The Korean War started as a civil war, but soon turned international when the United States and the USSR supported different sides, bringing the Cold War to Asia. In 1945, Korea was divided into North and South Korea, with the borderline being the 38th parallel. Around 1947, the Cold War began, a political and military tension between the two superpowers of the world, the United States and the USSR. The US's competition of power with the USSR, including supporting South Korea while the USSR supported the North allowed them to involve in a "hot war," yet have no direct conflict. Another major cause of the Korea War was in 1949, when Mao became the Chinese leader, effectively transitioning China into a Communist country. Truman became afraid that other Asian countries would soon follow (seeing as North Korea was Communist already), especially afraid that Japan and South Korea would become Communist countries.
In 1945, both the USSR and the US send troops to Korea, the USSR to the North, and the US to the South. In 1946, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivers his famous "Iron Curtain" speech, accusing the USSR of dropping an "Iron Curtain" by keeping a divide of freedom and communism, west and east. In 1947, President Truman (of the US) promises to provide political, military, and economic support to domestic countries under threat from other authoritarian leaders. In 1950, Kim II Sung and North Korea invade under the notion that the South Korean troops were outnumbered, and that the US did not have any interest in Korea. After North Korea invaded, in the United Nations Security Council, which was temporarily boycotted by Russians, the US passed a resolution condemning North Korea as the aggressor in the conflict. The US then proceeded to send troops to South Korea, before the UN could send theirs. When UN, US, and South Korean forces drove back the North Koreans almost to the border of Korea and China, the Chinese entered the Cold War, driving the three militaries south with their enormous armies. Mao feared the consequences of American forces if they were to get too close to China. In 1953, US, North Korea, and China reached an agreement on an armistice to send UN peace action in Korea without a formal peace treaty, and to today, Korea remains un-decided.
The Korean War was significant to the world in many ways. First, this was the first "hot" war (confrontation) of the Cold War, one where the USSR and the US used another's country's war to fight against one another. It was also the first time since the creation of the UN where the UN was involved in a war. This showed what the UN was capable of, and how involved it could get to protect smaller countries under the threat of larger ones. The Korean War was also the first limited war, meaning that countries held back some of their military power, specifically, not using nuclear weapons. The Korean War actually still goes on today, a constant battle between the North and the side. The war (and the Truman Doctrine) established the US as the world police, a role they still take to the day.
The Korean War showed aspects of both continuity and change in the context of the broader Cold War. The pattern of continuity, "dividing a country," such as the divide of Germany and Berlin immediately after the collapse of Germany in 1945, an important action leading to further events of the Cold War. During the Korean War, the country was divided into the North and the South. A second pattern, the concept of "repairing" a country from the consequences of WWII was one that showed continuity in the Cold War as well. Around the late 1940's, countries such as Britain, the US, the USSR were all focused on rebuilding their own countries, and for some countries, strengthening the weaponry. The pattern of change, however, was by far more prominent. The Korean War stood as the first time the UN participated militarily in a conflict, and the first time a resolution was drafted on such an urgent important matter. It was also the first time the US completely abandoned their isolationist persona and rose to become the defender of a domestic country, later taking on the role of the world police. The Korean War also marked the first time in the Cold War in which they used other countries to fight their own battles, the USSR against the US, and the US against both the USSR and Communism. From these many evidences of change, one can conclude that the pattern of change of the Korean War in the extent of the Cold War was far greater than the pattern of continuity.
In 1945, both the USSR and the US send troops to Korea, the USSR to the North, and the US to the South. In 1946, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivers his famous "Iron Curtain" speech, accusing the USSR of dropping an "Iron Curtain" by keeping a divide of freedom and communism, west and east. In 1947, President Truman (of the US) promises to provide political, military, and economic support to domestic countries under threat from other authoritarian leaders. In 1950, Kim II Sung and North Korea invade under the notion that the South Korean troops were outnumbered, and that the US did not have any interest in Korea. After North Korea invaded, in the United Nations Security Council, which was temporarily boycotted by Russians, the US passed a resolution condemning North Korea as the aggressor in the conflict. The US then proceeded to send troops to South Korea, before the UN could send theirs. When UN, US, and South Korean forces drove back the North Koreans almost to the border of Korea and China, the Chinese entered the Cold War, driving the three militaries south with their enormous armies. Mao feared the consequences of American forces if they were to get too close to China. In 1953, US, North Korea, and China reached an agreement on an armistice to send UN peace action in Korea without a formal peace treaty, and to today, Korea remains un-decided.
The Korean War was significant to the world in many ways. First, this was the first "hot" war (confrontation) of the Cold War, one where the USSR and the US used another's country's war to fight against one another. It was also the first time since the creation of the UN where the UN was involved in a war. This showed what the UN was capable of, and how involved it could get to protect smaller countries under the threat of larger ones. The Korean War was also the first limited war, meaning that countries held back some of their military power, specifically, not using nuclear weapons. The Korean War actually still goes on today, a constant battle between the North and the side. The war (and the Truman Doctrine) established the US as the world police, a role they still take to the day.
The Korean War showed aspects of both continuity and change in the context of the broader Cold War. The pattern of continuity, "dividing a country," such as the divide of Germany and Berlin immediately after the collapse of Germany in 1945, an important action leading to further events of the Cold War. During the Korean War, the country was divided into the North and the South. A second pattern, the concept of "repairing" a country from the consequences of WWII was one that showed continuity in the Cold War as well. Around the late 1940's, countries such as Britain, the US, the USSR were all focused on rebuilding their own countries, and for some countries, strengthening the weaponry. The pattern of change, however, was by far more prominent. The Korean War stood as the first time the UN participated militarily in a conflict, and the first time a resolution was drafted on such an urgent important matter. It was also the first time the US completely abandoned their isolationist persona and rose to become the defender of a domestic country, later taking on the role of the world police. The Korean War also marked the first time in the Cold War in which they used other countries to fight their own battles, the USSR against the US, and the US against both the USSR and Communism. From these many evidences of change, one can conclude that the pattern of change of the Korean War in the extent of the Cold War was far greater than the pattern of continuity.