The leaders

• Communist north - Kim Il Sung

• Capitalist south - Syngman Rhee

Key terms

Domino effect - Idea that if one country fell to communism others would follow

Containment - Prevent the spread of communism

Roll Back - Turn the communist country capitalist (not just contain it)

Proxy War - A war where the Soviet Union aren’t directly involved and US didn’t just use their own troops - not fighting each other directly

The causes

1. Domino effect

2. Thought the Russians were behind it

3. Test run for the UN army

Consequences

1. Important development in Cold War - first Proxy war in a third country - strategy used in Vietnam

2. W for containment as communism didn’t spread beyond 38th L for General MacArthur and Roll back

3. Tense relationship between China and Us as the troops still remained in South Korea

KEY DATES

• 25 June 1950 - North invade south backed by China and Soviet Union - illegal

• July 1950 - USA send troops to South Korea (also appealed to UN for troops and permission to fight)

• September 1950 - UN fight back beyond 38th parallel almost at Yalu river by October

• 15 October 1950 - China joined invasion and pushed UN forces back beyond 38th MacArthur called for use of atomic weapons denied and sacked in April 1951

• June 1951 - more UN troops were deployed to Korea and the communists were eventually driven back to the 38th parallel. The war became a stalemate.

• November 1952 - Republican, General Dwight D Eisenhower won the US presidential election, promising he would go to Korea to see how the war could be ended.

• July 1953 - an armistice was signed at Panmunjom on the 38th parallel, which left Korea divided as it had been in 1950, and still is today.