, he was the obvious choice to be appointed commander of the U.S. forces which were to hold back the North Korean army at Pusan – the tip of the Korean peninsula. MacArthur was in command of…

    • 1558 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Battle Of Inchon Essay

    • 1580 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Korean War was the result of tensions between North and South Korea after World War II. North Korea launched a surprise attack against an unprepared South Korea, pushing South Korean and U.S. forces to the southernmost tip of the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. launched a counterattack that started with amphibious landings at Wolmi-do Island and Inchon. The battle of Inchon was a significant factor in the Korean War because it allowed U.S. and South Korean forces to push North Korea back past the 38th Parallel.…

    • 1580 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays