The Forgotten War

The Forgotten War : 

The Forgotten War By Candace, Ray, and Earl

Introduction : 

Introduction On June 25, 1950, 135,000 troops of the North Korean Peoples Army invaded South Korea almost entirely overrunning the peninsula before the UN could respond.  This was the beginning of a three-year conflict on the Korean Peninsula that remains unresolved to this day.  The Korean Conflict was an undeclared war that some called a police action; however, to those involved it was a serious war.  It was the first major war of the Cold War between communism and democracy. Click on this link and read “Background to the Korean War.” http://www.britains-smallwars.com/korea/bg.html After reading, answer the following question (and all the following questions) on a separate sheet of paper: What mistakes in judgment were made leading up to the conflict? Why do you think there was even a conflict? What was the driving force? Was it about Korea or something else?

Task : 

Task You are a historian from 2150, and you have been given the assignment to research and explain the now almost mythical “Forgotten War” of the Nineteenth Century. You must determine the reasons behind the war, if it was a success for the US or a failure, and what could have been done differently to have a better outcome. You will present your findings in a speech delivered to your classmates.

Step One : 

Step One Click on this link to read the letter that Truman wrote explaining why he authorized troops to support the police action in Korea. http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/korea/large/week1/kw_27_1.htm (For a retyped version, go to http://encarta.msn.com/sidebar_761594739/Truman%27s_Korean_War_Statement.html) 1. What is Truman’s stated reason for entering into the conflict? 2. Why does Truman feel so strongly that this is not about North Korea alone? How do you know?

Step Two : 

Step Two Look at the maps on the following two slides and analyze the troop movements and troop involvement. Also go here to see what other countries were involved with the UN police action in addition to the US. Afterwards go here and see the death toll that Americans experienced during this police action. Also, go here. If you click on the slow motion button it will show you all of the major changes in the front up to Armistice day. Keep in mind the question: Did this police action strengthen the US or did it weaken it?

Slide 6: 

To the left, you will find a map that outlines movements throughout the conflict. The green is where North Korea was originally and the gray is where South Korea was. How close were the North Koreans and the UN to conquering the entire peninsula at varying times?

Slide 7: 

4.3 million people died during the conflict between 1950 and 1953. This does not include the wounded. What countries felt the majority of the loss of life? Remember to include civilian deaths in your answer.

Step Three : 

Step Three After the initial invasion, you can see that the North Koreans were in control of most of the peninsula. However, the UN quickly regained control and pushed the front line back to where it started. By the beginning of October, the line was back where it started (38th Parallel). The UN had freed the South Koreans. Go here and read about the advancements that the UN made. On the seventh slide, it explains a decision that was made. Rather then end the conflict three months in, the UN forces driven by McArthur pushed into North Korea despite warnings of consequences. Continue reading the slides. Questions: Should the UN have stopped without entering into North Korea? What would have been different if it had? What were the consequences that the Allied forces endured for ignoring the warnings?

Step Four : 

Step Four Prior to the conflict, the dividing line between North and South Korea was the 38th Parallel. After the conflict was resolved by a peace agreement it was then located at the Armistice line. Look to the right and determine the difference of what was gained and lost.

Step Four (Cont.) : 

Step Four (Cont.) Now look here. What was the public opinion of the war? Now look here. What personal toll did the conflict have on President Truman and Mr. Banning. Finally, look here. Look at the pictures that remain from this time and consider the police action and whether it was necessary.

Conclusion : 

Conclusion Now that you have researched the Korean War, it is time to make certain decisions. You have explored what lead up to the conflict, some of the important decisions that were made prior to the conflict, and you have seen the devastation that was caused by the conflict. You must now prepare a speech to be delivered to your fellow historians in which you give the reasons behind the war, if you believe it was a success for the US or a failure, and what could have been done differently to have a better outcome. In order to do this, use your notes from the questions that you answered through this quest. Your speech should be no less then four minutes and no more then eight.

Evaluation : 

Evaluation 20 pts will be earned for the completion of the questions. 20 pts will be earned for meeting the appropriate time length. 20 pts will be earned for explaining the lead up to the conflict. 20 pts will be earned for giving and supporting an opinion on whether the conflict strengthened or weakened the US. 20 pts will be earned for giving ways that the conflict could have been better resolved.