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The Cold War, 1948-1960After 1948 the Cold War entered a new phase. Moving beyond the borders of Europe, it spread to Asia and even into Space! At the same time the USA and the USSR greatly increased their nuclear arsenals. The decade after World War Two saw communism
spreading to the Far East. While China became communist in 1949, it was the conflict in Korea that proved to be the biggest crisis for relations between the USA and the USSR in the 1950s. The success of communism in China had persuaded the USA that their domino theory was correct. This
suggested that if one country was allowed to fall to communism then communism could quickly spread to neighbouring countries. In 1950 a report by the American National Security Council recommended that the policy of
containment was not enough, and that what was needed was
‘roll back’ or action to take back territory from communist control. What caused the Korean war?After World War Two, Korea had been divided at the 38th parallel into the Soviet-backed communist North Korea, led by Kim Il Sung, and non-communist, American-backed South Korea under the leadership of Syngman Rhee. In June 1950, with the support of China and the Soviet Union, North Korea launched an attack on South Korea across the 38th parallel. America and the UN to the rescue
Impact and consequences of the Korean WarThe Korean War was an important development in the Cold War because it was the first time that the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, had fought a ‘proxy war’ in a third country. The proxy war or 'limited war' strategy would be a feature of other Cold War conflicts, for example the Vietnam War. It also established a precedent of the USA being involved in events in Asia. Even when the fighting had stopped, American soldiers remained stationed in South Korea which was a worry for the Chinese and put pressure on relations between the two countries.
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What troops drove UN forces back across the 38th parallel?One of the better remembered aspects of the war is how it started. On June 25, 1950, some 90,000 North Korean soldiers stormed south across most of the breadth of the 38th parallel on foot, by train, and even driving Soviet tanks, on their way to take over American-supported South Korea.
Why did the North Korean army cross the 38th parallel?The 38th parallel of latitude was chosen in 1945 by the USA and USSR as a convenient borderline for their divided military occupation of the Korean peninsula.
How did the 38th parallel lead to the Korean War?World War II divided Korea into a Communist, northern half and an American-occupied southern half, divided at the 38th parallel. The Korean War (1950-1953) began when the North Korean Communist army crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded non-Communist South Korea.
When did UN forces cross the 38th parallel?January—April 1951: Chinese People's Volunteer Army pushed UNC forces back across the 38th Parallel and recaptured Seoul.
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