Social studies project - Conflicts between countries

• Introduction
  
  The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Koreans And South Koreans regimes, with major hostilities lasting from June 25, 1950 until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953. On 25 June 1950, the young Cold War suddenly turned hot, bloody and expensive. Within a few days, North Korea's invasion of South Korea brought about a United Nations police action against the aggressors. As a result it immediately produced heavy military and naval involvement by the United States. While there were no illusions that the task would be easy, nobody expected that this violent conflict would continue for more than three years.
  
  
• What caused the Conflict?
  
  
  The actual reasons for the attack of South Korea by North Korea remain unknown due to contemporary historians inability to access N.K. archives. It can be speculated, however, that Stalin was responsible for the attack. After Secretary of State Dean Acheson released a report of American foreign interests and did not mention Korea, Stalin most likely assumed that Korea would be an international conflict-free area to press communism. In an effort to stop the administration of the domino theory (The Truman-originated belief that proliferation of communism in one state would continue to spread communism in nearby states) Truman sent troops to push communist forces back across the 38th parallel. Stalin's role was further seen in the allocation of tanks and M.I.G. fighters to the forces Kim Il Sung (Leader of North Korea.)
  
  
• The outcome
  
  

  Relations between them became increasingly strained, and on June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea. The United Nations quickly condemned the invasion as an act of aggression, demanded the withdrawal of North Korean troops from the South, and called upon its members to aid South Korea. On June 27, U.S. President Truman authorized the use of American land, sea, and air forces in Korea
  
  

  In the first weeks of the conflict the North Korean forces met little resistance and advanced rapidly. By Sept. 10 they had driven the South Korean army and a small American force to the Busan (Pusan) area at the southeast tip of Korea. A counteroffensive began on Sept. 15, when UN forces made a daring landing at Incheon (Inchon) on the west coast. North Korean forces fell back and MacArthur received orders to pursue them into North Korea.

  
  
  
  

  In mid-September 1950 a daring amphibious invasion at Inchon fractured the North Korean war machine. In the following two months UN armies pushed swiftly through North Korea. However, with victory seemingly in sight, China intervened openly, and the Soviet Union not-so-openly, on the side of their defeated fellow Communist neighbor. The UN was thrown back midway into South Korea. Early in the new year, the Chinese army was in turn contained and forced to retreat.

  By the middle of 1951, the front lines had stabilized near where the war started twelve months earlier. Negotiations began amid hopes that an early truce could be arranged. But this took two more frustrating years, during which the contending forces fought on, with the U.S. Navy providing extensive air and gunfire support, a constant amphibious threat, relentless minesweeping and a large logistics effort.
  
  I'm not sure which is the real ending part of the war as the information were adapted from different sources.
  
  After months of heavy fighting, the center of the conflict was returned to the 38th parallel, where it remained for the rest of the war. MacArthur, however, wished to mount another invasion of North Korea. When MacArthur persisted in publicly criticizing U.S. policy, Truman, on the recommendation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff removed (Apr. 10, 1951) him from command and installed Gen. Matthew B. as commander in chief. Gen. James Van Fleet then took command of the 8th Army. Ridgway began (July 10, 1951) truce negotiations with the North Koreans and Chinese, while small unit actions, bitter but indecisive, continued. Gen. Van Fleet was denied permission to go on the offensive and end the “meat grinder” war.
  

  Finally, on 27 July 1953, with a new regime in the USSR and the blunting of a final Communist offensive, negotiations concluded and fighting ended. However, the Cold War, considerably warmed up by the Korean experience, would would maintain its costly existence for nearly four more decades.
  

• Reflection
  
  From doing my research for this project, i have learnt that there are still many ongoing conflicts throughout the world and not surprising that the Korean War in (1950-1953) i am researching on is often referred to as America's "forgotten war," as it did not capture the nation's attention as had World War II. All the conflicts had it's own unique story to tell. The conflicts usually began with talks but when things gets out of hand - They resort to violence to try and stop the conflict but both parties usually don't realise that their actions has consequences and others will be the ones affected and have to pay with their lives.Therefore the only solution to stop a conflict in my opinion is to compromise. By doing this both parties will have their needs met without having to give up anything.