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Korean War

After the end of World War II, Korea was divided into north and south divisions, the north being socialist and part of the Soviet circle of influence and the south being a right-wing dictatorship backed by America. However, the military strength in the north far outweighed the meager resources of the military in the south and when North Koreans launched an invasion into South Korea on June 25, 1950, the United Nations sanctioned the declaration of war against North Korea by South Korea and the United States. The United Nations was, of course, dominated by the United States at this point in its history and the American army basically represented the U.N. army. By crossing over the 38th parallel, the U.S. and U.N. saw the action as an unprovoked armed attack lead by Chinese and communist forces. In his book The Origins of the Korean War, author Peter Lowe reveals that “Stalin encouraged the attack on South Korea, but also confirms that the original initiative came from North Korea” (Lowe 9). In order to repel the armed attack which the U.N. resolution mandated, the U.S. and U.N. forces would end up using more force than perhaps the North Koreans had when they invaded South Korea, “Truman said: ‘A return to the rule of force in international affairs would have far-reaching effects. The United States will continue to uphold the rule of law.’ The United States’ response to ‘the rule of force’ was to reduce Korea, North and South, to a shambles, in three years of bombing and shelling. Napalm was dropped…perhaps 2 million Koreans, north and south, were killed in the Korean War, all in the name of opposing ‘the rule of force’” (Zinn 163).

Socialism and fascism still looked attractive to many who felt proof of capitalism’s ineffectiveness was demonstrated during the 1930s in America. Therefore, the Korean War helped to mobilize forces and support against the left in order to bolster and secure American c...

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Korean War. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 02:14, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1685795.html