Korean War PowerPoint PDF

The Korean War Understanding the Causes & Outcomes  The Korean War was the first major conflict during the Cold War. Following World War II, two countries, the United States and the Soviet Union , vied to be the leading superpower. The United States promoted capit...

The Korean War Understanding the Causes & Outcomes  The Korean War was the first major conflict during the Cold War. Following World War II, two countries, the United States and the Soviet Union , vied to be the leading superpower. The United States promoted capitalism – a system based on individual liberty , private business , and entrepreneurship. The Soviet Union promoted communism – a system based on government control of business.  Background However, no physical war was ever fought between the United States and the Soviet Union; the Cold War was a war of ideologies , over whose system was the better one, and it emerged immediately after WWII. Proxy war: a conflict between two countries where neither directly engages the other. This does not mean the Cold War was peaceful ; several proxy wars were fought where the United States and the Soviet Union stood in the shadows and secretly aided those who did fight.  Backgroun d The first of these proxy wars was the Korean War. North Korea (communists) invaded South Korea (capitalists) and the United States went to war to help the South Koreans and to stop the spread of communism.  Why get involved in Korea? 1.) The Domino Theory - Following WWII, the spread of communism was President Truman’s number one concern. China adopted communism in 1949 and Truman believed that if one country fell to communism, others would soon follow (like playing a game of dominoes). - When communism emerged in North Korea, Truman believed that if the peninsula fell to the ideology, then Japan would be next, soon to be followed by the entire Eastern hemisphere. On your own, summarize what General MacArthur and President Truman are saying…  Why get involved in Korea? 2.) Competition - President Truman knew the United States was competing with the Soviet Union for world domination ; fighting communism in Korea meant the United States could strike a blow to the ideology while avoiding an all-out war with the Soviets.  On your own, summarize what this political cartoon is showing regarding the Cold War…  What caused the Korean War? The northern part of Korea was Prior to the end of World War given to the Soviet Union to manage. II, Korea was part of Japan’s empire. As terms of Japan and Germany’s surrender , both agreed to cede certain territories that In August 1945, Korea was would be split divided along the 38 th parallel among the West (United States, France, UK) and East (Soviet Union). The Germans lost control of Berlin while Japan lost control of The US manages the southern part of Korea. Korea.  What caused the Korean War? As expected (thanks to the Soviets), Communism took hold in The Communist dictator , North Korea while... Kim Il Sung, was loved and well supported by the Soviets. the United States supported Capitalism in South Korea. The US supported Syngman Rhee to lead South Korea, despite his ineffectiveness Rhee acted like an authoritarian , frequently provoked the North Koreans, and did little to help the war-torn South Koreans. So, why did the US stay with him? He was an ardent anti-Communist!  What caused the Korean War? And then, on June 25 , 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea… Border skirmishes were common along the 38th parallel before war was official -- as many as 10,000 soldiers were killed prior to 1950. US President Harry Truman quickly dispatched air, land, and sea forces to aid the South Koreans. The war had started.  What were the major events of the war? MacArthur bragged, North Korea invaded on June 25, “We’ll be 1950; by September, they had home by control of 95% of the peninsula. Christmas.” The United States responded by sending over 260,000 soldiers (plus an By November additional 40,000 UN 1950, South soldiers) led by Douglas Korea (and the MacArthur. US) had reclaimed all of the South plus most of the North!  What were the major events of the war? the Chinese and North Korean soldiers are supplied “There is no weapons from substitute for In late November Russia. victory 1950, 200,000 against Chinese troops Communism.” march on South Korea and… By early 1951, 500,000 more MacArthur reclaims Chinese soldiers land to the 38 th parallel enter the war and and wants to go further, push US back. even to declare war on China. This is worrisome since MacArthur is fired , the war Truman does not wish reaches a stalemate , and to escalate war with peace talks begin in July 1951. China.  What was the outcome? The 38th parallel was reinstated , and both North Korea North and South Korea remained agreed to respect the Communist (like boundary. before the war)… … and South Korea remained Capitalist (like before the war)… In 1953 , the United States and North Korea signed a cease-fire that … and 55,000 American ended the Korean War. troops died in the process! So why fight? The US government believed the war was necessary to prevent World War III , which was inevitable if Communism was permitted to spread.  What was the war like? Many lost Over 100F Constant rain, fingers, toes, degrees in mud, and heavy hands, and feet summer! downpours … to frostbite… Temperatur es as low as -40F degrees! Constant Freezing trekking of hills, winters with mountains! heavy snow…  How did the American people respond to war? They did not like it. Period. - Americans were used to winning (after WWII), and Korea ended the same as it was before the war started. Was it a “win?” - The goal was never to have a total defeat , like in WWII. The goal was simply to protect South Korea. This was new, and begged the question “Was it worth it?”  How is the war remembered today? The Korean War Memorial , located in Washington D.C., was dedicated in 1995 to honor the 5.8 million Americans who served. The troops are wearing ponchos to show the miserable weather conditions… 19 soldiers, each roughly 7-feet-tall, represent the 14 are from the Army , 3 diverse ethnic makeup of Marines , 1 each from the the soldiers who gave their Navy and Air Force ! lives.  How is the war remembered There are today? more! The mural goes for quite a bit further... If you look closely, you can see the reflection of the 19 soldier statues… This is symbolic because… The 19 soldier statues + the 19 relfections = 38 The bondary between North and South Korea was established at the 38th parallel. On the side of the memorial is a mural where pictures taken from the war were etched into marble. The mural honors the service personnel who supported the soldiers (nurses, surgeons, etc).  What is Korea like today? There are no North Korea is still elections and one Communist and family has had has few complete control international since the country friends (Russia and was split following Bulgaria). Kim Il Sung WWII. (1948-1994) So China is still n considered a Despite calling “friend ” but in themselves the 2015 North “Democratic Korea angered People’s the Chinese Kim Jong-Il Republic of with their (1994-2011) Korea,” they are nuclear anything but program. that! So n North Korea operates more Kim like a Communist Jong-un Totalitarian (2011-) state.  What is Korea like today? Elections are similar to other democratic countries; local elections take place every 4 years and presidential elections every 5. South Korea has maintained Capitalism Unlike in North since WWII. It has grown Korea, in South from one of the poorest Korea… to one of the wealthiest countries in the world. - Citizens do not need permission to leave the country Major tech companies such as Samsung and LG, - Foreign tourists as well as auto giants are free to visit Hyundai and Kia Motors are headquartered here. - People have access to information via the internet