Military History Korea

Esteemed historian Dr Carter Malkasian explains how this conflict in a small peninsula in East Asia had a tremendous impact on the entire international system and the balance of power between the two superpowers, America and Russia. In this history, he examines how the West demonstrated its resolve to thwart Communist aggression and the armed forces of China, the Soviet Union and the United States came into direct combat for the only time during the Cold War.

In the last months of the Korean war the US Marines had transitioned into a near stationary force manning the main battle line in a serious of forward outposts. In this position they were under near constant bombardment and engaging in ongoing patrol battles. This book is a study of the outpost war concept through official documents and anecdote.

La narrativa de la Guerra de Corea en Occidente, y particularmente en los Estados Unidos, cuenta la historia de un conflicto entre dos superpotencias mundiales e ideologías contrapuestas en un rincón lejano del mundo. La realidad es que las ruedas de movimiento que llevaron al país a la guerra en 1950 comenzaron a girar mucho antes de que las botas estadounidenses pisaran el suelo coreano. El corazón del conflicto fue una guerra civil entre una población dividida arbitrariamente por la colonización y la geopolítica global al final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

The Korean War is often labeled “the forgotten war”, and though it has received renewed attention in recent years, it still pales compared to others in recent history like the Vietnam War or even the more recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. What’s mostly overlooked is that the Korean War was one of the most intense conflicts the United States fought, and the soldiers who served in it were arguably in greater peril than in any other war over the last 75 years.

The Korean War, which began in 1950 and ended in 1953, is not considered one of the major wars of the 20th century. However, in reality, it was profoundly impactful on global history. As an early crisis of the Cold War, it set important precedents for how conflicts would be handled during this era. It has also shaped Korea’s history for more than half a century.

The narrative of the Korean War in the West, and particularly in the United States, tells the tale of a conflict between two global superpowers and competing ideologies in a far-flung corner of the globe. The reality is that the wheels of motion that drove the country to war in 1950 began turning long before American boots set foot on Korean soil. The heart of the conflict was a civil war between a population arbitrarily divided by colonization and the global geopolitics at the end of the Second World War.

Though it’s widely overlooked today, the U.S. has had a military presence in Asia for more than 200 years. The East Indies Squadron was formally established by President Andrew Jackson in 1835 to protect American property and trade in Asia, but U.S. warships were protecting American interests in Asia before then. In fact, American merchant vessels reached China as early as the 1780s.

This book provides an examination of the Korean War, including its causes, key players, and lasting legacy. From the invasion of South Korea by North Korea to the armistice that ended hostilities in 1953, this book covers all aspects of this conflict. You will learn about its diplomatic and military history, as well as how it shaped international relations for decades to come.