In this presentation...

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Basic characteristics about the 1950s
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Korean history before war
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Progress of the war
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Consequences
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War crimes
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Important figures
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Vocabulary
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Characteristics of the decade (1950s)

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American industry grows => consumer
goods (cars, houses, etc.) become more
available
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McCarthyism – communist hunting;
accusations of treason; many people lost
job
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Vietnam war starts
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Segregation is officially illegal
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Founding of the civil rights movement
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Korean history before the war

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One kingdom until the Japanese
annexation
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Japan ruled over until the end of the WWII
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Korean peninsula was devided into two
seperate states
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Arguments between both sides
– Kim Il song receives permission to attack
from Stalin
– The war starts June 25th 1950
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Progress of the war

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DPRK (Democratic people’s republic of Korea) starts a quick
invasion
– Help of the USSR
– Begins very successfully
– Most of South Korea is conquered
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UN army joins a month later
– 16 countries get involved (led by USA)
– Conquers back lost territory and pushes North Korea
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PRC (People’s republic of China) joins
– They turn the tide and the fighting goes back to the 38th parallel, with
no more major swings
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Progress of the war

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None of the sides is able to defeat their enemy
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July 27th 1953 – both sides agree to restore the original border
(de facto – end of the war X de jure – the war never ended)

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Consequences

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Casualties
– Over 2 mil. Koreans (mostly civilians)
– 600,000 Chinese troops
– 40,000 Americans
– Cca 3,000 UN soldiers (UK, Turkey, Ethiopia, etc.)
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4 km demilitarized area around the 38th Parallel

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Consequences

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Korea
– Destroyed infrastructure and industry
– Population drops by 10%
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USA
– Huge investments into army
– Several alliances (Philippines, Australia, New Zealand)
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USSR and PRC
– Increased tension between them (mostly untrusty)
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War crimes

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Atrocities and massacres on both sides
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Attacks on civil institutes (universities,
hospitals, bunkers, …)
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Murders of civilians trying to escape
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Capturing, torturing and murdering foreign
soldiers

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War crimes

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Hill 303 Massacre
– August 17th 1950 near Waegwan, South Korea
– 41 American soldiers killed by North Korean
troops
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Taejon Massacre
– Murdering of South Korean right wingers by anti-
communists
– Presence of the US officers
– Blamed on North Korean forces
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Important figures

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Kim Il-sung
– Founder and leader of North Korea
– Personally commanded the KPA (Korean people’s
army)
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Syngman Rhee
– President of South Korea
– Idea of reuniting Korean peninsula
– Later an important role during diplomatic
negotiations
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Important figures

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Douglas McArthur
– US Army officer and general
– Creator of very successful strategies against
North Korea
– Demanded the usage of nuclear weapons
on China

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Resources

1) The Korean War - CCEA - GCSE History Revision - CCEA - BBC Bitesize [online]. c2022 [cit. 2022-05-29].
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqqd6yc/revision/7>.
2) Causes and aftermath of the Korean War | Britannica [online]. c2022 [cit. 2022-05-28]. <https://www.britannica.com/summary/Korean-
War>.
3) Korean War - Causes, Timeline & Veterans - HISTORY [online]. c2022 [cit. 2022-05-28]. <https://www.history.com/topics/korea/korean-
war>.
4) Consequences | Far East Conflict - Korea | National Curriculum | Schools & Colleges | National Cold War Exhibition [online]. c2013 [cit.
2022-05-28]. <https://www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org/schools-colleges/national-curriculum/far-east-conflict-korea/
consequences.aspx>.
5) STACK, Liam. Korean War, a ‘Forgotten’ Conflict That Shaped the Modern World - The New York Times [online]. c2022 [cit. 2022-05-29].
<https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/world/asia/korean-war-history.html>.
6) Korean war | Combatants, Summary, Years, Map, Casualities, & Facts | Britannica [online]. c2021 [cit.
2022-05-27].<https://www.britannica.com/event/Korean-War.html>.
7) HISTORY STORIES. What caused the Korean War [on-line]. c2021 [cit. 2022-05-29].
<https://www.history.com/news/korean-war-causes-us-involvement>.
8)STILWELL, B. 7 horrifying atrocities of the Korean War – We are the mighty [online]. c2022 [cit. 2022-05-29].
<https://www.wearethemighty.com/lists/7-korean-war-atrocities/>.
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