The Korean War

On June 25, 1950, a war broke out on the peninsula of North and South Korea. The causes of this war were mostly attributed to North Korea's attempted conquest of the entire Korean peninsula. North Korea invaded the South and thus began the Korean War. This was a war that ultimately involved the forces of the United States and numerous other countries. The Korean War cost the lives of 2,000,000 people in only three years. This catastrophic loss of life was due to the events took place during the war. Many, many battles took place during the Korean War.

At dawn on June 25, 1950, 90,000 soldiers were sent into the Southern Republic of Korea or South Korea. These 90,000 men made up two-thirds of the 135,000 man army of North Korea. On June 28, North Korean forces capture the South Korean capital of Seoul and almost completely destroy the South Korean army. This and various other battles were known as the North Korean Invasion. North Korean troops conquered the entire peninsula except for a small portion at the tip. This small, box-shaped area was dubbed the name the "Pusan Perimeter". From here, South Korea barely held off the North. The South suffered many casualties in the process.

In United Nations hearings, South Korea asked for support from other members and received it shortly. President Truman ordered U.S. ground forces into Korea to help with the cause of the South. These forces occupied spaces in the Pusan Perimeter and aided the South. Soon after, the UN creates the United Nations Command to establish leadership amongst UN forces. General Douglas MacArthur was their leader. Under MacArthur's first week of command, North Korean forces desperately tried to break down the Pusan Perimeter with the heaviest fighting of the war yet.

With the superior leadership of General Douglas MacArthur, September to October 1950 was a turning point in the war for the United Nations forces. From the Pusan Perimeter, MacArthur was able to press onward up to the Yalo River which serves as the natural boundary between North Korea and China. He was able conquer so much with a plan named the Inchon Landing. The Inchon Landing was officially called Operation Chromite. In it, U.S. and allied forces landed at Inchon on Korea's west coast. From Inchon, MacArthur was able to obliterate the enemy at the Pusan Perimeter from behind. Four divisions of the U.S. Army were able to break out of the Pusan Perimeter on September 27. Once allied forces broke out, North Korean forces were decimated and forced to retreat. With a boost in morale, the UN forces continue to push forward. Soon, Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, was captured. At this point, the end of the war appears to be in sight.

China, however, did not like the close proximity that the battles were reaching to China. China threatened to send soldiers to assist North Korea if the United Nations didn't back off from the Yalu River. In hopes of ending the war before Christmas, General MacArthur ignored China's warnings and pressed forward trying to oppress North Korean forces to force them into surrendering.

On November 25, the Chinese launched a major offensive which resulted in immense casualties for the UN forces. The U.S. 2nd and 25th divisions were defeated and were forced to retreat from the Yalu River. After several days of fighting the forces at the river, the Chinese force the UN allies to retreat. Once UN forces retreat, they once again become encircled by the communists and attempt to escape in one of the most bloody and desperate actions of the war. The Chinese continued to press onward and managed to press UN forces 50 miles south of the 38th parallel, an imaginary boundary which separated the North and South sides of Korea.

With the aid of the Chinese, North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time. Shortly after however, UN forces consolidate their lines just under the 37th parallel in South Korea. On January 25, 1951, the UN forces resume their