Events of the Korean War

Question 1

When was the Korean War?

Answer 1

1950-53

Question 2

When did the Korean War begin?

Answer 2

June 1950

Question 3

How did the Korean War begin?

Answer 3

North Korea invaded South Korea

Question 4

By early September, where did North Korean troops control?

Answer 4

All of Korea except for Pusan (south east corner)

Question 5

Why was Truman worried about South Korea falling to Communist?

Answer 5

He feared the domino effect. He worried if one country fell to communism, others would too

Question 6

What did South Korea do as a result of the invasion?

Answer 6

Appealed to the UN for support

Question 7

How many North Korean troops invaded South Korea?

Answer 7

75,000

Question 8

What did the USA do when South Korea appealed for help?

Answer 8

1) Initially, called on the North Korean forces to withdraw

2) When this was ignored, it pushed through a resolution to send a UN army to Korea

Question 9

What was the ‘domino effect’?

Answer 9

The idea that communism could spread from one country to the next, like a row of dominoes

Question 10

Why did the USSR not veto the United States’ resolution?

Answer 10

It was absent because it was boycotting the UN

Question 11

Why was the USSR boycotting the UN

Answer 11

Because the UN was refusing to allow Communist China to join

Question 12

What did the UN Resolution provide for?

Answer 12

It gave approval for a UN army to support South Korea

Question 13

How many different nations provided troops for the UN army?

Answer 13

16

Question 14

Who provided most of the troops for the UN Army?

Answer 14

The USA

Question 15

Roughly what percentage of the UN Army was made up of UN troops?

Answer 15

More than 80%

Question 16

Who was put in charge of the UN Army?

Answer 16

Douglas MacArthur

Question 17

What did the UN launch at Inchon on 15 September 1950?

Answer 17

An amphibious (by water and land) assault at Inchon

Question 18

Where did the UN launch its amphibious assault?

Answer 18

Inchon

Question 19

By September 1950, what had the UN gained control of?

Answer 19

All of South Korea?

Question 20

Where did MacArthur push onto after regaining control of South Korea?

Answer 20

North Korea - all the way up to the Yalu River

Question 21

What does the Yalu River mark?

Answer 21

The border between North Korea and China

Question 22

Why did China provide support to North Korea

Answer 22

1) It did not want to be invaded

2) China was also communist

Question 23

How many troops did China provide to support the North Koreans?

Answer 23

Between 200,000 and 250,000

Question 24

What were the Chinese troops known as?

Answer 24

The People’s Army

Question 25

The Chinese troops (the People’s Army) used modern tanks and planes. Where had they got them from?

Answer 25

The Soviet Union

Question 26

What had the Chinese troops (the People’s Army) received from the Soviet Union

Answer 26

Modern tanks and planes

Question 27

Where were the UN forces pushed back to by the North Koreans and Chinese forces?

Answer 27

The 38th Parallel

Question 28

By 1951, what did MacArthur start pushing for?

Answer 28

1) To invade China

2) To use nuclear weapons if necessary

Question 29

Who did MacArthur fall out with in 1951?

Answer 29

Truman - who told him he could not attack China

Question 30

Why did Truman not want MacArthur to attack China?

Answer 30

It might start a bigger war with the USSR getting involved (who now had nuclear weapons)

Question 31

What did Truman do in April 1951?

Answer 31

He sacked MacArthur

Question 32

What did general Omar Bradley say about MacArthur’s strategy?

Answer 32

It would have “involved America in the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and with the wrong enemy”

Question 33

When did peace talks between the North and South begin?

Answer 33

1951

Question 34

When was an armistice (ceasefire) finally signed?

Answer 34

July 1953

Question 35

Why did it take so long for the two sides to agree?

Answer 35

Partly because Mao, the leader of China, wanted to win the favour of Stalin by killing as many Americans as possible. He called the war ‘the meat grinder’.

Question 36

Who died in 1953?

Answer 36

Stalin

Question 37

What was significant about Stalin’s death?

Answer 37

It made the North Koreans and Chinese less confident

Question 38

In what ways was Korea a success for containment?

Answer 38

The Communism North Koreans were, ultimately, contained. South Korea to this day remains a capitalism country

Question 39

In what ways was Korea a failure for the USA?

Answer 39

• It cost a huge number of American lives (30,000 troops - more fatalities per year than the Vietnam War per year)
• It showed the disagreements between US leaders: some wanted to ‘roll back’ (push back) Communism; others wanted to contain it.

Question 40

Why was it so important for Truman to use the UN?

Answer 40

So he could say it was a UN sponsored invasion - and the USA was not just acting alone. (This made it seem more democratic and legitimate.)

Question 41

What UN Security Council Resolution 82?

Answer 41

The first resolution (decision) issued by the UN in 1950, calling on the North to withdraw from South Korea

Question 42

What was UN Security Council Resolution 83?

Answer 42

After the first resolution (82) was ignored by North Korea, Resolution 83 allowed the UN to provide military ‘assistance’ to South Korea - i.e. send troops

Question 43

Why did Truman have a lot of influence over the UN?

Answer 43

The USA was the biggest contributor to the UN budget - giving Truman significant influence over it