1. Tracy Anthonsen Alyssa Pelletier
Korean War
Tracy Anthonsen
Alyssa Pelletier

2. KOREAN PENINSULA!!

3. Summary of Korean War Fought between North Korea and South Korea
North Korea was supported by Soviet Russia
South Korea was supported by the USA, UN gave military aid during wartime
North Korea was communist, South Korea was capitalist, Korea was divided after WW2 along the 38th parallel
Leaders: North Korea = Kim Il Sung South Korea = Syngman Rhee USA = Truman
Differing political philosophies started war
Korean War is a direct reflection of the conflicting views communist USSR and capitalist USA
War ended in 1953 with an armistice

4. Kim Il Sung (North Korea)
Communist leader
Developed a personality cult around himself during leadership
Ruled until his death in 1994
BFF (best friend forever) = Stalin
Had aid from USSR and China during Korean War

5. Kim Il Sung

6. Syngman Rhee (South Korea)
Democratically elected
Realistically, was somewhat of a dictator
Committed nationalist
Obsessed with idea of a unified, independent Korea
Had aid from USA and UN during Korean War

7. Syngman Rhee

8. Korean History
The Korean peninsula had been under Japanese rule until the end of WW2
Japan was defeated and the USA and the USSR emerged as the two leading world powers
Liberation from Japan should’ve allowed Korea to become independent
Korea, after being ruled under Japan, was left vulnerable and susceptible to the influences of other nations, especially since the world was worried about Stalin’s growing empire/threat and fear of communism: Korea gained its independence at a bad time – right in the middle of the Cold War

9. MacArthur Drama
Douglas C. MacArthur was a General that commanded the Allies in the Southwest Pacific during WW2
He was keeping an eye on Japan for team USA post-WW2
Commanded the UN forces during the Korean War
Became increasingly egotistical as he got older
Countermanded Truman’s orders in Korea
MacArthur was removed from his post on April 11, 1951 by Truman

10. WAR
Tension and mistrust had grown so much between USA and USSR that it directly influenced the conflict between North and South Korea
Kim Il Sung (North Korea) was BFF’s with Stalin, and invaded South Korea first; in order to fight communist and protect innocence, the USA and UN military helped South Korea
Division of Korea stems from the post-WW2 Allied victory; nearly all Koreans opposed it but USA and Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship with the borders along the 38th parallel
Elections were scheduled but each superpower supported a different leader and the Korean peninsula was divided
Another reason Korea was so vulnerable: Japan had been the leaders in Korea, so there were very few Korean people able to do specific government jobs; they could not emerge with strong capable leaders when the surrounding leaders were overwhelming dictator trying to spread their political philosophies; government was chaotic and slightly disfunctional in Korea after liberation

11. Nowadays…
North Korea is not labeled as communist, but are called Stalinist and isolationalist (code words for a communist state)
South Korea is a capitalist liberal demoracy
The two sides have taken small steps towards a Korean reunification