Korean War

Matthew Ridgway

A United States Army general. He held several major commands and was most famous for salvaging the United Nations war effort in the Korean War after taking the place of Douglas MacArthur as commander of the UN forces.

Cold War

A conflict that was between the US and the Soviet Union. The nations never directly confronted each other on the battlefield but deadly threats went on for years.

Inchon

An amphibious invasion and battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations.

James Van Fleet

Became commander of the US 8th army in Korea once Ridgeway became commander of UN forces.

Mao Tse Tung (Mao Zedong)

Chinese communist revolutionary who became the founding father of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which he ruled as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976.

Pusan

City on the southeastern edge of the Korean Peninsula where the U.N. forces were driven after the North Koreans invaded South Korea in June of 1950. There was a major battle in this area known as the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter between August and September of 1950.

Kim Il Sung

Communist leader of North Korea; his attack on South Korea in 1950 started the Korean War. He remained in power until 1994.

Japanese Rearmament

During the Korean War, US-Japan relations changed dramatically from the occupation status into one of a security partnership in Asia. When North Korea invaded South Korea, Washington perceived Japan as the ultimate target. Washington immediately intervened in the Korean peninsula to protect the South on behalf of Japanese security. The issue of Japanese rearmament was a focal point in the Japanese peace negotiation. Washington pressed Japan to rearm rapidly, but Tokyo stubbornly opposed. Under pressure from Washington, the Japanese government established the National Police Reserve and had to expand its military forces during the war.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eisenhower's main goals in office were to contain the spread of communism and reduce federal deficits. In 1953, he threatened to use nuclear weapons until China agreed to peace terms in the Korean War. China did agree and an armistice resulted which remains in effect.

Mark Clark

He was the youngest four-star general in the United States Army during World War II. In 1949, he was named Chief of Army Field Forces. On October 20, 1951, he was nominated by President Harry S. Truman to be the United States emissary to the Holy See, the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.

Joseph Stalin

His goals in boycotting the UNSC was "to give the American government a free hand and give it an opportunity to commit more foolishness using a majority in the Security Council so that public opinion can see the true face of the American government." Stalin hoped for the United States to become entangled in military conflict in Korea, and expected that UN sanctions would better facilitate United States entry into the Korean War. Therefore, Stalin's decision to abstain effectively guaranteed that the UNSC would authorize intervention.

Isolationism

In a forceful speech, President Dwight D. Eisenhower strikes back at critics of his Cold War foreign policy. He insisted that the United States was committed to the worldwide battle against communism and that he would maintain a strong U.S. defense. He rejected outcry for an isolated American foreign policy.

Kim Chaek

In the Korean War, he was commander of the North Korean troops on the front lines. Kim was purged when he was found responsible for the failure at the Inchon landing.

Syngman Rhee

Korean leader who became president (Non-communist, dictatorial) of South Korea after World War II and led Korea during Korean War.

Walton Walker

Leader of the 8th infantry - helped hold off the invasion of North Koreans around the Pusan area.

38th Parallel

Line that divided Korea - Soviet Union occupied the north and United States occupied the south, during the Cold War.

NSC 68

National Securtiy Council memo #68 US "strive for victory" in cold war, pressed for offensive and a gross increase ($37 bil) in defense spending, determined US foreign policy for the next 20-30 yrs

Harry S. Truman

On June 27, 1950, President Harry S. Truman announces that he is ordering U.S. air and naval forces to South Korea to aid the democratic nation in repulsing an invasion by communist North Korea. The United States was undertaking the major military operation, he explained, to enforce a United Nations resolution calling for an end to hostilities, and to stem the spread of communism in Asia. In addition to ordering U.S. forces to Korea, Truman also deployed the U.S. 7th Fleet to Formosa (Taiwan) to guard against invasion by communist China and ordered an acceleration of military aid to French forces fighting communist guerrillas in Vietnam.

Paik Sun-yup

Paik is known for his service during the Korean War and for being the first four-star general in the history of the South Korean military.

Peng Dehuai

Peng was the second-ranking man in the communists' military hierarchy from the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937 to 1954. He led Chinese forces in the Korean War and signed the armistice at P'anmunjŏm on July 27, 1953. In 1954 he became minister of national defense.

ROK

Republic of Korea (Armed Forces)

Voluntary Repatriation

Return of eligible people to their country of origin based on their free will to do so (often used for refugees, POWs, civil detainees).

Yalu River

River separating North Korea and China. UN forces close to the Yalu River caused Chinese intervention.

Dean Acheson

Second term (for Truman) Secretary of State. Had a "defense perimeter speech" for the Korean War. He was Secretary of State under Harry Truman. It is said that he was more responsible for the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine than those that the two were named for.

Armored Flak Vest

The Army armored vest, now called the M-1952, provided to troops in Korea, weighed approximately 8 pounds, and was made of 12 layers of flexible, spot-laminated Nylon-duck, enclosed in a heat-sealed water-repellent vinyl envelope.

Pyongyang

The Battle of Pyongyang (17-19 October 1950) was one of the major battles of the United Nations' offensive during the Korean War. Following the Battle of Inchon, the UN forces re-captured Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and proceeded to advance into North Korea. Shortly after advancing, the American and South Korean forces faced the North Korean defenses near Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, on 17 October. North Korea's leadership and its main forces had already withdrawn to Kanggye, allowing the UN forces to capture Pyongyang on 19 October.

F-86 (Sabre)

The F-86 was the primary U.S. air combat fighter during the Korean War, with significant numbers of the first three production models seeing combat.

Seoul

The Korean People's Army (KPA) advanced at incredible speed, capturing Seoul on June 28, 1950. Thus began the three-month North Korean occupation of South Korea. This occupation ended beginning with the UN counter-offensive in Inchon.

MiG-15

USSR jet fighter, design copied from F 86 Sabre, used in Korean war by NK and Chinese.

Douglas MacArthur

When North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950, starting the Korean War, he was designated commander of the United Nations forces defending South Korea. He conceived and executed the amphibious assault at Inchon on 15 September 1950, for which he was hailed as a military genius. On 11 April 1951, U.S. President Harry S. Truman relieved General of the Army Douglas MacArthur of his commands after MacArthur made public statements which contradicted the administration's policies.