The Korean War - 1950-53

 

United Nations in Korea The Key Players: Harry S. Truman Syngman Rhee Kim Il sung Joseph Stalin   Mao Zedong Ho Chi Minh Chou En-lai Douglas MacArthur   Timeline of the Events: 1945 - Korea divided into North (NK) and South (SK) at the 38th parallel.   1947 - Elections in the South created the Republic of Korea (ROK), president Syngman Rhee - the North became the People's Democratic Republic of Korea, president Kim Il sung.   1948 - Russians withdrew troops   1949 - US began to withdraw troops in June   1949/12 - Mao Zedong arrived in Moscow for 2-month visit with Stalin, resulting in Feb. 1950 Sino-Soviet alliance; Stalin invited Ho Chi Minh to join Mao in Moscow in Feb. 1950: "Let's add to China's population of 475 million, the populations of India, Burma, Indonesia, the Philippines".   1950/03/10 - CIA predicted NK attack in June - Charles Willoughby, G-2 in Asia, filed 1195 reports to MacArthur in 12 months after June 1949, reported massive buildup of NK troops on border, large numbers Chinese troops of Korean descent entered NK, but MacArthur ignored the reports, said May 1950: "I don't believe a shooting war is imminent".   1950/04 - Stalin met with Kim Il-sung in Moscow but would not support Kim's plan to invade SK unless Mao agreed to help: "If you should get kicked in the teeth, I shall not lift a finger. You have to ask Mao for all the help." Kim visited Mao in Beijing and assured Mao as he had assured Stalin that the U.S. would not respond. Mao gave his approval because Mao was planning to invade Formosa and wanted Stalin's help. Stalin began to send Soviet supplies to NK and to plan the invasion, using the cover story that it would be a "counterattack" provoked by an alleged attack by SK. Mao was preoccupied with planning the Formosa attack and was surprised when the sudden invasion began in June.   1950/05/30 - Syngman Rhee lost elections, about to lose control of SK government. However, the argument of I.F. Stone in The Hidden History of the Korean War (1952) that the war caused by Rhee and the U.S. is not correct. The war was planned and initiated by Stalin and Kim.   1950/06/24 - (U.S. time = Saturday, June 24) (Korea time= Sunday, June 25) at 4 am NK invaded SK with 90,000 troops equipped with Soviet weapons and Soviet T-34 tanks, quickly overran SK defenses, captured Uijongbu highway center 20 mi. north of Seoul in 2 days, captured Seoul by June 28 as ROK fled south blowing up Han River bridges, killing refugees, trapping 44,000 own men north of river.   1950/06/25 - Sunday, Truman returned to Blair House from Independence, MO, and met with the National Security Council - ordered U.S. Navy and Air Force into SK to stop invasion (but not Army ground troops).   1950/06/26 - Monday, Truman asked and received support from UN - Russia was absent because it was boycotting Security Council meetings until a seat was given to Communist China.   1950/06/27 - Tuesday, a second UN meeting approved use of ground troops; Truman ordered the 7th Fleet to the Taiwan Strait to protect Formosa. 11 days later, a third meeting authorized a UN command under Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Fifteen nations would contribute 40,000 troops, plus 300,000 from the U.S. and 500,000 from ROK   1950/06/29 - Thursday, MacArthur went to the front, saw disintegration of ROK army, and committed 13,000 U.S. troops of 24th Division. They were still outnumbered 20 to 1, and many surrendered or were captured.   1950/07/07 - MacArthur proposes his plan to "compose and united" all Korea in a great counterattack, but Truman delayed approval until the NK attack was stopped.   1950/07/19 - Truman speech before Congress requested 10 Billion dollars for the "police action" and made radio speech to the American people that was vague and ambiguous, but assured no mobilization would be needed for complete victory as in WWII.   1950/07 - "July debate" over strategy - MacArthur, supported by John Allison, proposed that the U.S. should liberate and unite Korea. But Omar Bradley and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), supported by George Kennan, proposed that the U.S. should only restore the of 38th parallel boundary and seek a political settlement rather than a military solution.   1950/07/23 - MacArthur gives JCS the details of his Inchon plan.   1950/07/26 - MacArthur orders General Walton "Johnnie" Walker to "stand or die" at Taegu - Pusan defense force increased to 92,000 U.S. with 91,500 ROK and 1500 Brit vs. 98,000 NK.   1950/08/07 - MacArthur begins counterattack from Pusan and stops NK attack.   1950/08/28 - JCS approve Inchon plan - no order from Truman; only JCS recommendation "let action determine the matter".   1950/09/01 - NSC papers support Inchon plan, but only with UN support, with an offer of peace terms, and with only ROK forces to be used in northern border with China.   1950/09/12 - "Bomb at the Waldorf" - Acheson meeting with the British and French to expand NATO troops with 10 German divisions and 4 U.S. Divisions.   1950/09/15 - Inchon landing at high tide - Battle of Inchon   1950/09/30 - Public warning from China's Chou En-lai to stay away from the Yalu border - called by MacArthur "diplomatic blackmail" - but G-2 reported massive buildup of Communist China Forces (CCF) along northern side of Yalu.   1950/10/8 - MacArthur crossed the 38th parallel into NK at 3:14 am. - 12 hours before the UN passed a resolution calling for a "unified, independent, democratic Korea" and instructing MacArthur to "insure conditions of stability throughout Korea". Kim Philby passed secret information about MacArthur's troop movements to the Russians and the Chinese. On this same day, U.S. jets attack a Soviet air base near Vladivostok as part of the "Secret Air War" between Russia and the U.S. on both sides of the Yalu.   1950/10/15 - Wake Island meeting of Truman and MacArthur.   1950/10/25 - Communist China Forces (CCF) attack across the Yalu with 250,000 troops and Russian MIG-15 jets - but after two weeks, retreat back into China.   1950/11/24 - MacArthur starts the final offensive toward Yalu. At the same time, Chinese delegates arrive at UN to begin peace negotiations.   1950/11/25 - The second CCF attack against MacArthur's weakened center line - UN and ROK forces retreat back into SK.   1950/12/25 - CCF stopped at 38th. The UN sought an armistice, but not MacArthur, who urged all-out war against China.   1951/01 - The "great debate" by the 82nd Congress over Truman's Dec. 19 declaration of national emergency: wartime controls increase in U.S. troops for NATO to 6 divisions with Eisenhower in command fifty billion dollar defense budget double air groups to 95 increase army to 3.5 million troops Japanese peace treaty admit Greece and Turkey to NATO add new bases in Libya, Saudi Arabia, Spain hearings held on Kenneth Wherry's Resolution 8 to require congressional authorization of any troops for NATO.   1951/02/11 - The third CCF attack pushed UN forces back to Han River.   1951/02/21 - Matthew Ridgeway's "Killer" counterattack pushed CCF back to 38th parallel by April 21.   1951/04/11 - Truman fires MacArthur for speaking in public about using Nationalist Chinese troops in Korea.   1951/04/22 - Fourth CCF attack - CCF commander Peng Te-huai ordered by Mao to "win a quick victory if you can; if you can't, win a slow one." - drove Ridgeway back to Seoul by May.   1951/05/02 - Jacob Malik (Soviet ambassador to the UN) gave a speech hinting at possible settlement.   1951/06/01 - Ridgeway's "Ripper" counterattack pushed CCF 40 miles north of the 38th parallel.   1951/06/05 - Malik began talks with George F. Kennan (U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union) about possible settlement.   1951/07/10 - Panmunjom talks began, but settlement delayed by Stalin (until Stalin's death March 5, 1953).   1953/06/26 - armistice signed