The korean war

The korean war


THE KOREAN WAR
In 1950-1953 South Korea was invaded by North Korea which began a Civil war. The Untied States was in the “forgotten war” and was against the North because it was a communist country. Many soldiers fought and lost their lives. To most Americans the Korean War was labeled the “forgotten war” simply because it was in between the time of two major wars, World War II and the Vietnam War. One reason why it was forgotten was because of it’s time in American history. It came after a World War which stopped a lot of thing that were happening over in Europe. It stopped the reign of Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini. It also stopped communism from ruling the western world. World War II took place from September 1939 to September 1945. Just 5 short years after this great World War the Korean War began. World War II had a certain purpose that was accomplished during the War. Korea had a purpose that was to reunite the Koreas that purpose was lost after the war started. Unlike in World War II the United States was victorious on what it was sent out to do but in the Korean War they were not able to get what they wanted so it was labeled a failure by most Americans. The Vietnam War was another factor in it’s place of history that affected it. This war started 11 years after Korea was over. This war lasted from 1964 to 1973. This was a long war where a lot of soldiers lost their lives. While this war was going on back over in the United States people were protesting the war. These protests took a lot of attention off of the Korean War. The reason why it took attention off of the Korean war was because this war scared the whole generation of the time. This war was very similar to the Korean war in many ways such as they were both failures and many soldiers lost their lives for no reason. Unlike Korea this war had no purpose at all that would have helped the United states in anyway. The media during this war was high and overshadowed the Korean War. Next some background on the war itself is necessary to help you understand it better: The Korean War affected the lives of all Americans , yet little is known beyond the jokes of M*A*S*H (which by the way, was not even originaly planned to be about the korean war) . There are many reasons why all these Americans who were affected by the war just wanted to forget about it. The Korean War just did not arouse Americans like World War II did. Korea only gave the American people a brief shelf in History books. The loss of the Korean War gave the Americans no hero’s to remember or song to sing. Little did come out of this embarrassing war to the Americans. T. Unlike other wars when the few Americans returned home, the people did not have parades or crow the streets. Americans at home just went on with their lives as if nothing happened at all. Early morning of June 25, 1950, North Korean armed forces crossed the 38th parallel of latitude (new border between North and South Korea) to the Republic of Korea (South Korea). North Korea attacked South Korea for every possible direction hoping to make the South a communist country like their own. The armed forces of the North pushed everyone west to the capitol of South Korea. By June 28th of that same year, Seoul had fallen apart and the South Korean army was at full retreat. The United States reacted quickly even more quickly than the United Nations. President Harry S. Truman directed the General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the United States occupation forces in Japan, to insure the safe evacuation of United States civilians and to supply weapons and ammunition to South Korea. Then on June 26, 1950 the United States air and naval forces were sent over to help aid the South Korean ground units. The United States reacted so quickly because they thought it would help with their economy, because pf course, if it didnt benefit us why would we get involved?. Before the war got into full action, Communist delegates from North Korea said they were willing to accept the 38th parallel as the new border between the North and South Korea. North Korea gave in a little bit when the delegates said this because the feared of losing the war once the Untied States got involved. South Korea wanted to accept this offer but the United States said otherwise. The United States wanted both countries to become one under the Southern government. Shortly after the United Nations had advanced into North Korea in September of 1950, the Communist China had secretly began to recruit troops into North Korea. The United Nations air and sea patrols did not detect any sign of the Chinese moving into North Korea because the Chinese sent 300, 000 soldiers over by boat during the nights. During the Korean War the President of the United States of America was Harry S. Truman. Harry S. Truman acted quickly getting the United States involved. This war should have been between the Koreas and no one else. The only way the United States should have ever became involved was if North Korea would have received help from the Communist China. The way Truman acted was wrong and killed many of men because of his actions. There was just no reason at all for us to go ever there because no matter what would have happened the United States wouldn’t have achieved a thing from the war. On the morning of July 27, 1953 gun fire feel silent over North and South Korea. A treaty was singed due to North Korea and China’s loss and the two countries decided it was time to end the war that was accomplishing nothing. In this treaty that was singed it stated that prisoners captured during this war that lasted thirty-seven months had a choice to stay where they were now or go back home, the 38th parallel became the new border between the two countries. Yet, no land was gained or lost by either side. After Truman got the United States involved he could have saved the lives of many soldiers. The North Korean leaders proposed a truce that would have restored the two Koreas to the way they were before they invaded South Korea. The South Korean government liked this idea but President Truman wanted to reunite the two Koreas under the South Korean government. So the war went on another two and a half years. Soon after Truman turned down the truce the Chinese started to send troops over to help North Korea. This just made things worse for President Truman. Truman got another country into the war and caused 900,000 deaths alone with the Chinese. Truman caused these deaths because he didn’t accept the truce that North Korea offered. By not accepting this truce he made China get involved with the war. The Forgotten War will never be a popular war. It should be looked on as an important war because of all the soldiers who gave their lives. All 54,000 soldiers who died should not be forgotten. who knows. maybe in the future people will look back at this war and remember it and will add a little more text about it in the American History text books. Perhaps in the future everyone will learn about this war and appreciate all the lives that were taken during the war, and it won’t be referred to as the forgotten war. But this wasn’t the first nor will it be the last loss of lives as a result of the poor decision making of a president who doesn’t know what its like to be out there. In conclusion, the korean war may not have been possible to ignore, or totaly turn our backs to. But if we wouldnt have put so much on the line for an involvment that didnt even benefit us, maybe some lives could have been saved.
Bibliography

1. Microsoft Encarta 2000 (v2.0)
2. MASH
3. The Korean War Project
4. Korean War by Andrew Sharpins (1976)