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After World War II, Korea is divided into communist North Korea and anti-communist South Korea at a spot called the 38th parallel. Russia controls North Korea and the U.S. controls South Korea.
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President Harry Truman gives a speech and says that that the U.S. will help any country that is threatened by communism. The speech is called the Truman Doctrine.
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Worried that South Koreans will join the communists, President Syngman Rhee starts the Summer of Terror and orders over 100,000 people killed.
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With permission from Russia, North Korea invades South Korea and continues on to the capital of Seoul. South Korea does not have a strong enough army to stop it.
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President Harry Truman sends U.S. troops to Korea. The U.S. and other countries in the United Nations join the war because they want to stop communism from spreading to South Korea.
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American troops fight North Korean troops in Osan. The Americans expected an easy victory, but are surprised to find out that they are no match for the North Korean army.
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General Douglas MacArthur leads an invasion into South Korea at the city of Inchon. From there, the United Nations troops go to Seoul and take it back from North Korea.
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China joins the war to fight on the side of North Korea. China's army, called the People's Volunteer Army, wins several important victories and pushes the U.S. and South Korean troops back across the 38th parallel.
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U.S. troops push their way into Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Soldiers believe that the war will be over soon and start to take bets on what day the war will officially end.
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General MacArthur orders the United Nations forces to move to the Yalu River, the border between North Korea and northeast China. MacArthur said the UN troops would be home by Christmas, but they are attacked by 180,000 Chinese soldiers and have to retreat.
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With neither side gaining ground, peace talks begin. However, it takes two years to come to an agreement as the war drags on.
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After General MacArthur publicly disagrees with President Truman about whether or not to bomb China, MacArthur is fired. Truman believed that bombing China would have led to a much bigger war.
