10 things everyone should know about the Korean War

• Korea was divided into two parts after WWII, the North being controlled by the Soviets with a Comnunist government and the South being controlled by the U.S. with a non-comnunist government
• In June 1950, North Korea forces crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea. This began the Korean War.
• Truman used this oppurtunity to try his containment policy and asked the UN to stop the comnunist move in South Korea.
• 16 nations provided soldiers for a UN force, but the U.S. did most of the fighting. Douglas MacAruther served as commander of the forces
• In early fighting, South Korea was being pushed back to the south-east tip of the island. MacAruther mad a daring move and landed troops at a city behind North Korean lines.
• Squeezed by forces in the North and South, North Korea retreated across the 38th parallel back to North Korea. Hoping an invasion of North Korea could unite the two koreas, Truman agreed to South Korean troops invadin North Korea.
• North Korea was pushed back and China warned if South Korea didn't stop, they would enter the war. South Korea ignored the warning, and on November 25, 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese Comnunist troops pushed South Korea back to the 38th parallel where they were deadlocked.
• MacAruther wanted to bomb China, but fearing a global war, Truman said no. MacAruther went over the president's head and told press about the decision. Truman promptly fired him.
• As the war dragged on, the war became unpopular and truce talk began. The next election, Truman decided to not run again. General Eisenhower from WWII, a republican, promised to end the war and won in a landslide.
• Duering talks with North Korea and China he agreed to a compromise but secretly warned he was ready to use nuclear arms against China. A cease-fire ended July 1953. The two Koreas didn't really change and Americans were frustrated by the indecisive war