The Korean War Essay Example
The Korean War took place between the years
of 1950 and 1953. The cause of the war was that Korea
was under Japanese rule ever since the end of the
Chinese-Japanese war in 1895. After World War II, in
1945, Korea was freed from Japan. The United States
troops occupied the southern part of the country and
Russian forces took the north. The very first and main reason
we entered the war in Korea was because John Foster
Dulles, the future Secretary of State under Dwight
Eisenhower, said that it would be best if we entered the war.
At the time Dulles was a special advisor to the Secretary of
State Acheson. Dulles was in Tokyo when the Koreans
staged war. Dulles sent a message to Acheson that if the
South Koreans start losing and cannot hold back the North
Koreans, they should send in United States forces. He said
to do so, "even though this risks Russian counter moves. To
sit by while Korea is overrun by unprovoked armed attack
would start a disaster chain even leading most probably to
World War III." When Dulles got back to Washington he
specified that he meant sending in United States Air and
Naval forces only, not troops. Almost immediately after
getting word of the invasion, Acheson decided that the
United States should put the matter before the United
Nations. He then called President Truman and got his
approval. Almost fourteen hours after Washington got word
of the war there was a conference set up among certain
members of the United Nations. The final decision of the
United Nations was to give arms and equipment to the
R.O.K. army (Republic of Korea). Then they authorized
General MacArthur to use his forces and the United States
Seventh Fleet, "to stabilize the combat situation". We first
entered the war on June 25, 1950 because the United States
felt that if Russia's troops would fight for North Korea, we
should fight for South Korea. Also, since South Korea had a
dictatorship, we wanted to prevent it from becoming
communist
of 1950 and 1953. The cause of the war was that Korea
was under Japanese rule ever since the end of the
Chinese-Japanese war in 1895. After World War II, in
1945, Korea was freed from Japan. The United States
troops occupied the southern part of the country and
Russian forces took the north. The very first and main reason
we entered the war in Korea was because John Foster
Dulles, the future Secretary of State under Dwight
Eisenhower, said that it would be best if we entered the war.
At the time Dulles was a special advisor to the Secretary of
State Acheson. Dulles was in Tokyo when the Koreans
staged war. Dulles sent a message to Acheson that if the
South Koreans start losing and cannot hold back the North
Koreans, they should send in United States forces. He said
to do so, "even though this risks Russian counter moves. To
sit by while Korea is overrun by unprovoked armed attack
would start a disaster chain even leading most probably to
World War III." When Dulles got back to Washington he
specified that he meant sending in United States Air and
Naval forces only, not troops. Almost immediately after
getting word of the invasion, Acheson decided that the
United States should put the matter before the United
Nations. He then called President Truman and got his
approval. Almost fourteen hours after Washington got word
of the war there was a conference set up among certain
members of the United Nations. The final decision of the
United Nations was to give arms and equipment to the
R.O.K. army (Republic of Korea). Then they authorized
General MacArthur to use his forces and the United States
Seventh Fleet, "to stabilize the combat situation". We first
entered the war on June 25, 1950 because the United States
felt that if Russia's troops would fight for North Korea, we
should fight for South Korea. Also, since South Korea had a
dictatorship, we wanted to prevent it from becoming
communist