Tag: War

The Korean War was the first major conflict that occurred during the Cold War. The conflict between North and South Korea took place between June 1950 and July 27, 1953. The war known as the forgotten war claimed millions of lives. All of Korea embraced a terrible destruction and took decades to recover.

Historical Background of the Korean War

Korea is an area that is not too broad, because it only occupies 85.246 square miles of land. The Korean region is more of an archipelago, with a coastline of 5,400 miles and is heavily influenced by the sea.

Before 1945, Korea was a unity. The kingdom of ancient Korea was united by the Tang Dynasty in 668 AD. This united Korea survived for 1300 years before it finally broke.

Korea was split into two parts after maneuvers carried out by the Allies towards the end of World War II. During the war, Korea was a territory controlled by Japan. However, after Japan’s defeat in World War II, Korea was divided into two parts in the 38th parallel. The Soviets occupied North Korea, while the United States occupied the south.

After Korea was separated, the two superpower countries had invested in each other in mainland Korea. With the intensification of the World War between the Soviets and the United States, the dividing lines of North and South Korea became a new iron curtain that separated Koreans from each other. Although separated by the two parts of the region, it became a show of strength of the Soviet Union and the United States. Thus, conflicts between the two are very likely to occur.

North Korea’s leader, Kim II Sung is very ambitious to unite Korea. Therefore, he asked for the support of the Soviet Union leader, Joseph Stalin in April 1950. Stalin finally agreed to support the North Korean invasion of South Korea. He only asked Kim to ensure that the victory could be achieved and the Soviets would not intervene directly.

After obtaining Stalin’s support, Kim then visited the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong in Beijing. Mao agreed that only military power could unite Korea. He also doubted the United States would pay attention to the war in Korea.

While Kim confidently told Mao that his army would rule all of Korea within three weeks, long before American intervention might occur.

The start of the Korean War

The war began on Sunday morning, June 25, 1950, after the North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) crossed the thirty-eighth parallel, supported by Soviet-made T-34 tanks. The attack was unexpected both in time and intensity.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Korea (South) forces who were not yet well-trained or had the weapons to meet the challenge withdrew. NKPA moved quickly, took over the Korean capital in Seoul, and then crossed the Han River and went west to the Kum River, then south to Taejon and Taegu. North Korea, under the auspices of the Soviet Union, wishes to make all of Korea a communist regime.

US President, Harry S. Truman, ordered US ground and air forces to evacuate residents. He also ordered the US Seventh Fleet to go to the Taiwan Strait to prevent confrontations between the Communists and Chinese Nationalists.

Within two days, the United Nations adopted a resolution proposed by the United States, which called on the troops of the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea to withdraw.

Although called upon to withdraw, the North Korean People’s Army moved further south. Truman who was worried about the power of North Korea authorized General Douglas MacArthur to send ground troops. Despite the presence of American troops, North Korean troops continue to move south.

The 24th Infantry Division, led by General William Dean, was the first to react to hampering the North Korean army. The division was then assisted by the Fifth Air Force who was transferred to Korea, although in the end it still could not stop the NKPA’s power.

In late July 1950, the United Nations took a position along the Naktong Perimeter to consolidate its forces consisting of: the First American Cavalry Division, the Second Infantry Division, the 24th Infantry Division, the 25th Infantry Division, and the First Marine Brigade, and five South Korean infantry divisions.

Immediately after the call from the United Nations, member states began sending troops and supplies. Britain was the first country to respond, placing their ships in Japanese waters under the command of the United Nations. Most countries cannot send many troops, but 17 have succeeded in giving at least financial strength to the United Nations Command.

Battle at Inchon and Yalu
On September 15, 1950, after expanding troops and building supply lines, General MacArthur began planning a plan which he had considered from the start. The operation was called Operation Chromite, which is the amphibious troop landing at the west coast port of Inchon.

As a preparation, he formed the X Corps under the command of General Edward (Ned) Almond. The force consisted of the Seventh Infantry Division (Army) and the First Marine Division. X Corps moves around the southern tip of Korea. Amphibians then landed on the morning of September 15, 1950 and within a few days had taken control of Inchon and the Kimpo Airfield. In October, Seoul was regained and returned to President Syngman Rhee.

Meanwhile, the Eighth Army under the leadership of Lieutenant General Walton H. Walker had crossed the line and moved north quickly. They cut off supply and communication lines, so NKPA was forced to withdraw. Two successes of the operation left the UN forces in thirty-eight parallels in early October. In many ways the war may have ended at this time.

However, this favorable situation was considered the right time for the United States to occupy all of Korea and restore it as a unitary state. After obtaining permission from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United Nations, UN and Republic of Korea troops crossed the thirty-eight parallel and moved north.

Meanwhile the Eighth Army headed to the western side of the mountains, and the X Corps which had been moved by sea to the port of Wonsan, moved to the east side. Communication between the two forces is difficult. On Thanksgiving, the 17th Infantry Regiment in the US reached the Yalu River. It was at this point that the counterattack from South Korea and its supporters began.

The joining of China in the War
The People’s Republic of China has warned that if UN troops cross the thirty-eighth parallel, they will enter the war. But General MacArthur assured President Harry S. Truman that the threat would not occur.

In mid-October 1950, there were clashes with the Chinese army. Then, on November 23, nearly 200,000 Chinese troops attacked. They passed the frozen Yalu River and gathered strength during November. The UN Command was hit hard by China, so Walker began to withdraw and evacuate troops by sea as much as possible.

To the east, X Corps also suffered defeat. Soldiers and Marines are pulled out under heavy pressure from the Chinese attack and the weather has fallen almost 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. When the army and marines retreated to the port of Hungnam, the navy began evacuating on Christmas Eve.

Nearly 100,000 UN and Republic of Korea troops, as well as most refugees, were evacuated. By December 25, the port had been destroyed, and most UN troops headed for Pusan ​​and other ports along the coast. Seoul was once again abandoned on January 3, 1951.

From then until the end of the war, China played a dominant role, not only in the procurement of military and civilian equipment and equipment, but also in the direction of strategy. Although the North Korean army continues to play an important role, both military authorities and civilian historians identify this Chinese attack as marking a new phase of conflict. In addition, China will also play a major role in negotiations which began in 1952.

The War on the Hills and the Long Debate Begins
General Walton Walker died in a jeep accident towards the end of December 1950. His successor, General Matthew B. Ridgway, arrived at Christmas and began the process of rebuilding the Eighth Army whose morale was destroyed after losing.

The effort was successful, Seoul was recaptured and on March 27, 1951. The Eighth Army kept moving until it reached the thirty-eighth parallel. In Operation Rugged, Ridgway’s forces established the Wyoming and Kansas Lines, which would become the main line of resistance for the entire war.

In early 1952, most of the territorial rights had been severed, and in early November 1952 the United Nations Command adopted a defensive policy and began inviting the communists to negotiate.

During this period military operations were not carried out in large numbers, but the war was focused on hills, outposts, and small bunkers. This is because the number of troops and supplies is decreasing on both sides. Soldiers and machines are limited by the scope of tasks, such as destroying a fortress, dismantling a bunker or disrupting supply lines.

The battle was confined to the hills, and the units involved were often no more than a company of troops. Success or failure at the conference table is reflected in success or failure on the ground. Peace talks continued, as the fighting in the hills was still fierce.

The United Nations and communist countries entered into negotiations with very different concepts and desires. In addition, problems arise around prisoners of war between the two parties. The negotiation process was very slow and frustrating, talks were stopped many times, and consequently reflected the political atmosphere rather than the military.

End of the Korean War: Weapons
Shortly after Joseph Stalin’s death on March 5, 1953, the communists returned to the negotiating table and agreed to exchange prisoners. Changes in the international environment were reflected in various peace proposals offered. However, the clash of weapons depends on the agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war …

Whatever affects the achievement of the final agreement is difficult to ascertain. Certainly included the death of Joseph Stalin and Soviet domestic problems. The truce was signed by General William K. Harrison and General Mark Clark for the United Nations, Marshal Peng The-huai for the Republic of China, and Marshall Kim Il Sung and General Nam Il for North Korea. The Republic of Korea did not sign the agreement.

Despite having reached the ranks of weapons, there are still large numbers of North Koreans and a much smaller number of South Koreans refusing to be repatriated. Thus creating new disputes in the future between the two Koreas.

The Korean War brought huge losses to both sides. At least 33,741 US troops were killed in military action, 2,827 were killed in war-related situations, and 103,284 injured. While the death toll for the Republic of South Korea alone reached 59,000 killed and 290,000 troops wounded, plus civilian casualties that were enough to bring the toll to almost three million people.

More casualties were on the side of North Korea and China, at least 500,000 troops were killed and one million injured.

For material losses, South Korea was the most disadvantaged. Some villages were lost to the war and Seoul, the nation’s capital, was mostly razed to the ground. Railroad lines, communications, entire state infrastructure, hydroelectric power plants, factories, civil buildings, even farms and rice fields were destroyed.