The Korean War begins

After Japan’s defeat in the Second World War, the Korean peninsula became divided into a Soviet and an American occupation zone. The border was formed by the 38th parallel. All attempts by the United Nations to bring the two territories into a unified nation were doomed to failure.

© US Navy Marines of the First Marine Division pay their respects to fallen buddies during memorial services at the division's cemetery at Hamhung, Korea, December

This prompted the formation of two Korean nations. On 25 June 1950 troops of Communist North Korea cross the 38th parallel. As a result the three year long Korean War begins, a war which will have far-reaching consequences for world politics. Seoul, capital city of the Republic of South Korea, falls only four days after the attack. The UN Security Council is only able to reach the decision to support South Korea when the Soviet Union’s representative stays away from the decisive meeting and because the USA has refused to allow the Peoples’ Republic of China, founded in October of 1948, to have a seat on the Council. The UN sends an intervention force consisting of troops from a total of 16 countries, most of them US soldiers, under the command of General Douglas Macarthur. After fierce fighting the UN are able – for the moment – to beat back the Communist troops.