‭At the end of World War II, Korea was split between an anti-communist government in the south and

a communist‬
‭ overnment in the‬‭north‬‭. Under the leadership of Kim‬‭Il-Sung the North Korean army launched an invasion of South Korea in‬
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‭June 1950 in an attempt to unify the country by‬‭force‬‭.‬‭The Western world viewed the event as a communist threat to‬
‭democracy and world‬‭peace‬‭. America’s President Truman‬‭declared the Western world’s responsibility to‬‭defend‬‭South‬
‭Korea against communist aggression and ‘contain’ the threat. Australia also committed troops to assist the United States‬
‭and United Nation forces (see Source 6). The Australian government believed joining the‬‭fight‬‭in Korea was:‬

‭‬
● ‭ stand against another domino falling to Chinese‬‭communism‬‭as it thrust southwards‬
a
‭●‬ ‭a sign of the loyalty of Australia to a powerful‬‭ally‬‭,‬‭the United States‬
‭●‬ ‭a diplomatic gesture aimed at ensuring that Australia could call on her allies for‬‭protection‬‭in the event‬‭of a‬
‭communist attack on Australian soil‬
‭●‬ ‭a ‘forward defence’ strategy based on the belief that Australia could be most effectively‬‭defended‬‭if any‬‭threat was‬
‭met and fought before it reached Australian shores.‬