The Communist Issue at Home 747
SOUTH
KOREA
Sea
of
Japan
Yellow
Sea
NORTH
KOREA
CHINA
USSR
North Korean attack
38th parallel
North Korean attack
Pyongyang
Seoul
Pusan
SOUTH
KOREA
Sea
of
Japan
Yellow
Sea
NORTH
KOREA
CHINA
USSR
Pyongyang
Seoul
Pusan
SOUTH
KOREA
Sea
of
Japan
Yellow
Sea
NORTH
KOREA
CHINA
USSR
MacArthur attack Chinese counterattack
Armistice line
Pyongyang
Seoul
Inchon
Pusan
Nov. 25, 1950 July 27, 1953
June 25, 1950 Sept. 10, 1950
SOUTH
KOREA
Sea
of
Japan
Yellow
Sea
NORTH
KOREA
CHINA
USSR
Pyongyang
Seoul
Pusan
Territory held by South Korean
forces and their allies
Territory held by North Korean forces and
after November 1950 by Communist China Front
Korean War, 1950–1953In June, North Korea nearly overran South Korea (top maps). But in
September MacArthur counterattacked at Inchon and advanced far into North Korea (bottom
left). The intervention of the Chinese in November led to a stalemate (bottom right).
in Korea, although the negotiations dragged on inter-
minably. The war was unresolved when Truman left
office: by the time it was over, it had produced
157,000 American casualties, including 54,200 dead.
If the Korean War persuaded Truman to adopt
NSC-68, it also exposed the failings of the policy. By
conceiving of communism as a monolithic force it
tended to make it so, driving Red China and the
Soviet Union into each other’s arms. By committing
American military forces to potential trouble spots
throughout the world, it increased the likelihood they
would prevail in none.
The Korean War, 1950–1953at
http://www.myhistorylab.com
The Communist Issue at Home
The Korean War highlighted the paradox that, at the
pinnacle of its power, the influence of the United
States in world affairs was declining. Its monopoly on
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