At the mid-point of a century that had already seen two appallingly destructive and costly global conflicts, a savage war broke out in a small country at the extremity of the Asian landmass.
1945 - 1950: Rumblings for War
During the second world war of 1939-45, the future of the Japanese empire was decided at Allied summit meetings. In the short term, pending the return of Korean independence, Korea, a Japanese colony since 1910, was to be occupied north of the 38th parallel by Soviet Russia and in the South by the USA. It was agreed by the US and the USSR, but not the Koreans, that Korea would govern itself independently after four years of international oversight. This process was sped up because the Koreans bitterly opposed another period of foreign control after suffering under Japanese colonization for 35 years.
Predictably, both the U.S. and the USSR approved Korean-led governments in their respective halves, each of which were favorable to the occupying power’s political ideology. In the south, the chaotic political situation resulted in an American-backed administration under the presidency of anti-communist U.S.-educated strongman Syngman Rhee, a Korean who had been imprisoned by the Japanese as a young man and later fled to the United States. As president, Rhee assumed dictatorial powers even before the Korean War broke out. He allowed the internal security force to detain and torture suspected Communists and North Korean agents.
Rhee's government oversaw several massacres, the most notable one being on Jeju island in the far south in response to an uprising by leftist factions. Some elements of the population responded with violent insurrections and protests in the South and those who supported Communism were driven into hiding in the hills, where they prepared for a guerrilla war against the American-supported government. Syngman Rhee, dangerously, also openly declared the imposition of national unity by force. As a result of this stance, his American-trained army was intentionally limited by the USA to just a light arms, lacking tanks, combat aircraft and all but a small amount of field artillery - Rhee was supposed to rely on the USA for military support in the case of an attack from the North
In the Soviet-dominated North, Kim Il-sung, an anti-Japanese fighter with political skills and connections with the Soviet Union, crushed any opposition to his rule, rising to become leader of a new North Korean government by the summer of 1947. The Soviets backed Kim's Kim Il-Sung's Stalinist regime and helped him to create the North Korean Peoples' Army, equipped with Russian tanks and artillery. Both the North and South Koreans wished to unify their country once more with their own form of government - North Korea wanted communism, while South Korea wanted an independent Western Democracy.
June 25th, 1950: War Breaks Out
After several years of increasingly bloody frontier incidents along the 38th parallel, on June 25th 1950 the North Korean Peoples' Army crossed the 38th parallel, the imaginary line dividing North Korea and South Korea. South Korea were not expecting the attack and were caught completely off-guard. Despite earlier indications, the Pentagon was also caught off-guard. Because the United States had not given South Korea enough weapons (for fear of Seunmin Rhee using them to start a war) North Korean armies were easily able to invade the South.
The South Koreans panicked as the North Koreans swept south, overwhelming all opposition, the US called on the Security Council to invoke the United Nations Charter and brand the North Koreans as aggressors. The United Nations Security Council was convened within a few hours passed the UNSC Resolution 82 condemning the North Korean aggression unanimously. North Korea attacked a number of key places including Kaesŏng, Chuncheon, Uijeongbu and Ongjin, and two days later, on June 27th, Seoul, the capital of South Korea, was captured with minimal resistance.
The United States along with the United Nations decided to take a stand - if communism was allowed to spread in Korea, the UN feared it would only spread more, to close countries such as Japan. President Truman made a statement on July 27th 1950 ordering the United States air and sea forces to give South Korea support. UN Member states were called on to send in military assistance. The option of using the Atom Bomb was discussed but not considered an option now because Russia had now developed their own atomic Bomb and any nuclear attacks could lead to a nuclear war.
July 5th, 1950: US Soldiers Begin Fighting
General Douglas MacArthur was given the position of leading the Allied defense against North Korea. He ordered the American troops on occupation duties in Japan to be hurredly sent to Pusan. On July 5, the US 24th Infantry Division fought for the first time at Osan and was immediately defeated with heavy losses. The victorious North Korean forces advanced southwards, rounding up and killing civil servants as they went. The half-strength 24th Division was forced to retreat to Taejeon, which also fell to the Northern forces. Major General William F. Dean, commander of the division, was taken prisoner .
August 30th, 1950: Siege in Pusan
The North Koreans continued to advance rapidly south, aiming to take the vital port city of Pusan. By August, the South Korean forces and the U.S. Eighth Army under General Walton Walker had been driven back into a small area in the southeast corner of the Korean peninsula around the city of Pusan where they rallied and held the Pusan bridgehead as reinforcements began to arrive. Pusan, in the lower right corner of South Korea, made defense even more difficult, as anyone trying to defend South Korea would be pushed right into the sea. The 8th army kept getting trapped behind enemy territory as the North Koreans moved south at an incredible pace, causing the battles to be even more difficult. The limited number of South Korean and American forces were fighting a losing battle against a more powerful Northern Army. Less than 2 months after hostilities began, South Korea had almost entirely been lost to Kim Il Sung, with North Korea having invaded all the way down to the Nakdong River, just outside of Pusan. Only about 10 percent of the Korean peninsula was still in coalition hands. The Allied defense became a desperate battle called the Battle of Pusan Perimeter by Americans.
Eventually, North Korea found a gap in the UN lines and crossed the Nakdong river. If the UN lost this barrier at the Nakdong river, the war would be lost. All the UN had to stop the attack was a great deal of firepower but far fewer men, so General Walton Walker then famously told his troops "If I ever see you back here again, it better be in a coffin." The American forces struck back hard for the next two weeks and pushed North Korea back to gain the river barrier once more. The North Koreans failed to capture Pusan. This was the first time North Korea had really been haulted during the Korean War.
As the Americans had held back North Korea at the Nakdong River, more troops had begun to arrive from 25 countries to help defend South Korea including: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Greece, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Phillipines, South Africa, Republic of Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom. These new troops were young, getting into the action for the first time as they were too young to fight in World War II. They were ready to go. Black troops arrived as well because of the high need for troops, and for the first time there were mixed units.
September 1st, 1950
Soon American air power arrived in force. Over the next 2 weeks, throughout all parts of Korea, American bombers began to knock out the main supply dumps and eliminated oil refineries and seaports that handled imports. Roads, railways and 32 bridges were all destroyed within days. By late August, America had over 500 tanks in the Pusan perimeter. The North Korean forces found themselves undermanned and with weak logistical support. On September 1, 1950, just two and a half months after hostilities began, the North Korean Army launched another huge assault on the Nakdong River barrier but couldn't hold up the attack. General MacArthur saw this was the perfect opportunity to attack - and he knew the perfect place...Incheon.
September 15th, 1950: Incheon landing
The place he had decided on was Incheon on the other side of South Korea and deep within North Korean territory. Incheon was a major supply center and was very close to Seoul. The only problem was that the attack would be almost impossible to pull off because over near Inchon, the tide had the largest shift in the World. The waters were only deep enough for boats during high tide. This posed as another problem for the attack. The only way to win the attack was to do it perfectly. MacArthur created a special 10th core unit to carry out the attack. Five days before the attack was planned, marine jets began attacking the small coastal island of Wolmi-do. Ships joined in on the attack two days before the major attack. On September 15th, during the morning high tide, the 10th core moved in on Wolmi-do, successfully taking it with ease. North Korea had been caught off guard this time. No American troops were killed. Later during the high tide at night, the main attack began. Troops landed on two beach fronts, successfully.
September 21st, 1950: Advance into North Korea
The attack went perfect. Only 20 American troops were killed, and American troops had secured Incheon, though extensive shelling and bombing destroyed much of the city. With the success of the battle for Incheon American troops were now near Seoul, and were also near Kimpo Airfield. By September 18th, Kimpo Airfield had been secured as well. American troops could now launch air attacks near Seoul. UN Troops proceded to try and take Seoul back as well, but North Korea wouldn't budge. It came down to a last man standing battle. The 8th army pushed hard with their minds set on taking North Korea back to the 38th parallel, which they did on October 1st. On September 21, only 33 marines stood at the end to celebrate victory at Seoul, but they had it.
Their communications cut, and under heavy aerial bombardment, the North Koreans had broken and fled back north. South Korean troops moved on forward across the 38th parallel, leading the attack on North Korea, but American troops stayed behind.
This posed a big question: if America continued to follow in the attack, the Korean War would no longer be a defense against communism, but would turn into an attack on communism. Nobody knew if it was worth the risk. Also, UN troops predicted Chinese troops were in North Korea, ready for an attack. However, MacArthur decided to sieze this opportunity and along with the South Koreans, drove up the western side of Korea and advanced on P'yongyang, the North Korean capital which was eventually taken easily on October 19. The U.S. X Corps also made amphibious landings at Wonsan and Iwon. By the end of October, the North Korean Army was rapidly disintegrating, and the UN took 135,000 prisoners.
November 1, 1950: China Enters the War
By October, North Korea had almost entirely fallen to South Korea, a complete switch from the beginning of the war. In mid-October, as the victorious UN forces drew near to the Manchurian border, there were ominous signals from Peking that communist China would intervene to defend its territory. MacArthur met President Harry Truman on Wake Island in their first encounter to assure him that a massive UN offensive was about to conclude the war victoriously by Christmas. Before they could launch this attack however, the Chinese unleashed their armies. The Chinese made contact with American troops on November 1, 1950 when UN Troops were ambushed near the Yalu River and forced to retreat, thousands dying in the process. Morale dropped thousands bein killed within a few hours. General Walker decided to pull troops back rather than fight at this time figure out a new plan. The Chinese slowly disappeared just as they had appeared, waiting once more.
General MacArthur, on November 24th, again ordered the UN forces to advance, but again, this time one day later, everything suddenly changed again. Chinese troops had found a gap in the UN lines. Retreat was difficult. UN troops were now trapped from all sides and fighting for their lives. Facing complete defeat and surrender, 193 shiploads of American men and material were evacuated from Hungnam Harbor, and about 105,000 soldiers, 98,000 civilians, 17,500 vehicles, and 350,000 tons of supplies were shipped to Pusan
in orderly fashion. As they left, the American forces blew up large portions of the city to deny its use to the communists, depriving many Korean civilians of shelter during the winter,
UN troops continued retreating as North Koreans and Chinese soldiers attacked down towards the 38th parallel. They crossed the 38th parallel--again, and by January 4th, 1951, Seoul was lost to the communists again, along with Kimpo Airfield. Luckily, the communists supply lines were not strong and they could not sustain the attack long enough. They began to turn around almost mysteriously. General Ridgway (taking over from General Wilson who died in a car accident) took this opportunity to strike back. The first place recovered was Kimpo Airfield. In March, Seoul was regained for the second time. It was in utter ruins; its pre-war population of 1.5 million had dropped to 200,000, with severe food shortages. A further series of attacks slowly drove back the communist forces.
April 11th 1951: Peace Talks Begin
From here, MacArthur wanted to widen the attack – to include China aswell and even include nuclear arms but President Truman feared another Worl War and fired General McArthur for his resistance. General Ridgway took over MacArthur's job. On April 11th 1951 President Truman asked to contact North Korea to begin peace talks. The communists agreed to have the peace talks in Panmunjom. At the talks, nobody seemed to want to give in. The UN wanted a new border, while North Korea wanted it to stay at the 38th parallel. The communists wanted their prisoners back, yet they had killed nearly all of the ones they had taken, offering nothing in return. The talks kept failing, beginning a very long series of negotiations. For the next two years, talks went on with no progress. The Korean War continued. Battles were still taking place, but there were long periods of idle time on the field as well. This time was spent fortifying the ground already won. The UN needed to put more pressure on the communists.
July 25th, 1951: Stalemate
The UN turned to air attacks to put more pressure on North Korea. The US had air superiority, using new, faster, and deadlier planes. On June 23rd, fighter planes launched a large attack on hydroelectric plants. Heavy bombers razed the cities and industrial plants plants of North Korea. Continuous attacks on the transport system forced the Chinese to rely on the packhorse for much of their logistical support. Bombing also ended up knocking out 90% of North Korea's electrical power supply, yet North Korea still would not give in. A new phase of air war opened when American B-29 bombers and their fighter escorts were challenged by Russian-built Mig15 fighters flown by Chinese airmen. The Mig15's outflew first-generation American jet fighters until the introduction of the swept-wing F-86 Sabre tipped the balance. In the world's first supersonic air combats, the Americans prevailed.
The 1952 the peace talks had been going on for a long time with no success. Dwight D. Eisenhower, a popular general from World War II, ran for office. He said he would go to Korea himself if he won the election. He won in November, 1952, and gave threats of nuclear attack, which North Korea took seriously. Only a few months after the election, Chinese sent notice pleading for an end to the Korean War. It still took another 4 months to bring it to an end and sign all the papers. On July 27th, 1953, armistice papers were signed and the Korean War ended. A Demilitarised Zone or DMZ was established on the border. Both sides withdrew from their fighting positions, and a UN commission was set up to supervise the armistice. Casualties in the Korean war totaled more than 3 million.
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