The Korean War began in 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea. The Soviet Union and China supported North Korea, while the United States and its allies supported South Korea. The war ended with an armistice in 1953.
Before the war, Korea was ruled by Japan for 35 years until Japan surrendered in 1945. After that, the United States and the Soviet Union divided Korea into two parts, with each country controlling one part. This division led to the creation of two separate governments in 1948: North Korea led by Kim Il Sung, and South Korea, led by Syngman Rhee. Both sides claimed to be the rightful government of all of Korea and disagreed on the border.
Attempts to negotiate reunification failed, and on June 25th, 1950, North Korean forces crossed the border into South Korea. The United Nations Security Council called it an invasion and authorized the formation of a U.N. force to defend South Korea. The majority of the U.N. forces were led by the United States.
The United States’ merciless bombing campaign against North Korea, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, was a pivotal moment in the conflict that ultimately made it near impossible to achieve a peaceful resolution with the North Korean people. This devastating military operation has been described by some historians as even more destructive than the damage inflicted upon Germany and Japan during World War II.
The U.S. dropped around 635,000 tons of bombs on North Korea, including roughly 32,000 tons of napalm - a highly flammable incendiary weapon used to burn down structures and cause severe injuries.
The intense bombing led to significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction of infrastructure like homes, schools, hospitals, factories, and roads. It’s estimated that up to one-third of the population in urban areas were killed or injured as a result.
In response to increasing Chinese intervention in support of North Korean forces in late 1950s and early ‘51s’, General Douglas MacArthur called for an intensified air campaign which included carpet bombing - dropping large numbers of bombs over a wide area without specific target selection - aiming at wholesale destruction of North Korean towns and cities. This generated considerable controversy due to the massive devastation it caused.
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