The+Reasons+for+Americans+involvement+and+for+the+was+in+general-+Period+5

Sean On June 25, 1950 at 4:00 A.M., the South Koreans felt the ground rumble as bombs fell from the sky. The leader of South Korea was Syngman Rhee. Some people may wonder why America was involved in the Korean War. America was involved in the Korean War because it was part of the United Nations. (U.N.) The U.N. is a group of countries devoted to defending each other and other countries. South Korea was in the United Nations. When North Korea crossed the 38th parallel, the U.N. gathered to talk about what they thought North Korea would do. They had to fight back because South Korea was not a strong country and they did not want North Korea to take over and spread communism. Harry Truman, who was the president of the United States at the time, started an undeclared war on North Korea. The countries that were involved in the Korean War were the United Nations, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Columbia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, People's Republic of China, and the Soviet Union. The countries that were on North Korea's side were the Peoples Republic of China, and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union only helped North Korea a little bit.

The Korean War was important because it could have started a reign of EVIL COMMUNISM, but we stopped it. North Korea was going to take over South Korea and force Communism onto all the people.

On July 5th Harry Truman sent U.S. soldiers to engage the North Korean forces in Osan. When the fighting started the U.N. ordered all nations to support South Korea. A UN command was established under the control of the United States. Britain, Australia and other Western powers quickly showed support and volunteered to aid in the effort. After the American Forces had arrived in the war the North Koreans did not expect them to stay for very long. They also did not expect them to help very much. It was a bad idea for Harry Truman to send the troops in because America was very badly prepared for the war.

It is important for us to learn about the Korean War because it was a very important war that has been somewhat forgotten about. It could have caused a Communist power to rise and there could have been another dangerous ally to other countries who wanted to take over other countries. Also, if North Korea had won the war then America would have lost a lot of troops and North Korea could have gone on to take over a lot more countries. People need to know how bad it would have been if we, America, hadn't been involved in the war. If America had not helped South Korea, there would have been a massacre of South Koreans and the North Koreans would have spread communism around the world.

One interesting thing is that the POW's were mistreated worse on the U.N. side. The U.N. caused more P.O.W. deaths than North Korea, China, and the Soviet Union. One general said that it was safer to be held by Chinese troops and be subjected to "re-education" than be a Chinese soldier held by Americans. Also on both Korean sides they forced the prisoners to work no matter what. Many of the workers didn't live. Also at one point the Americans were told to count all approaching civilians as hostile and were to "neutralize" them. At one part the Americans killed many defenseless South Korean woman, and children. Also they would fly by in airplanes and shoot at the villages. Also South Korea executed many "Communist Sympathizers" who were thought to be helping the communists and the "Communist Sympathizers" had no trial and were instantly executed. Also there were massacres of the U.S. soldiers by the North Koreans. American forces in Korea.

A North Korean train that was attacked by American carriers.

A P51 Mustang flying to its objective.

Sources: Uschan, Michael V. __The Korean War.__ San Diego, California. Lucent Books. 2001. The Korean War, Richard Edwards. Korean War, Jolan Edward. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War#America_Escalates_the_Civil_War_.28June-August_1950.29. U.S. History.com