Korean War (jun 25, 1950 – jul 27, 1953)

Description:

Important Persons Involved: Kim Il-sung, Syngman Rhee, Joseph Stalin, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and General Douglas MacArthur were involved in the Korean War.

What it Was: At the end of World War ll, the U.S. and the Soviet Union agreed to occupy the Korean peninsula jointly. This was intended to temporarily divide the colony at the 38th parallel, but as tensions rose, it hardened into a permanent separation line. When the North Koreans launched a surprise attack across the parallel on June 25, 1950, an all-out war began. While North Korea was allied with the Soviet Union, the United States quickly came to South Korea's aid with General Douglas MacArthur in command. President Eisenhower pushed an armistice in July 1953 that left Korea divided at the original line. North Korea remained allied with the Soviet Union and South Korea signed a mutual defense treaty with the U.S.

Significance to the Cold War: The Korean War was the first major proxy battle of the Cold War. The U.S. and the Soviet Union took sides in a civil conflict for the first time. It set a precedent for future undeclared wars and transformed containment into a global policy.

Added to timeline:

Date: