The Korean War: Stalemate (1951-53)


Figure 1.-- The first year of the Korean War (June 1950-June 1951) was one of major offensives of movememnt. The War began with the North Korean invasion at the 38th parllel and then ranged from the tip of the peninsula (Pusan Perimiter north to the Yalu River. This changed as the United Nations front managed to stabilize the front north of Seoul. Here civilians in Seoul begin the return to normality after the U.N. forces liberated the city for the second time. The caption read,"Business Makes a Feeble Attemptg at Resuming in war ravaged Seoul, one time capital of South Korea. Some of the revaltively few remaining residents of the cityhave set up this open-air market, operated largely for barter and exchange. Most of the Seoul civilians are in the very yojng or the elderly ge groups. Seoul twice has been liberated from the Reds by U.N. forces." The photograph was dated March 25, 1951.

The first year of the Korean War (June 1950-June 1951) was one of major offensives of movememnt. The War began with the North Korean invasion at the 38th parllel and then ranged from the tip of the peninsula (Pusan Perimiter north to the Yalu River. This changed as the United Nations front managed to stabilize the front north of Seoul. The Communists launched an important offensive with some 0.4 million troops (April 22, 1951). They drove the U.N forces below the 38th parallel again. The United Nations conducted a successful, but limited offensive that drove north to the 38th parallel, clearing most of South Korea from Communist forces as well as taking limited areas of North Korea (June). As peace talks began, the front ran diagonally across the Korean peninsula from the northeast to the southwest (July). The U.N. forcees anchored their line on the Sea of Japan about midway between the North Korean towns of Kosong and Kansong. The front than ran south to the 'Punchbowl'. This was a substantial circular valley surroinded by jagged mountains, Small unit actions continued. The fighting was bitter but indecisive. The Chinese attempted am offensive known as the Battle of the Hook, where they were repelled by British forces. President Truman refused to give Gen. Van Fleet permission to mount a major offensive north. The United States deployed tremnendous fire power (artillery and air power) to stop the much larger Chinese armies which often large human-wave attacks. Chinese losses were massive and never accuarely reorted by the Communist Government. :osses probably exceeded 1 million men. American losses were a fraction of the Chinese losses, but the continuing war and continued losses became very unpopular. Korea became known as the 'meat grinder' war. What followed was 2 years of stalemate which was becoming a major political as the 1952 American presidential election loomed.







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Created: 9:02 AM 12/2/2014
Last updated: 9:02 AM 12/2/2014