Wallace Robinson, age 14, of Columbus, Ohio, for his question:
WHAT CAUSED THE KOREAN WAR?
The Korean War was a military struggle fought on the Korean peninsula from June 1950 to July 1953. Begun as a war between South Korea (Republic of Korea) and North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), the conflict swiftly developed into a limited international war involving the United States and 19 other nations.
From a general viewpoint, the Korean War was one of the byproducts of the Cold War, the global political and diplomatic struggle between Communist and non Communist systems following World War II.
Specifically, the Korean War, excluding its early, solely national stage, resulted from a so called police action undertaken by the United Nations against communist aggression. No formal declaration of war was made, however. The U.N. action was unique because the U.N., despite earlier provocations, had never used military measures to repel an aggressor.
Fighting started on June 25, 1950, when the North Korean army, substantially equipped by the Soviet Union, invaded South Korea. The U.N. Security Council, with the Soviet delegate voluntarily absent, invoked military sanctions against North Korea on June 27 and called on member states to aid the Republic of Korea.
Almost simultaneously, U.S. President Harry S Truman ordered American military forces into action against the invaders. Other nations also joined.
The Allied troops stopped the Communist advances and landed troops behind enemy lines. Then China entered the war on the side of North Korea and the Allies began to retreat. The war then moved back and forth. Finally, President Truman removed Gen. Douglas MacArthur from the area.
Truce talks started on July 10, 1951, and continued for many months. Finally they were deadlocked.
Dwight Eisenhower became President of the U.S. in January, 1953. Two months later, Russian Premier Joseph Stalin died. Truce talks were resumed in April and a truce was signed in July.
The U.S. spent about $67 billion on the Korean War. The U.S. suffered 157,530 casualties. Deaths from all causes totaled 33,629, of which 23,300 occured in combat. South Korea had 1,312,836 military casualties, including 415,004 dead. Casualties among other U.N. Allies totaled 16,532, including 3,094 dead.
Estimated Communist casualties were 2 million.
The economic and social damage to the Korean nation was incalculable.
The Japanese had gained control of Korea in 1895 and had made it part of Japan in 1910. The Allies defeated Japan in World War II. Russian troops occupied Korea north of the 38th Parallel and U.S. troops occupied the south.
In 1947, the U.N. General Assembly declared that elections should be held throughout Korea to choose one government for the entire country. Russia opposed this idea and would not permitelections in North Korea. Two separate Koreas resulted. And the war started three years later.