Korean War

In 1945, after the end of World War II, Korea was divided into two occupation zones - the Soviet and the American. It was assumed that over time these territories would unite under the authority of one government. But it was not possible to do this even by armed means ...

Causes of conflict

Under a treaty between the United States and the USSR, provisional governments were formed in each of the parts of Korea. Military units of both states were withdrawn from the territory of the peninsula by 1949. In the south elections were held with the support of the United Nations, on the basis of which the right forces came to power. In the north, the Soviet administration transferred control of the country to the left government.

Every year the situation on the peninsula was growing more and more: both governments were systematically moving towards a conflict that would go down in history as a Korean war. The reasons were obvious: both the Communists in the north, and the right forces in the south did not want to yield to each other's power. The constitutions of both parts of Korea unambiguously indicated that the government's goal is to extend power to the entire territory of the peninsula. The North Korean government appealed for help to Stalin, calling for the introduction of Soviet troops into Korea. But the Soviet leader did not hurry to meet, suggesting that the participation of the USSR in the conflict would lead to intervention by the United States, and, eventually, to a nuclear war. However, this did not mean that the North Korean government would not receive Soviet military assistance.

By the beginning of 1950, the DPRK, with the support of the USSR and China, had managed to increase its military power. The Soviet government agreed to the participation of Soviet troops in the war against South Korea. The determination of the Allies was further enhanced by the fact that the American leadership in January 1950 outlined the sphere of its interests in the Pacific Ocean. From the statement made by US Secretary of State Dean Acheson, it followed that Korea was not in the zone of American interests, which means that the Americans are unlikely to intervene in the upcoming clash.

The conflict begins

On June 25, 1950, the 135,000-strong North Korean army crossed the border with its southern neighbors. Thus began the Korean War. The South Korean army was larger in number (150,000 troops), but was inferior in armament: unlike the North Koreans, their opponents had almost no armored vehicles and aviation. June 28, the DPRK army seized the capital of South Korea Seoul. But the calculations for a lightning war were not justified. The South Korean government managed to escape, and the population, whose rebellion the Communists expected, did not hurry to support them. Despite this, by mid-August the North Korean army had occupied most of the territory of southern Korea.

The beginning of the Korean war became a complete surprise for the US leadership. Already a week before the start of the conflict, already known to us, Dean Acheson confidently reported to Congress that the war is unlikely to begin. Now the Americans had to urgently apply measures. The commander of US forces in Japan, Douglas MacArthur, was ordered to provide South Korean military with ammunition and weapons. The Korean war forced the Americans to work on the diplomatic front. Already on June 25, 1950, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on this issue. As a result, not only the Americans came to the aid of South Korea, but also the troops of other Western powers, who fought under the aegis of the United Nations.

Despite such support, at first the Korean war did not bring success to South Korea and the UN forces. Only by August 20 they were able to stop the enemy offensive. In mid-September, the South Koreans and UN troops launched a counteroffensive. Now they were armed with aviation, mortars, and several hundred tanks. The troops of the DPRK could not resist them and began to retreat. Soon the capital of the DPRK Pyongyang was in the hands of the Allies. It seemed that the war was about to end.

From conflict to negotiation

But China and the USSR have come to the aid of the North Korean army, which has already been practically crushed. The 270,000-strong Chinese army, which was officially considered a popular volunteer, crossed the border on October 25. The USSR provided air support from MiG-15 aircraft. Chinese troops began to push the UN forces south. January 4, 1951 Seoul was already in the hands of the armies of the DPRK and China. But the North Koreans did not succeed in consolidating their success.

By the middle of 1951, the war, as they say, "hung". Both sides lost a huge number of soldiers, but no significant successes were achieved. In July 1951 the opponents sat down at the negotiating table. But even during the discussions, the fighting did not stop. The event that accelerated the end of the Korean War was the death of Stalin in March 1953. After that, the members of the Politburo spoke in favor of ending the conflict. The process of the return of prisoners and the development of a peace treaty began. On July 27, 1953, the ceasefire agreement was concluded. True, representatives of South Korea refused to sign it, and from the side of the UN only the commander of the American contingent, General Clark, signed his signature. The border passed where the 38th parallel passes on the map. But the parties have not yet concluded a treaty completing the war.