The Korean War is a conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces in Korea from June 1950 to July 1953. At the end of WWII, when Japan collapsed, Korea had been divided into Soviet and American Zones. The war split the Korean Peninsula into two countries: the Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).
The USSR and United States agreed to disarm Japan in halves, the Soviets taking the surrender north of the 38th parallel, the United States taking south of the 38th parallel. Later the USSR established a government in the North, while the USA established their own in the South. Eventually, the 38th parallel was extended through Korea to divide the country into the two separate sections that exist today, with the Communist government in control of North Korea and a Capitalist-democracy in control of South Korea.
There were over 33,000 Americans died in Korean, over I million Korean soldiers, 2 million civilians and hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops’ lives were taken during the Korean War.
The 38 parallel definitely drew the borderline between the North and South Korea communist and non-communist areas of Korea.If the United States did not get involoved into the Korean War, the whole Korean peninsula beyond any doubt would’ve become a communist country. Which was what exactly the U.S. was concerned about; the domino effect.
First the Chinese intervention was a major turnaround in Korea, not favorable for the US,but it was major. The brilliant withdrawal from Chosin Reservoir was a big
American win. They called it a retrogade movement.The Inchon Landings were a major turnaround, trapping, killing and capturing enemy in unprecedented numbers. Finally there was the sacking of MacArthur which ended the nuclear threat and calmed both China and the USSR, and which effectively restored the border at the 38th paralell.
According to Eric Foner, “Korea made it clear that the Cold War, which began in Europe, had become a global conflict”. Because of the Korean War, the utopia idea of global harmony was destroyed and instead the World got divided into two, the West (the Free World) and the East.
The Korean Was was a major cause of the Cold War, because it showed that war no longer took place only in Europe, it had spread to Asia and become a global phenomenon. The attempt to stop the spread of Communism from North Korea to South Korea showed that the US would intervene and use force wherever it had to. the argument was that we had to protect the “Free World” from attack.
I agree with Min about the United States concern on the domino effect. I think it was a very strategic move of the United States to divide the nation into two. In addition this shows how fast communism is spreading.
If America did not interfere in the korean conflict the whole nation would have turned into a communist country and would have become a major ally with the other communist country’s in eastern europe. Communism could have spread and become the way of life all around the world