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OH Research Korea

In the Korean war, communism was a major factor and was the event that caused the war, and prolonged it. The war began with communism in North Korea and was prolonged by the communism in China. This war would be the first war fought by the US during the Cold War.

The roots of the war in Korea began in WWII. The Japanese had taken over Korea. After the war, Korea was divided between US rule and Soviet rule at the 38th parallel. There was supposed to be an election to establish a government for the whole nation. The Soviets didn't want these to happen. A communist government was established in North Korea, and a non communist government in the South. The US withdrew from South Korea and the north Koreans took this to their advantage. They invaded South Korea in June of 1950.

The UN called for troops to support South Korea. The US sent many troops to the aid of the South Koreans. The UN troops were of little help, but this was the first time the UN called for troops. At the beginning of the war, North Korean forces pushed the UN forces back to the very tip of the country. General MacArthur, head of the UN troops, executed a daring plan called the Inchin Landing. In this plan, Un troops would land at a port behind enemy lines and push them back. This plan was a huge success and the UN troops pushed the North Koreans back over the 38th parallel and high up into enemy territory. The war looked like it was almost over with the UN holding most of the land. This did not last long. A newly communist Chinese government gave aid to the North Koreans, pushing the UN forces back to almost the 38th parallel. There was steady fighting here for a long time, until an armistice was signed. To this day the war is still technically not at an end, almost 60 years later.

There are still tensions between North Korea and the United States. North Korea has become a reclusive country and there have been controversies about the production of Nuclear Weaponry there. Despite these tensions, the war has not come back into full fighting since then.


 * Garcia, Jesus, Donna Ogle, Frederick Risinger, Joyce Stevos, and Winthrop Jordan. //Creating America//. Evanston, Illinois: McDougal Littell, 2002. 794-799. Print. ||