The Korean War

Goal 10

US vs. Soviet UnionUnited States Soviet Leader

Leader: Harry Truman Leader: Joseph Stalin

Capitalist economy Communist economy

Leader elected by people

One party system allowed no opponents

Never allied with Germany

Once an ally of Germany

US entered Germany through N. Africa campaign

Upset because US took the long way to Germany

Developed A-Bomb and didn’t tell Soviets

Mad at US developed A-bomb secretly.

Soviets Reparations• Soviets wanted Germany to pay

reparations. Soviets agreed to allow free elections in Poland.

• Since Soviets lost 20 million people in WW II, they felt that they should control eastern Europe. They had already established satellite nations – communist governments established by S.U. in Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Poland. Stalin says that communism and capitalism were incompatible and that another war was inevitable.

US Policy of Containment• Containment – George Kennan

proposed the policy of containment. He meant taking measures to prevent any extension of communist rule to other countries.

• Winston Churchill gave a speech called the “Iron Curtain”. He said that an iron curtain had descended over Eastern Europe.

• The Cold War – conflict between US and S.U. that lasted from 1945-1991.

Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan

• The Truman Doctrine gave $400 million of in aid the those countries hurt by WW II. Truman declares that “it must be the policy of the US to support free peoples who are resisting attempting subjugation by armed minorities or by outsides pressures.”

• The Marshall Plan = Sec. of State George Marshall said that the US needed to provide aid to all European nations that needed it. This plan was to wage a war against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos. Gave $13 billion.

Berlin• After WW II, Germany was divided

into 4 zones. France, Britain, Us and Russia each controlled a zone. F, B, and US decided to form a nation out of there 3 zones. S.U tried to take Berlin and blocked all travel in and out of the city. He hoped to starve them into communism. The US broke the blockade for 327 days by airlifting supplies into Berlin. The mission was dubbed The Berlin Airlift. Eventually Germany was divided into 2 countries West Berlin, a free nation, and East Berlin, a communist nation. The Berlin Wall was erected between the two nations.

Korean War• Korea had been divided into 2 nations North

Korea and South Korea. The two were divided at the 38th parallel.

N. Korea S. Korea

Communist Democracy

Supported by China and SU

Supported by US

Leader – Kim II Sung

Leader – Syngman Rhee

Pyongyang Seoul

Korean War• N. Korea invaded S. Korea.

United Nations voted to send troops there. 520,000 troops from UN (90% were from US), sent to S.K. An additional 590,000 troops from S.K joined. The two sides pushed each other up and down the country. The UN placed Gen. Douglas MacArthur in control over UN troops. He pushed N.K troops back over 38th.

Korean War• China decides to join the N.K

side. They send troops over N.K boarder. Their troops outnumbered UN troops 10 to 1. MacArthur wants to launch a counterattack into China. Truman disagrees. MacArthur pleads his case with the press. Truman gets mad and fires MacArthur for insubordination.

Korean War ends

• July 1953, the two sides agree to end the war. They returned to their pre-war boundaries.

• Was the “Forgotten War” a success?

• Cost 54,000 US lives and $67 billion.

Cold War at Home• House Un-American

Activities Committee (HUAC) – investigated suspected communists in US. Arrested 10 people in Hollywood.

• Two famous spy cases: Alger Hiss and Rosenberg’s. Alger Hiss was coping gov’t documents. He was convicted of perjury. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg – convicted and executed for selling atomic secrets to S.U.

McCarthyism

• Sen. Joseph McCarthyism = claimed he had a list of communist members in the state department. This was a form of a witch hunt. A few people lost their jobs because of these. He messed things up when he accused the army of having military. The public lost faith in him. He lost re-election and died three years later.

Napalm

Berlin Wall

Korean War

Korean War

Korean War

Korean War

Murdered POW by NK

North Korean invades SK

North Korea POW’s

US POW Murdered

US POW Rescued Under Fire