Korean War

1950-53

• U.S. troops engaged: 5,720,000
• American battle deaths: 33,741
• North Korea's Communist forces fought against South Korea's non-Communist forces supported by U.N. forces, principally made up of U.S. troops.
• The Korean War was the first armed conflict in the global struggle between democracy and communism, called the “cold war.”
• Gen. Douglas MacArthur was designated commander of the unified U.N. forces, but was later replaced after publicly criticizing U.S. policy and threatening the Chinese with massive retaliation.
• North Korea moved south quickly at first and captured the South Korean capital Seoul.
• U.N forces pushed them back towards North Korea and eventually the boarder with China. Communist China lent their support to the North Koreans and their effort regained control of Seoul.
• Heavy fighting raged at the 38th parallel, which became the post-war border between the two countries.
• After the 1953 truce at Panmunjom, North Korea, North and South Korea remained separate, as before the war.

See The Korean War for more details about the dates and events of this war.