25th June 1950 – 17th July 1953

Cold War intensifying NSC-68 declared that the Soviet Union was a

threat “not only to this Republic but to civilization itself”

concerns of mounting a devastating attack: Intensify intelligence operations Covertly encourage unrest in Soviet satellite nations Beef up research and development. Full scale rearmament (quadruple defense $)

Congress approved lowest defense budget since V J Day.

Military forces from Communist North Korea crossed the 38th parallel into anti-Communist, pro-Western South Korea.

Fledgling UN not to suffer fate of League of Nations

Congress didn’t vote and wasn’t consulted by Truman – unconstitutional?

We are not at war – this is a “police action

under the United

Nations!”

 Read the document:

What type of document is it?

When was it written?

What was its purpose? 

 Group 1: make a list of reasons why the United States entered the Korean conflict using the information provided in this document.

Group 2: make a list of reasons why the United States entered the Korean conflict using the information provided in textbooks.

Class discussion comparing two lists.

Look closely at the language of Truman's statement of June 27.

What did Truman mean by "Communism has passed beyond the use of subversion to conquer independent nations."

What does "subversion" mean and what did it meant to people during the Cold War?

Can you list other examples of fear of subversion in the 1950s?

Draft your own public statement announcing the entry of the United States into the Korean conflict in June 1950.

In response to Truman's statement of June 27th, the Soviet newspaper Pravda blamed the Korean conflict on a "provocative attack by the troops of the puppet government of South Korea."

Write a paragraph comparing the language and argument of Pravda's editorial with that of Truman's statement. 

"Truman's statement and actions, unprecedented in the international relations of the post-war period, are just one more indication that the American ruling circles no longer limit themselves to preparation for aggression, but have gone over to direct acts of aggression… As is known, neither the United Nations nor any other international organ empowered the government of the USA to take those actions related to Korea and China that Truman announced yesterday. Undertaking their open aggressive act, the American government apparently intended to present the United Nations with a fait accompli." 

The U.S. Administration’s Korean policies are “the

appeasement of Communism!”

There is no substitute for victory!

We need to take this war to China!

General Omar Bradley

MacArthur’s policies would have involved us in the wrong war, at

the wrong place at the wrong time and with the wrong enemy.

Ceasefire July 27th 1953 38th parallel (line of demarcation)

50,000 Chinese and North Korean POW declined repatriation.

33,000 Americans killed 103,000 Americans wounded

4 million total casualties (<1/2 were civilians)

Korea is still divided near the 38th parallel into two countries.

Locate a recent news article online about tensions between North and South Korea, and use the articles as a starting point to talk about the origins of this division.