| |
N0KFQ > TODAY 27.07.10 17:31l 59 Lines 2971 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 13013_N0KFQ
Read: VE7HFY GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Jul 27
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<OE5XBL<OE6XPE<DB0RES<DK0WUE<7M3TJZ<PY1AYH<CX2SA<N0KFQ
Sent: 100727/1512Z @:N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA #:13013 [Branson] FBB7.00i $:13013_N
From: N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
To : TODAY@WW
Jul 27, 1953:
Armistice ends the Korean War
After three years of a bloody and frustrating war, the United
States, the People's Republic of China, North Korea, and South
Korea agree to an armistice, bringing the Korean War to an end.
The armistice ended America's first experiment with the Cold War
concept of "limited war."
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when communist North
Korea invaded South Korea. Almost immediately, the United States
secured a resolution from the United Nations calling for the
military defense of South Korea against the North Korean
aggression. In a matter of days, U.S. land, air, and sea forces
had joined the battle. The U.S. intervention turned the tide of
the war, and soon the U.S. and South Korean forces were pushing
into North Korea and toward that nation's border with China. In
November and December 1951, hundreds of thousands of troops from
the People's Republic of China began heavy assaults against the
American and South Korea forces. The war eventually bogged down
into a battle of attrition. In the U.S. presidential election of
1952, Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower strongly
criticized President Harry S. Truman's handling of the war.
After his victory, Eisenhower adhered to his promise to "go to
Korea." His trip convinced him that something new was needed to
break the diplomatic logjam at the peace talks that had begun in
July 1951. Eisenhower began to publicly hint that the United
States might make use of its nuclear arsenal to break the
military stalemate in Korea. He allowed the Nationalist Chinese
government on Taiwan to begin harassing air raids on mainland
China. The president also put pressure on his South Korean ally
to drop some of its demands in order to speed the peace
process.
Whether or not Eisenhower's threats of nuclear attacks helped,
by July 1953 all sides involved in the conflict were ready to
sign an agreement ending the bloodshed. The armistice, signed on
July 27, established a committee of representatives from neutral
countries to decide the fate of the thousands of prisoners of
war on both sides. It was eventually decided that the POWs could
choose their own fate--stay where they were or return to their
homelands. A new border between North and South Korea was drawn,
which gave South Korea some additional territory and
demilitarized the zone between the two nations. The war cost the
lives of millions of Koreans and Chinese, as well as over 50,000
Americans. It had been a frustrating war for Americans, who were
used to forcing the unconditional surrender of their enemies.
Many also could not understand why the United States had not
expanded the war into China or used its nuclear arsenal. As
government officials were well aware, however, such actions
would likely have prompted World War III.
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
Using "Outpost Lite" Ver 2.2.1 c85
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
