h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, I've heard about it. But I havn't heard much. Infact, I've only heard about it en-passant. So, there you have it. A lad with no knowledge of the Korean War.

Well apparently it wasn't a war, it was a UN policing action

The Film & TV series M.A.S.H. was set in the Korean War.

A policing action? Policing against whome? The north Koreans? I believe that they are communists?

yes the North Koreans,
The North invaded the South
UN forces went in & pushed the North back to the border & then kept on pushing
When the Frontline got near the Chinese border the Chinese came in on the side of the North & pushed the UN forces south

Somewhere or other a ceasefire was called & that's the way it remains today with both sides still technically at war with each other

I see. And this happened back in the 60's I believe? Why can they not make peace?

50's & politics

Does that mean that they are unwiling to make peace?

well no (otherwise they would be fighting), but it is still the last bastion of the cold war

Ahh, the forgotten war it is called. some background first.
In WWII the russians took over the northern section of Korea before Japan surrendered, making South Korea ours. And like Berlin and Germany theirs became communist and we allowed free elections whilst maintaining troops there. Years passed and both sides pulled out their troops and left advisors there. Then in 1951? the N.K. forces launched an invation accross the 38th parrallel.

America, with Truman as president (author of the Truman Doctrine: a policy of the containment of communism) decided to get the UN's help on this. The Russians were boycotting the UN so they lost their chance to block the resolution of sending thousands of troops to Korea. American and Rock (south Korean) forces were beaten back to the Pusong(?) penninsula. MacArthur, supreme commander of allied forces, sent the UN reinforcements to an amphibious landing at a city just south of the 38th parrallel of who's name has slipped my mind, Insong perhaps? This suprize attack started a castcade of events in which the US Marines Corp and the US 8th Army knocked the N.Koreans all the way back to the Chinese boarder.

About this time MacArthur was fired for being insabordinate.

The Chinese then sent between 300,000-500,000 troops against the allied forces. Casualties were twice as much on their side as ours but the sheer weight of numbers drove the UN/Rock forces back to the 38th parallel where the war stayed, neither side gaining ground even though Allied Forces where outnumbered somthing like 5:1.

Umm, I might be able to remember more later, ask questions, they're best for sparking one's memory. Hope this helps out

as to the current situation.....US forces on the DMZ amount to a full division with 120% manpower. There is no war at the moment, infact there never was one, it's just a police action. There are no shots fired, but the communist government in N.Korea is in dire straights. It's oppressive gov't hasen't been able to deal with the famine that colletivization has caused. But they are too full of pride to give up their communist ways and join prospering S. Korea's democratic society as a whole country.

Tiny point but in the modern era (i.e. now) the third largest military force in South Korea (after the South Koreans & the USA) is the British.

Well, I must thank the you all for posting (and thus informing me) on this subject. I have been wondering about it for a few years now. Why I havn't looked it up before is beyond me. So, I must thank you again.

Thank you.