Korean War

Korean War

Introduction

The war in Korea led to one of the most acute phases of the Cold War, during which the world was holding its breath, fearing the outbreak of a new world war with the use of nuclear bombs that had been developed during World War II in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The war in Korea broke out in 1950 because of the invasion of South Korea on the part of the ' army North Korea. The invasion led to a rapid response of ' UN: UN mandate, the United States, along with 17 other countries intervened militarily in an attempt to liberate the occupied country and, eventually, to overthrow the North Korean government. The number of victims caused by the conflict is estimated at about four million people dead, wounded and missing, half of whom were civilians.

The "Division of Korea"

During the sessions of the Conference of Cairo, in 1943, an agreement between the United States, Britain and China provided for the independence of the Korean peninsula from Japan when the war finished and the status of a "neutral country". The ' Soviet Union accepted this motion, even though it contained for the short distance with the new state that would have arisen. In August 1945, in conjunction with the American nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviets denounced the treaty of no belligerence that had concluded with Japan in 1938 following the clashes which led to the bloody battle of Nomonhan.

Within three weeks, the Soviets occupied the whole of Manchuria; the islands of the Kuril, the southern part of Sakhalin and the Korean peninsula until the 38th parallel, where they met the Americans were taking from the southern region. The evacuation of the Japanese was completed on August 16. At the time of the surrender Nippon (September 1945), the situation was configured according to a temporary division. All of the victorious powers accepted the partition of waiting for a national government takes office. However, by 1946, the Cold War also affected the Far East and no unity government could be elected. In 1947, the ' UN fixed dates for general elections, but its officials were prevented from entering the Soviet zone of occupation.

John R. Hodge

On September 8, 1945, Lieutenant General of the United States John R. Hodge arrived at Incheon, to accept the Japanese surrender south of the 38th parallel. Four days after his arrival in Korea, Hodge said his officers that Korea "was an enemy of the United States." The role Invested military governor, General Hodge directly controlled by South Korea's Military Government of the U.S. Army in Korea (USAMGIK). He maintained control hierarchy before restoring power to the Japanese colonialists and their collaborators. Faced with the growing popular dissent, Hodge founded the Korean Advisory Council. The majority of council seats given to members of the Korean Democratic Party, which was formed with the encouragement of the United States and composed mainly of large landowners, businesspersons, and officials of the former colonial ...