Two Koreas January 2013 | Page 4

Events of the war

1950 June 25 was the start of the Korean War. President Trumans response to the north korea invasion was to rush military supplies to south korea. 2 days later, US took advantage of USSR boycott of UN security council pushed resolution through the council calling for military action to be taken by UN members against north korea. Another 3 days later US troops based in japan moved to South Korea. 15 other UN members send troops to aid South Korea however the majority troops were still US troops. The general in charge of the south Korean and UN forces was MacArthur. Oct 1950, MacArthur launched a sea bourne counter invasion at Incheon behind the North Korea lines where at the same time the UN forces are fighting their way out Pusan and towards the 38th parallel. Although the original plan was to defend South Korea from the North's attack, president Truman then ordered

the attack of North Korea as they were motivated by the posibility of a united pro American korea. The invasion was quick and quite successful, Truman decided to revert back to the original plan of expelling the north from the south and fighting a limited war. However general MacArthur didn’t share the same strategy and he publicly criticized trumans policy and hence he was sacked. In July 1951, military stalemate was met and peace talks begun. In August 1951, the US military signed the anzus pact and allied themselves with Philippines. Treaty with Japan September 1951. Hence the US troops moved out of Japan in May in 1952. In January 1953, Eisenhower became the new US president and 2 months later Stalin died, hence on July 1953 an armistice was signed signaling the end of the war.