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Korea is divided into two countries.
After World War II, Korea was divided into communist North Korea and anti-communist South Korea at a spot called the 38th parallel. Soviet Union controls North Korea and the U.S. controls South Korea. -
Accepting Surrender in Korea after WWII
As the war came to a close, two army colonels proposed the idea that the Soviet Union take responsibility for accepting the surrender of Japanese troops in North Korea, and the United States would receive surrender from the south. -
Elections in Korea
After the war, the United Nations overwas elections in the North and South hoping that it would lead to the reunification of Korea under a democratically elected government. In the North Kim Il Sung was elected and in the south Syngman Rhee was elected. The United states supported the South and the Soviet's supported the North. -
Soviet Union and United States withdraw troops
The Soviet Union and the United States withdraw their military forces from Korea under a UN agreement. Although military forces were gone they still left many advisor on the peninsula. -
The Korean War begins
the Korean War began when 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army traveled across the boundary and into pro-Western Republic of Korea to the south. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. -
UN forces regain lost land in Korea
After the the outbreak of hostilities in Korea by the communists, Truman was forced to move troops to the region. UN forces led by U.S. General Douglas A. MacArthur managed to regain lost ground in South Korea and push north. Within weeks the UN forces were approaching the 38th parallel. -
UN forces pushed north of the 38th parallel
Despite the warning given by Chinese leaders saying they would intervene if UN forces pushed north of the 38th parallel, the UN decided to push north anyway. General MacArthur did not believe that the Chinese and Soviet Union would attempt to stop the UN troops. The UN forces had almost reached the Yalu River before the underestimated Chinese forces pushed them back to the 38th parallel. -
Declaring all-out war on China
General MacArthur did all he could to provoke an all out war against China. In March 1951, he sent a letter to Joseph Martin who supported his idea of all-out war on China and could leak the letter out to the press. Truman ended up firing General MacArthur for insubordination. -
Peace talks begin while fighting continues
President Truman, along with his new military commanders started peace talks at Panmunjom in July of 1951. As negotiations stalled, and the fighting continued along the 38th parallel the United States and the Chinese and North Koreans could not agree on POW's. The Chinese and the North Koreans believed that the POW's should be sent back to their country while the United States disagreed. -
Armistice was signed
After three years of fighting and negotations a armistice was signed.The agreement allowed the POWs to stay where they liked and a new boundary was created that gave South Korea an extra 1,500 square miles of territory.