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Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910-1945. On August 10, 1945, due to the imminent Japanese surrender, the US and USSR agreed to divide Korea along the 38th parallel, assuming that Japanese troops north of it will surrender to the Red Army, and the surrender of the southern formations will be accepted by the United States. The peninsula was thus divided into northern Soviet and southern American parts. This separation was supposed to be temporary. In both parts, northern and southern, governments were formed. In the south of the peninsula, the United States, with the support of the UN, held elections. A government headed by Syngman Rhee was elected. Left parties boycotted these elections. In the north, power was transferred by Soviet troops to the communist government led by Kim Il Sung. Countries anti-Hitler coalition it was assumed that after some time Korea should be reunited, however, in the context of the beginning of the Cold War, the USSR and the United States could not agree on the details of this reunification.

After the Soviet Union and the United States withdrew their troops from the peninsula, the leaders of North and South Korea began to develop plans to unite the country by military means. The DPRK, with the help of the USSR, and the ROK, with the help of the United States, formed their own armed forces. In this competition, the DPRK was ahead of South Korea: the Korean People's Army (KPA) surpassed the army of the Republic of Korea (AKP) in numbers (130 thousand versus 98 thousand), in terms of the quality of weapons (high-class Soviet military equipment) and by combat experience(More than a third of North Korean soldiers fought in the Chinese Civil War). However, neither Moscow nor Washington were interested in the emergence of a hotbed of tension on the Korean Peninsula.

From the beginning of 1949, Kim Il Sung began to turn to Soviet government with requests for help in a full-scale invasion of South Korea. He emphasized that Syngman Rhee's government was unpopular, and argued that the invasion of North Korean troops would lead to a massive uprising, during which the people of South Korea, interacting with North Korean units, themselves would overthrow the Seoul regime. Stalin, however, referring to the insufficient readiness of the North Korean army and the possibility of US troops intervening in the conflict and unleashing a full-scale war with the use of nuclear weapons, chose not to satisfy these requests of Kim Il Sung. Despite this, the USSR continued to provide North Korea with large military assistance, and the DPRK continued to build up its military power.

On January 12, 1950, US Secretary of State Dean Acheson declared that the American defense perimeter in the Pacific Ocean included the Aleutian Islands, the Japanese island of Ryukyu and the Philippines, which indicated that Korea was not within the sphere of immediate US state interests. This fact added determination to the North Korean government in unleashing an armed conflict. By early 1950, the North Korean military was superior to the South Korean in all key components. Stalin finally gave his consent to the military operation. The details were agreed upon during Kim Il Sung's visit to Moscow in March-April 1950.

On June 25, 1950, at 4 a.m., seven KPA infantry divisions (90,000) after a powerful artillery preparation (seven hundred 122-mm howitzers and 76-mm self-propelled guns) crossed the 38th parallel and using one hundred and fifty T-34 tanks as a striking force , the best tanks of the Second World War, quickly broke the defenses of four South Korean divisions; 200 Yak fighters in service with the KPA provided it with complete air superiority. Main blow was inflicted on the Seoul direction (1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th divisions of the KPA), and an auxiliary one - on the Chunghong west of the Taebaek ridge (6th division). South Korean troops retreated along the entire front, losing a third of their strength (more than 34 thousand) in the first week of fighting. Already on June 27 they left Seoul; On June 28, units of the KPA entered the capital of South Korea. On July 3, they took the port of Incheon.

In this situation, the Truman administration, which in 1947 proclaimed the doctrine of "containment of communism", decided to intervene in the conflict. Already on the first day of the North Korean offensive, the United States initiated the convening of the UN Security Council, which unanimously, with one abstention (Yugoslavia), adopted a resolution demanding that the DPRK cease hostilities and withdraw its troops beyond the 38th parallel. On June 27, Truman ordered the US Navy and Air Force to assist the South Korean army. On the same day, the Security Council gave a mandate to use international forces to drive the KPA out of South Korea.

On July 1, the transfer of the 24th US Infantry Division (16,000) to the peninsula began. On July 5, her units engaged in battle with KPA units near Osan, but were driven back to the south. July 6 34th American regiment unsuccessfully tried to stop the advancing North Korean troops at Anseong. On July 7, the Security Council assigned the leadership of the military operation to the United States. On July 8, Truman appointed General MacArthur, Commander of the American Forces in the Pacific, at the head of the UN forces in Korea. On July 13, US troops in Korea were merged into the 8th Army.

After the North Koreans defeated the 34th regiment at Cheonan (July 14), the 24th division and the South Korean units withdrew to Taejon, which became the temporary capital of the Republic of Korea, and created a defensive line on the river. Kymgan. However, already on July 16, the KPA broke through the Kymghan line and captured Taejon on July 20. As a result of the first stage of the campaign, five of the eight ROK divisions were defeated; South Koreans lost 76,000 and North Koreans 58,000.

However, the KPA command did not take full advantage of the fruits of its success. Instead of developing the offensive and dropping the still few American formations into the sea, it paused to regroup forces. This allowed the Americans to transfer significant reinforcements to the peninsula and defend part of South Korean territory.

2 Naktong operation

At the end of July 1950, the Americans and South Koreans retreated to the southeastern corner of the Korean Peninsula in the area of ​​the port of Pusan ​​(Pusan ​​Perimeter), organizing defenses along the Jinju-Taegu-Pohang line. On August 4, the KPA launched an assault on the Pusan ​​Perimeter. By this time, the number of defenders, thanks to significant American reinforcements, reached 180 thousand, they had 600 tanks at their disposal, and they occupied advantageous positions on the river. Naktong and in the foothills.

5th August 4th Infantry Division people's army North Korea crossed the Naktong River near Yongsan in an attempt to cut the American supply line and seize a foothold inside the Busan Perimeter. She was opposed by the 24th Infantry Division of the Eighth american army. The First Naktong Battle began. For the next two weeks, American and North Korean troops fought bloody battles, made attacks and counterattacks, but no one managed to prevail. Eventually American troops, reinforced by incoming reinforcements, using heavy weapons and air support, defeated the invading North Korean units, suffering from lack of supplies and high level desertion. The battle became a turning point in the course of initial period war, interrupting a series of victories for the North Koreans.

On August 15-20, American and South Korean forces managed to stop the North Korean advance west of Taegu. On August 24, 7,500 North Koreans with 25 tanks almost broke through the American defenses near Masan, which was defended by 20,000 soldiers with 100 tanks. Nevertheless, the forces of the Americans were constantly growing, and from August 29, units from other countries began to arrive near Pusan, primarily from the British Commonwealth.

In September, the Second Naktong Battle took place. On September 1, the KPA troops launched a general offensive, and on September 5-6 they punched a hole in the South Korean defensive lines in the northern sector of the perimeter near Yongchon, took Pohang and reached the near approaches to Taegu. Only thanks to the stubborn resistance of the American Marine Corps (1st Division), the offensive was stopped by mid-September.

3 Incheon Landing Operation

In order to ease pressure on the Pusan ​​bridgehead and achieve a turning point in the course of hostilities, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCNSH) in early September 1950 approved the plan proposed by MacArthur landing operation in the deep rear of the North Korean troops near the port of Incheon with the aim of capturing Seoul (Operation "Chromite"). The invasion troops (10th Corps under the command of Major General E. Almond) numbered 50 thousand people.

On September 10-11, American aircraft began intensified bombardments of the Incheon area, and American forces conducted several false landings in other parts of the coast to divert the attention of the KPA. A reconnaissance group was landed near Incheon. On September 13, the US Navy conducted reconnaissance in combat. Six destroyers approached the island of Wolmido, located in the harbor of Incheon and connected to the shore by a dam, and began shelling it, serving as a bait for enemy coastal artillery, while aviation spotted and destroyed the discovered artillery positions.

Operation Chromite began on the morning of September 15, 1950. On the first day, only units of the 1st Marine Division were involved. The landing was carried out under conditions of absolute air supremacy of American aviation. At about 6:30 a.m., one Marine battalion began landing in the northern part of Wolmido Island. The Wolmido garrison had by this point been almost completely destroyed by artillery and air strikes, and the Marines met with only light resistance. In the middle of the day there was a pause caused by the ebb tide. After the beginning of the evening tide, landings were made on the mainland.

By noon on September 16, the 1st Marine Division had taken control of the city of Inchon. In the port of Inchon, the landing of the 7th Infantry Division and the South Korean regiment began. At this time, the Marines were moving north towards the Kimpo airfield. The KPA tried to organize a tank-supported counterattack in the Incheon area, but in two days lost 12 T-34 tanks and several hundred soldiers from the actions of the marines and aircraft. On the morning of September 18, the Kimpo airfield was occupied by marines. The planes of the 1st Air Wing of the Marine Corps were relocated here. With their support, the 1st Marine Division continued its advance on Seoul. The landing of all combat and rear units of the X Corps was completed by 20 September.

On September 16, the 8th American Army launched an offensive from the Pusan ​​bridgehead, broke through to the north of Taegu on September 19-20, surrounded three North Korean divisions on September 24, captured Cheongju on September 26 and connected south of Suwon with parts of the 10 Corps. Almost half of the Busan grouping of the KPA (40,000) was destroyed or taken prisoner; the rest (30 thousand) hastily retreated to North Korea. By early October, all of South Korea had been liberated.

4 UN takeover of mainland North Korea

The American command, inspired by the military success and the prospect of unification of Korea under the rule of Syngman Rhee, decided on September 25 to continue military operations north of the 38th parallel with the aim of occupying the DPRK. On September 27, it received Truman's consent to this.

The PRC leadership has publicly stated that China will enter the war if any non-Korean military forces cross the 38th parallel. The corresponding warning was sent to the UN through the Indian Ambassador to China. However, President Truman did not believe in the possibility of large-scale Chinese intervention.

On October 1, the 1st ROK Corps crossed the demarcation line, launched an offensive along the east coast of North Korea, and on October 10 captured the port of Wonsan. The 2nd ROK Corps, which was part of the 8th Army, crossed the 38th parallel on October 6-7 and began to develop an offensive in the central direction. The main forces of the 8th Army on October 9 invaded the DPRK on the western section of the demarcation line north of Kaesong and rushed to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, which fell on October 19. To the east of the 8th Army, the 10th Corps, transferred from Seoul, advanced. By October 24, the troops Western coalition reached the Chonju-Pukchin-Udan-Orori-Tanchon line, approaching with its left flank (8th Army) the river bordering China. Yalujiang (Amnokkan). Thus, the bulk of North Korean territory was occupied.

5 Battle of Chosin Reservoir

On October 19, 1950, Chinese troops (three PLA regular armies numbering 380,000) under the command of Peng Dehuai, Vice Chairman of the People's Revolutionary Military Council of the People's Republic of China, crossed the Korean border without declaring war. On October 25, they launched a surprise attack on the ROK 6th Infantry Division; the latter managed to reach Chosan on the river on October 26. Yalujiang, but by October 30 it was completely defeated. On November 1-2, the same fate befell the US 1st Cavalry Division at Unsan. The 8th Army was forced to stop the offensive and by November 6 retreated to the river. Cheongchon.

However, the Chinese command did not pursue the 8th Army and withdrew its troops for replenishment. This gave rise to MacArthur's erroneous belief in the weakness of the enemy forces. On November 11, the US-ROK 10th Corps launched an offensive to the north: on November 21, units of its right wing reached Chinese border in the upper reaches of the Yalujiang near Khesan, and units of the left wing by November 24 established control over the strategically important area of ​​​​the Chhosin reservoir. At the same time, the 1st ROK Corps captured Chongjin and was 100 km from Soviet border. In this situation, MacArthur gave the order for a general Allied advance with the aim of "ending the war by Christmas". By that time, however, Chinese and North Korean forces were heavily outnumbered. On November 25, the 8th Army moved from Chongchon to the river. Yalujiang, but on the night of November 26, the PLA 13th Army Group launched a counterattack on its right flank (2nd ROK Corps) and made a deep breakthrough. On November 28, the 8th Army left Chonju and retreated to Chongchon, and on November 29 to the river. Namgan.

On November 27, the vanguard of the 10th Corps (US 1st Marine Division) launched an offensive west of Chhosin Reservoir in the direction of Kangge, but the next day, ten Chinese divisions (120 thousand) surrounded the Marines, as well as the 7th Infantry Division United States, occupying a position east of the reservoir. On November 30, the corps command ordered the blockaded units (25,000) to break through to the East Korean Gulf. During the 12-day retreat, which takes place in the most difficult winter conditions (deep snowdrifts, temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius), the Americans managed to fight their way to the port of Hynam by December 11, losing 12 thousand people. killed, wounded and frostbitten. The USMC still considers the Battle of Chhosin one of the most heroic pages in its history, and the PLA its first major victory above Western armies.

6 The offensive of the forces of the PRC and the DPRK on South Korea

In the beginning of December allied forces were forced to begin a general retreat to the south. The 8th Army left a defensive line on the river. Namgang left Pyongyang on December 2. By December 23, the 8th Army rolled back beyond the 38th parallel, but was able to gain a foothold on the river. Imjingan. By the end of the year, the government of Kim Il Sung regained control over the entire territory of the DPRK.

However, the Chinese leadership decided to continue the offensive to the south. On December 31, the Chinese and North Koreans with forces of up to 485 thousand people. launched an offensive along the entire front south of the 38th parallel. The new commander of the 8th Army, General Ridgway, was forced to begin a retreat on January 2, 1951 to the river. Hangang. On January 3, the expeditionary forces left Seoul, on January 5 - Incheon. Wonju fell on January 7th. By January 24, the advance of Chinese and North Korean troops was stopped on the Anson-Wonju-Chengkhon-Samcheok line. But in their hands remained northern regions South Korea.

In late January - late April 1951, Ridgway launched a series of strikes with the aim of recapturing Seoul and pushing the Chinese and North Koreans over the 38th parallel. On January 26, the 8th Army captured Suwon, and on February 10, Inchon. On February 21, the 8th Army struck again and by February 28 reached the lower reaches of the Hangang to the nearest approaches to Seoul. On March 14-15, the allies occupied Seoul and by March 31 reached the "Idaho line" (lower reaches of the Imjingan - Hongchon - north of Chumunjin) in the area of ​​the 38th parallel. On April 2-5, they made a breakthrough in the central direction and by April 9 they reached the Hwacheon reservoir, and by April 21 they were already at the nearest approaches to Chkhorwon, displacing the PLA and KPA beyond the 38th parallel (with the exception of the extreme western section of the front).

From late April to early July 1951, the warring parties made a number of attempts to break through the front line and change the situation in their favor. Then military operations acquired a positional character. The war has come to a standstill. Negotiations began. However, the armistice was signed only on July 27, 1953.

Outwardly, she looked local conflict, however, in essence it is a proxy war between the Soviet and American military-political blocs.

The capitalist countries provided all kinds of assistance to South Korea.

On the side of North Korea were the USSR and China, which officially did not participate in the war; the Chinese military fought on the side of the DPRK under the guise of volunteers, and the USSR provided the Koreans and Chinese financial assistance supplied weapons and ammunition.

Causes of the Korean War

The main prerequisite for starting a war is the division of the Korean Peninsula. Before Korea was a colony of the Japanese Empire. In this war, Japan sided with Nazi Germany.

Having declared war on it as the last of the Axis countries, the main countries of the anti-Hitler coalition - the USSR and the USA - began hostilities, occupying the Korean Peninsula from different sides.

Japan hastily capitulated, resulting in the formation of two Koreas - "Soviet" and "American"; these countries were only formally independent. This separation was supposed to be temporary, but the outbreak of the Cold War changed the situation.

South Korea became a capitalist state oriented towards the United States, while North Korea - the DPRK - became a communist state, developed with the support of the Soviet Union.

1. But this situation did not suit the leaders of the two Koreas - Kim Il Sung and Lee Syngman: each wanted to unite the peninsula under his own rule.

2. Another reason - the authorities of North Korea intended to free their capital from capitalist influence: according to the Constitution of the country, the capital of the DPRK was Seoul, located on the territory of South Korea; Pyongyang, according to the plan, was a temporary capital.

3. Finally, the third reason is the desire of world powers to make the Korean Peninsula their strategically important point. It was they who largely led the military operations.

Participants in the war

On the side of the DPRK, as already mentioned, the USSR and China fought. The Chinese Peng Dehuai was appointed commander-in-chief of the "volunteer detachments", under whose name, in fact, parts of the Chinese army operated. On the side of South Korea, in addition to the United States, was whole line states of Europe and America, as well as Turkey, the Philippines, Ethiopia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Curiously, in the United States, the conflict in Korea was officially considered not a war, but a police operation, in connection with which martial law was not declared in the country. In China, the Korean War is referred to as "a war against America to support the Korean people", thereby confirming that the main driving forces in the conflict were the world powers, and not the Korean authorities and armies.

The course of the war

The war, however, began suddenly for the world community: on June 25, the DPRK troops crossed the border with southern neighbor. North Korea had a significant fighting force - soldiers trained Soviet specialists, huge amount Soviet tanks and airplanes. The army of the southerners was much more modest strength fighters, and had almost no armored vehicles and aircraft.

On June 28, Seoul was captured by the northerners, and a little later, some other cities. However, Syngman Rhee and a significant number of government members managed to leave the capital; there was also no mass uprising of "workers and peasants", which the authorities of the DPRK counted on. A lightning victory did not happen, despite the fact that the DPRK controlled 90% of the territory of South Korea.

The UN Security Council was urgently convened in New York, according to which significant military forces were sent to help South Korea. Initially, the UN troops that arrived suffered setbacks; one of these failures was the capture of the commander of the 24th US Infantry Division, Major General Dean. However, in September 1950, the UN troops launched a counteroffensive.

Now the army of the DPRK was significantly inferior in number to the international troops. Soon UN forces captured Pyongyang. China at first did not want to get involved in the conflict. Chinese government declared that the country would enter the war when any non-Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel, the border separating the DPRK from its southern neighbor.

Harry Truman thought China was just a threat the international community, and ordered his troops to cross the border of the DPRK. After that, he realized how much he was mistaken: the PRC troops, numbering 270 thousand people, under the leadership of the aforementioned Peng Dehuai, went on the offensive.

The Chinese did not have aviation, they were armed only with rifles, grenades, mortars and machine guns. However, they chose a winning strategy - they acted at night, attacking small enemy units and winning due to numerical superiority. Moreover, more significant support for the North Korean-Chinese troops was provided by Soviet Union, which had both planes and tanks.

A protracted war began, in which each side acted with varying degrees of success.

The results of the war

• The Korean War was the first serious conflict in the history of the Cold War; starting from it, the confrontation between the two world blocs took on a more acute form.
• The territory of the Korean Peninsula remained divided between the two Koreas - capitalist and communist.
• Both countries suffered huge losses in the economy, roads, residential and government buildings, and businesses were destroyed.
• Paradoxically, the war proved beneficial to Japan; during the conflict, Americans began to acquire goods Japanese made and were convinced of their sufficiently high quality; soon Japanese zaibatsu (corporations) began to actively move into the world market.
• For the USSR, the war was generally unsuccessful, since it was not possible to create a “friendly” state on the entire Korean Peninsula. However Soviet officers and military leaders gained considerable experience in the war.

Throughout its history, Korea has often been forced to depend on its more powerful neighbors. So, back in 1592-1598, the country was at war with Japan, as a result of which the Koreans still managed to defend their independence, albeit with the help of the Ming Empire. However, already in the 17th century, after a series of Manchu invasions, the country became a tributary of the Ming Empire.

To mid-nineteenth century Korea was considered formally independent state, but the backwardness of the economy and general weakness made it seriously dependent on the Qing Empire. At the same time, the country had revolutionary movement, the purpose of which was to bring the country out of the stagnation caused by the presence of deeply conservative forces in power. In this regard, the Korean leadership turned to the Qing Empire for help, which sent troops into the country. In response, Japan sent its troops to Korea, thereby unleashing a war. As a result of this war, the Qing Empire suffered heavy defeat and Korea became a protectorate of Japan.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 had a significant impact on the situation in Korea. During this war, Japanese troops, under the guise of necessity, occupied the territory of the country and after its end they were no longer withdrawn. Thus, Korea actually became part of the Japanese Empire. However, the formal annexation of the country took place only in 1910. Japanese rule here lasted exactly 35 years.

World War II and the division of the country

In 1937 Japan went to war against China. In this war, Korea was a very convenient base for supplying Japanese army and the transfer of troops to China. Also, due to its favorable geographical position, Korea became a very convenient place for the placement of Japanese air and naval bases.

In the country itself, the situation of the population worsened every year. This was primarily due to Japanese politics assimilation, which aimed to make Korea the same integral part of Japan as, for example, the island of Hokkaido. In 1939, a decree was issued according to which Koreans could change their names to Japanese. At the same time, formally it was only allowed; in fact, it is highly recommended. Those who did not replace were condemned and even discriminated against. As a result, by 1940, approximately 80% of the population of Korea was forced to receive new, Japanese, names. Koreans were also subject to conscription into the Japanese army.

As a result, by 1945 the situation in Korea was close enough to an uprising. However, the proximity of a powerful Japanese group in Manchuria (the Kwantung Army) and the presence of large Japanese military bases on the territory of the country itself made a potential uprising almost doomed.

On August 8, 1945, the USSR entered the war against Japan. Troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front entered the territory of Korea and, overcoming the resistance of the Japanese troops, by August 24 they landed troops in Pyongyang. By this time, the Japanese leadership realized the futility of further resistance, and in Manchuria, China and Korea, the surrender of Japanese units began.

By the end of World War II, the territory of Korea was divided between the USSR and the USA along the 38th parallel. The zones of occupation of the two countries were designated only temporarily, since the unification of the country was supposed in the near future. However, as a result of the cooling of relations between the Soviet Union and yesterday's allies and the beginning of the Cold War, the prospects for unification became increasingly vague and uncertain.

Already in 1946, a Provisional Government was formed in North Korea, consisting of communist pro-Soviet forces. This government was headed by Kim Il Sung. At the same time, in the south of Korea, in opposition to the communist government, a government based on the United States was being formed. It was led by Syngman Rhee, the leader of the anti-communist movement.

On September 9, 1948, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was proclaimed in the north. In the south, the Republic of Korea did not formally declare independence, as it was believed that the country was simply liberated from Japanese occupation. Soviet and American troops were withdrawn from Korea in 1949, thus leaving both parts of the country to decide the issues of unification.

However, the relationship between northern and southern parts The Koreans were by no means welcoming. This consisted primarily in the fact that Kim Il Sung and Lee Syngman did not at all hide their intentions to unite Korea precisely under their rule. Thus, the unification of the country by peaceful means became almost impossible. Having exhausted peaceful means to achieve their goals, both Korean governments resorted to armed provocations on the border.

A large number of violations and skirmishes on the border led to the fact that the situation on the 38th parallel was quickly tense. By 1950, the leadership of the PRC was closely watching the Korean conflict, rightly believing that the destabilization of the situation in Korea could also have an impact on the situation in China.

Formally, preparations for the invasion began in North Korea back in 1948, when it became clear that the country would not be able to unite peacefully. At the same time, Kim Il Sung turned to JV Stalin with a request to provide military assistance in case of a possible invasion, which was refused. The Soviet leadership was not interested in a possible clash with the United States, which, moreover, had nuclear weapons.

However, by the summer of 1950, the conflict in Korea had practically taken shape and was ready to flare up. Both the northern and southern sides were determined to unite the country under their control, including by military means. However, the determination north side there were more. The situation was also clarified by the statement by US Secretary of State Dean Acheson that Korea is not in the sphere of vital US interests. Clouds over Korea...

The beginning of the war (June 25 - August 20, 1950)

Early in the morning of June 25, 1950, the DPRK army launched an invasion of South Korean territory. Border battles began, which turned out to be very short-lived.

Initially, the strength of the North Korean group was approximately 175 thousand people, about 150 tanks, including T-34s transferred by the Soviet Union, and about 170 aircraft. The South Korean group opposing them numerically amounted to approximately 95 thousand people and practically had neither armored vehicles nor aircraft.

Already in the first days of the war, the advantage of the DPRK army over the enemy became obvious. Having defeated the South Korean troops, she rushed deep into the country. Already on June 28, the capital of the Republic of Korea, the city of Seoul, was taken. South Korean troops retreated south in disarray.

On June 25, the UN Security Council was convened on an emergency basis. The resolution adopted at the meeting decided to condemn the North Korean side of the conflict and allowed the UN troops to enter the war on the side of South Korea. The resolution caused a negative reaction among the countries socialist camp. However, its execution began immediately.

In July-August 1950, during the Taejon and Naktong operations, North Korean troops managed to defeat a number of divisions of the South Korean army and the United States and push the enemy forces back to a small bridgehead in Busan. This piece of land, 120 km wide and about 100 km deep, has become last stronghold for South Korean and UN troops. All attempts by the DPRK army to break through this perimeter ended in failure.

However, the result of almost two months of fighting was the operational victory of the DPRK: about 90% of all of Korea was in the hands of the communists, and South Korean and American troops suffered heavy losses. Nevertheless, the South Korean troops were not completely destroyed and retained their potential, and the fact that the DPRK had the United States in the camp of its opponents, which had a very high military and industrial potential, practically deprived North Korea of ​​the chances of winning the war.

Turning point in the war (August–October 1950)

In August and early September, fresh units of UN troops, the United States, as well as Combat vehicles. This operation, in terms of the volume of troops and equipment transported, was the largest after the Second World War.

As a result, by September 15, 1950, the troops of the so-called "southern alliance" had 5 South Korean and 5 American divisions, one British brigade, about 1,100 aircraft and about 500 tanks on the Pusan ​​bridgehead. The North Korean troops opposing them had 13 divisions and about 40 tanks.

On September 15, American troops suddenly landed troops near the city of Incheon, about 30 kilometers west of Seoul, for the North Korean leadership. An operation called "Chromite" began. During it, the combined American-South Korean-British landing took possession of Inchon and, having broken through the weak defense of the North Korean troops in this area, began moving inland in order to connect with the coalition troops operating in the Busan bridgehead.

For the leadership of the DPRK, this landing came as a complete surprise, which led to the need to transfer part of the troops from the perimeter of the Pusan ​​bridgehead to the landing site in order to localize it. However, this was almost impossible to do. The units covering the Busan bridgehead by this time were involved in heavy defensive battles and suffered serious losses.

At this time, both groups of the "southern coalition", advancing from the Pusan ​​and Incheon bridgeheads, launched an offensive towards each other. As a result, they were able to meet on September 27 near Yesan County. The combination of the two coalition groups essentially created a catastrophic situation for the DPRK, since the 1st Army Group was thus encircled. Nevertheless, in the area of ​​​​the 38th parallel and to the north of it, defensive lines were feverishly created, which, ultimately, could not delay the troops of the “southern coalition” for any long time due to lack of funds and time for their equipment.

On September 28, Seoul was liberated by UN troops. By this time, the front line was moving more and more confidently towards the 38th parallel. In early October, border battles unfolded here, but, as in June, they were short-lived, and soon the troops of the "southern coalition" rushed to Pyongyang. Already in the 20th of the month, the capital of the DPRK was taken thanks to a land offensive and airborne assault.

Entry into the war of the PRC (November 1950 - May 1951)

The Chinese leadership, just recovering from the recently completed civil war, watched with concern the success of the "southern coalition" in Korea. The appearance as a result of the defeat of the DPRK of a new capitalist state close to China was extremely undesirable and even harmful for the resurgent PRC.

It is for this reason that the leadership of the PRC has repeatedly stated that the country will enter the war if any non-Korean forces cross the line of the 38th parallel. However, the troops of the "southern coalition" crossed the border already in mid-October and, developing the offensive, continued to advance. The fact that President Truman did not really believe in the possibility of China entering the war, believing that he would limit himself to blackmailing the UN, also had an effect.

However, on October 25, China nevertheless entered the war. The 250,000-strong group under the command of Peng Dehuai defeated part of the UN troops, but then was forced to retreat into the mountains in North Korea. At the same time, the USSR sent its planes into the sky of Korea, which, however, did not approach the front line closer than 100 kilometers. In this regard, the activity of the US Air Force in the skies of Korea decreased sharply, since the Soviet MiG-15s turned out to be technically more advanced than the F-80s and inflicted significant damage on the enemy in the very first days. The new American F-86 fighters, which could fight on equal terms with Soviet aircraft, somewhat leveled the situation in the sky.

In November 1950, a new Chinese offensive began. In the course of it, the Chinese, together with North Korean troops, managed to defeat the UN forces and press a large enemy grouping to the shore of the Sea of ​​Japan in the Hungnam area. However, the low combat effectiveness of the Chinese army, combined with the massive offensive templates used during the Civil War of 1946-1949, did not allow the destruction of this "southern coalition" grouping.

However, the course of the war turned again. Now the "northern coalition" was on the offensive, pursuing the retreating UN troops. Seoul was taken on January 4, 1951. At the same time, the situation became so critical for the "southern coalition" that the US leadership seriously thought about the possibility of using nuclear weapons against China. However, by the end of January, the Chinese offensive was stopped on the Pyeongtaek-Wonju-Yongwol-Samcheok line by UN forces. The main reason for this stop was both the fatigue of the Chinese troops, and the transfer of new UN forces to Korea and the desperate efforts of the leadership of the "southern coalition" to stabilize the front. Besides general level The training of the command staff of the UN troops was disproportionately higher than that of the leadership of the Chinese and North Korean troops.

After the front line was relatively stabilized, the command of the "southern coalition" undertook a series of operations to counteroffensive and liberate areas south of the 38th parallel. Their result was the defeat of the troops of China and the liberation in mid-March 1951 of Seoul. By April 20, the front line was in the area of ​​the 38th parallel and almost repeated the pre-war border.

Now it is the turn for the offensive of the troops of the "northern coalition". And such an offensive began on May 16. However, if during the first days the Chinese troops managed to occupy a number of territories and reach distant approaches to Seoul, then on May 20-21 this offensive was finally stopped. The subsequent counter-offensive of the troops of the South forced the fairly exhausted Chinese troops to withdraw again to the line of the 38th parallel. Thus, the May offensive of the "northern coalition" failed.

Positional stage and the end of the war

In June 1951, it finally became clear that neither side would achieve a decisive victory. Both the "northern" and "southern" coalitions had about a million soldiers, which made their orders on a relatively narrow stretch of land on the Korean Peninsula very dense. This ruled out any opportunity for a quick breakthrough and maneuver. It became clear that the war must be ended.

The first negotiations on a peaceful settlement were made in the city of Kaesong in July 1951, but then it was not possible to agree on anything. And the requirements of the UN, and China, and the DPRK coincided: the border between the two Koreas was to return to the pre-war one. However, inconsistencies in the details led to the fact that the negotiations dragged on for two whole years, and even during them, both sides carried out bloody offensive operations that did not lead to any noticeable results.

On July 27, 1953, a ceasefire was signed in Kaesong. This agreement provided for some change in the borders between the two parts of Korea, the creation of a demilitarized zone between the two states and the end of hostilities. It is noteworthy that the city of Kaesong itself, being part of South Korea before the war, after the conflict came under the rule of the DPRK. With the signing of the ceasefire treaty, the Korean War was practically over. However, formally the peace treaty has not been signed, and, therefore, legally the war continues.

Consequences and results of the Korean War

Neither side can be unequivocally called the winner of the war. In fact, we can say that the conflict ended in a draw. However, it is still worth mentioning the goals pursued by the parties in order to understand who was still able to achieve the goal. The goal of the DPRK, like the Republic of Korea, was to unite the country under its rule, which was never achieved. As a result, both parts of Korea never achieved their goals. China's goal was to prevent the emergence of a capitalist state on its borders, which was achieved. The goal of the UN was to preserve both parts of Korea (after 1950), which was also achieved. Thus, China and the UN achieved their goals, being allies of the main warring parties.

The losses of the parties vary greatly according to various estimates. Of particular difficulty in calculating losses is not only the fact that many military personnel of third countries took part in the war, but also the fact that in the DPRK, for example, the loss figures are classified. It is worth noting that, according to the most reliable data, the troops of the "northern coalition" lost about one million people, of which about 496 thousand were killed or died from wounds and diseases. As for the "southern coalition", its losses were somewhat less - approximately 775 thousand people, of which the number of those killed is about 200 thousand. It is definitely worth adding to the military losses another million dead Korean civilians from the DPRK and the Republic of Korea.

The war in Korea has become a real humanitarian catastrophe for the country. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes due to the fighting. The country received huge damage, which significantly slowed down its development in the next decade. Political situation also leaves much to be desired. The hostility between the two states, which was the cause of the Korean War, has not essentially disappeared, despite a number of steps taken by the governments of North and South Korea to de-escalate tensions. So, in April 2013, the crisis almost led to a full-scale war. This, along with nuclear and missile tests in the DPRK, by no means contributes to the normalization of the situation and an adequate dialogue between states. However, the leaders of both states still hope for unification in the future. What will happen next - time will tell.

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In 1945 it was a colony of Japan. On August 6, 1945, the Soviet Union, in accordance with an agreement concluded with the United States, denounced the non-aggression pact of 1941, declared war on the Empire of Japan, and on August 8, Soviet troops entered Korea from the north. American troops landed on the Korean Peninsula from the south.
On August 10, 1945, in connection with the imminent Japanese surrender, the US and the USSR agreed to divide Korea along the 38th parallel, assuming that the Japanese troops to the north of it would surrender to the Red Army, and the US would accept the surrender of the southern formations. The peninsula was thus divided into northern, Soviet, and southern, American parts. This separation was supposed to be temporary.
In December 1945, the US and the USSR signed an agreement on the temporary administration of the country. In both parts, northern and southern, governments were formed. In the south of the peninsula, the United States, with the support of the UN, held elections, replacing the left-wing interim government, convened in June 1945 after the war, with an anti-communist one led by Syngman Rhee. Left parties boycotted these elections. In the north, power was transferred by Soviet troops to the communist government led by Kim Il Sung. The countries of the anti-Hitler coalition assumed that after some time Korea should be reunited, however, in the context of the beginning of the Cold War, the USSR and the United States could not agree on the details of this reunification, therefore, in 1947, the United Nations, at the suggestion of US President Truman, without relying on any referenda and plebiscites, took responsibility for Korea's future.
Both South Korean President Syngman Lee and General Secretary of the Workers' Party of North Korea Kim Il Sung made no secret of their intentions: both regimes sought to unite the peninsula under their rule. The constitutions of both Korean states adopted in 1948 unambiguously proclaimed that the goal of each of the two governments was to extend its power throughout the country. It is significant that, in accordance with the North Korean Constitution of 1948, Seoul was considered the capital of the country, while Pyongyang was, formally, only the temporary capital of the country in which higher authorities The authorities of the DPRK were only until the "liberation" of Seoul. At the same time, by 1949, both Soviet and American troops were withdrawn from the territory of Korea.
The Chinese government followed the escalating situation in Korea with concern. Mao Zedong was convinced that American intervention in Asia would destabilize the situation in the region and adversely affect his plans to defeat Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang forces based in Taiwan. From the beginning of 1949, Kim Il Sung began to appeal to the Soviet government for help in a full-scale invasion of South Korea. He emphasized that Syngman Rhee's government was not popular, and argued that the invasion of North Korean troops would lead to a massive uprising, during which the people of South Korea, interacting with North Korean units, themselves would overthrow the Seoul regime.
Stalin, however, referring to the insufficient degree of readiness of the North Korean army and the possibility of US troops interfering in the conflict and unleashing a full-scale war with the use of atomic weapons, chose not to satisfy these requests of Kim Il Sung. Most likely, Stalin believed that the situation in Korea could lead to a new world war. Despite this, the USSR continued to provide North Korea with large military assistance. The DPRK also continued to build up its military power in response to the arming of South Korea, organizing the army on the Soviet model and under the guidance of Soviet military advisers. A large role was also played by ethnic Koreans from China, veterans of the People's Liberation Army of China, who, with the consent of Beijing, went to serve in the North Korean armed forces. Thus, by the beginning of 1950, the North Korean armed forces were superior to the South Korean in all key components. Finally, in January 1950, after considerable hesitation and succumbing to Kim Il Sung's insistent assurances, Stalin agreed to conduct a military operation. Details were agreed upon during Kim Il Sung's visit to Moscow in March–April 1950, and the final offensive plan was prepared by Soviet advisers by the end of May.
On January 12, 1950, US Secretary of State Dean Acheson stated that the American defense perimeter at Pacific Ocean passes through the Aleutian Islands, the Japanese island of Ryukyu and the Philippines, which indicated that Korea is not within the sphere of immediate US state interests. This fact added determination to the North Korean government in unleashing armed conflict, and helped convince Stalin that a U.S. military intervention in the Korean conflict was unlikely.
The forerunner of the Korean War is the so-called. "small war" of 1949-1950, which consisted of a series of "incidents" in the area of ​​the 38th parallel, both from the DPRK and the Republic of Korea.
The largest of them can be considered a conflict over a height of 488.2 (Mount Sonyak), Hwanghae Province (May-July 1949), in the Kachon Volost of Pekson County, Hwanghae Province (May 21-June 7), the invasion of South Korean troops into the Yanyang District of Gangwon Province (late June-July 1949), the conflict around Mount Eunpha, Hwanghae Province (July-October 1949), the Monggympo Bay incident (August 6, 1949) and a number of others.
In addition, reconnaissance and sabotage groups were constantly sent to the areas north and south of the 38th parallel during 1949 and early 1950 in order to carry out subversive, sabotage and terrorist acts, intimidate the civilian population.

In the predawn hours of June 25, North Korean troops under cover of artillery crossed the border with their southern neighbor. The strength of the ground group, trained by Soviet military advisers, was 135 thousand people, it included 150 T-34 tanks. On the part of South Korea, the strength of the ground group, trained by American specialists and armed with American weapons, by the beginning of the war was about 150 thousand people; the South Korean army had almost no armored vehicles and aircraft. The North Korean government said that the "traitor" Lee Syngman treacherously invaded the territory of the DPRK. The advance of the North Korean army in the early days of the war was very successful. Already on June 28, the capital of South Korea, the city of Seoul, was captured. The main areas of impact also included Kaesong, Chungcheong, Uijeongbu and Onjin. The Seoul Gimpo Airport was completely destroyed. However the main objective was not achieved - a lightning victory did not work out, Lee Syngman and a significant part of the South Korean leadership managed to escape and leave the city. The mass uprising that the North Korean leadership was counting on did not happen either. Nevertheless, by mid-August, up to 90% of the territory of South Korea was occupied by the DPRK army.
The outbreak of the war in Korea came as a surprise to the US and others Western countries: Literally a week before, on June 20, Dean Acheson of the State Department, in his report to Congress, stated that war was unlikely. Truman was informed of the start of the war a few hours after it began, due to the fact that he went home to Missouri for the weekend, and US Secretary of State Atchison went to Maryland. On the other hand, there is evidence that the start of the war was pre-planned, as the United States began to evacuate its citizens as early as June 24.
Despite the post-war demobilization of the US army, which significantly weakened their strength in the region (with the exception of the US Marine Corps, the divisions sent to Korea were 40% complete), the US still had a large military contingent under the command of General Douglas MacArthur in Japan. With the exception of the British Commonwealth, no other country had such military power in the region. At the start of the war, Truman ordered MacArthur to supply the South Korean army with military supplies and to evacuate US citizens under air cover. Truman did not heed the advice of his entourage to unleash an air war against the DPRK, but ordered the Seventh Fleet to provide the defense of Taiwan, thus ending the policy of non-interference in the struggle of the Chinese Communists and Chiang Kai-shek's forces. The Kuomintang government, now based in Taiwan, asked for military assistance, but the US government refused, citing the possibility of Communist Chinese intervention in the conflict.
On June 25, the UN Security Council was convened in New York, on the agenda of which was the Korean question. The original resolution proposed by the Americans was adopted by nine votes in favor with no votes against. The representative of Yugoslavia abstained and soviet ambassador Yakov Malik did not appear for the decisive vote due to the lack of clear instructions from Moscow. According to other sources, the USSR did not participate in the voting on the Korean problem, since by that time it had withdrawn its delegation in protest against the non-acceptance of Chinese representatives in the UN.
Other Western powers sided with the US and provided military assistance to US troops that were sent to aid South Korea. However, by August, the Allied forces were pushed back far to the south into the Pusan ​​area. Despite the arrival of help from the UN, the American and South Korean forces could not get out of the encirclement known as the Busan Perimeter, they were only able to stabilize the front line along the Naktong River. It seemed that it would not be difficult for the DPRK troops to eventually occupy the entire Korean Peninsula. However, the Allied forces managed to go on the offensive by the autumn.
The most important fighting the first months of the war - the Taejon offensive operation (July 3-25) and the Naktong operation (July 26 - August 20). During the Taejon operation, in which several infantry divisions of the DPRK army, artillery regiments and some smaller armed formations, the northern coalition succeeded in immediately crossing the Kimgang River, encircling and dismembering the 24th US Infantry Division into two parts and capturing its commander, Major General Dean. As a result, American troops lost 32 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 220 guns and mortars, 20 tanks, 540 machine guns, 1300 vehicles, etc. cavalry divisions Americans, on southwest direction The 6th Infantry Division and the motorcycle regiment of the 1st KPA Army defeated the retreating units of the South Korean army, captured the southwestern and southern parts of Korea and reached the approaches to Masan, forcing the 1st American Marine Division to retreat to Pusan. On August 20, the offensive of the North Korean troops was stopped. The southern coalition retained the Busan bridgehead up to 120 km along the front and up to 100-120 km in depth and defended it quite successfully. All attempts by the DPRK army to break through the front line were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, in early autumn, the southern coalition troops received reinforcements and began to attempt to break through the Busan perimeter.

Counteroffensive of the troops of the southern coalition (September-November 1950)

The counteroffensive began on 15 September. By this time, 5 South Korean and 5 American divisions, a brigade of the British army, about 500 tanks, over 1634 guns and mortars of various calibers, 1120 aircraft were located in the Pusan ​​perimeter. From the sea, the grouping of ground forces was supported by a powerful grouping of the US Navy and allies - 230 ships. They were opposed by 4 thousand soldiers of the DPRK army, with 40 tanks and 811 guns.
Having provided reliable protection from the south, on September 15, the southern coalition launched Operation Chromite. In its course, an American landing was landed in the port of the city of Incheon near Seoul. The landing was carried out in three echelons: in the first echelon - the 1st Marine Division, in the second - the 7th Infantry Division, in the third - a detachment special purpose British army and some parts of the South Korean army. The next day, Inchon was captured, the landing troops broke through the defenses of the North Korean army and launched an offensive towards Seoul. On the southbound a counteroffensive was launched from the Taegu area by a grouping of 2 South Korean army corps, 7 American infantry divisions and 36 artillery battalions. Both advancing groups united on September 27 near Yesan County, thus surrounding the 1st Army Group of the DPRK Army. The next day, UN forces captured Seoul, and on October 8 they reached the 38th parallel. After a series of battles in the area of ​​​​the former border of the two states, the forces of the southern coalition on October 11 again went on the offensive towards Pyongyang.
Although the northerners at a feverish pace built two defensive lines at a distance of 160 and 240 km north of the 38th parallel, their forces were clearly not enough, and the situation that completed the formation of the division did not change. The enemy could conduct both hourly and daily artillery preparation and air strikes. To support the operation to take the capital of the DPRK on October 20 at 40-45 kilometers north of the city five thousandth was thrown out airborne assault. The capital of the DPRK fell.

Chinese and Soviet intervention (October 1950)

By the end of September, it became clear that the North Korean armed forces were defeated, and that the occupation of the entire territory of the Korean Peninsula by the US-South Korean troops was only a matter of time. Under these conditions, during the first week of October, active consultations continued between the leadership of the USSR and the PRC. In the end, it was decided to send parts of the Chinese army to Korea. Preparations for such an option had been underway since the late spring of 1950, when Stalin and Kim Il Sung informed Mao of the impending attack on South Korea.
The Chinese leadership has publicly stated that China will enter the war if any non-Korean military forces cross the 38th parallel. The corresponding warning was, in particular, transmitted through the Indian ambassador to the PRC in early October. However, President Truman did not believe in the possibility of large-scale Chinese intervention, saying that Chinese warnings were only "attempts to blackmail the UN."
The very next day after American troops crossed the North Korean border on October 8, 1950, Chairman Mao ordered the Chinese army to approach the Yalu River and be ready to cross it. “If we allow the US to occupy the entire Korean Peninsula, we must be prepared for the fact that they will declare war on China,” he told Stalin. Premier Zhou Enlai was urgently sent to Moscow to convey Mao's thoughts Soviet leadership. Mao, in anticipation of help from Stalin, postponed the date of entry into the war for several days, from October 13 to October 19.
However, the USSR limited itself to air support, and the Soviet MiG-15s were not supposed to fly up to the front line closer than 100 km. The new jet aircraft prevailed over the obsolete American F-80s until more modern F-86s appeared in Korea. The United States was well aware of the military assistance provided by the USSR, but in order to avoid an international nuclear conflict, no response from the Americans followed. At the same time, throughout the entire period of hostilities, Soviet representatives publicly and officially assured that “ Soviet pilots not in Korea.
On October 15, 1950, Truman traveled to Wake Atoll to discuss the possibility of Chinese intervention and measures to limit the Korean War. There, MacArthur urged Truman that "if the Chinese try to enter Pyongyang, there will be a big felling."
China couldn't wait any longer. By mid-October, the question of the entry of Chinese forces into the war was resolved and agreed with Moscow. The offensive of the 270,000-strong Chinese army under the command of General Peng Dehuai began on October 25, 1950. Using the effect of surprise, the Chinese army crushed the defense of the UN troops, but then withdrew into the mountains. The loss of the Chinese at the same time amounted to 10,000 people, but the US Eighth Army also lost almost 8,000 people (of which 6,000 were Koreans) and was forced to take up defensive positions along the south bank of the Hangang River. UN troops, despite this blow, continued their offensive towards the Yalu River. At the same time, in order to avoid formal conflicts, the Chinese units operating in Korea were called "Chinese people's volunteers."
In late November, the Chinese launched a second offensive. To lure the Americans out of strong defensive positions between Hangang and Pyongyang, Peng ordered his units to fake panic. On November 24, MacArthur sent the divisions of the South straight into the trap. Bypassing the UN troops from the west, the Chinese surrounded them with a 420,000-strong army and launched a flank attack on the American Eighth Army. In the east, a regiment of the US 7th Infantry Division was defeated at the Battle of Chhosinskoye Reservoir (November 26 - December 13). The Marines fared somewhat better: despite the forced retreat to the south, the 1st Marine Division defeated seven Chinese divisions, which involved two armies from the ninth army group in the fight against the US Marines.

In northeast Korea, UN forces retreated to the city of Heungnam, where, after building defensive line, began evacuation in December 1950. About 100,000 military men and the same number of civilians from North Korea were loaded onto military and merchant ships and successfully transported to South Korea.
On January 4, 1951, the DPRK, in alliance with China, captured Seoul. The US 8th Army and 10th Corps were forced to retreat. General Walker, who died in a car accident, was replaced by Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway, who during World War II commanded airborne troops. Ridgway immediately set about strengthening the moral and fighting spirit their soldiers, but the situation for the Americans was so critical that the command was seriously thinking about using nuclear weapons. Timid attempts at a counter-offensive, known as Operation Wolf Hunt (end of January), Thunder (began on January 25) and Encirclement, were not successful. However, as a result of the operation, which began on February 21, 1951, the UN troops managed to significantly push the Chinese army to the north. Finally, on March 7, the order was given to launch Operation Ripper. Two directions of counteroffensive were chosen in the central part of the front line. The operation developed successfully, and in mid-March, the troops of the southern coalition crossed the Hangang River and occupied Seoul. However, on April 22, the troops of the North launched their counteroffensive. One blow was inflicted on the western sector of the front, and two auxiliary ones - in the center and in the east. They broke through the line of UN troops, dismembered the American forces into isolated groups and rushed to Seoul. The 29th British brigade, which was occupying a position along the Imjingan River, was in the direction of the main attack. Having lost more than a quarter in battle personnel The brigade was forced to retreat. In total, during the offensive from April 22 to April 29, up to 20 thousand soldiers and officers of the American and South Korean troops were wounded and captured.
On April 11, 1951, by order of Truman, General MacArthur was removed from command of the troops. There were several reasons for this, including MacArthur's meeting with Chiang Kai-shek at diplomatic level, extravagant conduct of military operations and inaccurate information transmitted by him to Truman on Wake Atoll about the number of Chinese troops near the Korean border. In addition, MacArthur openly insisted on a nuclear attack on China, despite Truman's unwillingness to spread the war from the territory of the Korean Peninsula and the possibility of a nuclear conflict with the USSR. Truman was not happy that MacArthur was taking over the powers that belonged to Supreme Commander who was Truman himself. military elite wholeheartedly supported the president. MacArthur was replaced by the former commander of the 8th Army, General Ridgway, the new commander of the Eighth Army was Lieutenant General Van Fleet.
On May 16, another offensive of the northern coalition troops began, rather unsuccessfully. It was stopped on May 21, after which the UN troops launched a full-scale offensive along the entire front. The Army of the North was driven back beyond the 38th parallel. The southern coalition did not develop success, limiting itself to reaching the lines occupied by it after Operation Ripper.

End of hostilities

By June 1951 the war had reached critical point. In spite of heavy losses, each side had an army of about a million people. Despite the superiority in technical means, the United States and the allies were not able to achieve a decisive advantage. The question of the use of nuclear weapons in the theater of operations was considered by the Americans more than once, but each time a conclusion was made that it was ineffective. It became clear to all parties to the conflict what to achieve military victory at a reasonable price would not be possible and that truce negotiations would be necessary. For the first time, the parties sat down at the negotiating table in Kaesong on July 8, 1951, but even during the discussions, hostilities continued.
The purpose of the so-called. "UN forces" was the restoration of South Korea within pre-war limits. The Chinese command put forward similar conditions. Both sides reinforced their demands with bloody offensive operations. So, during the offensive of August 31 - November 12, 1951, the Eighth Army lost 60,000 people, of which 22,000 were Americans. In late November, the Chinese launched a counter-offensive, losing over 100,000 men. Despite the bloodshed of hostilities, the final period of the war was characterized only relatively small changes front lines and long periods discussions about a possible end to the conflict.
By the beginning of winter, the main subject of negotiations was the repatriation of prisoners of war. The Communists agreed to voluntary repatriation on the condition that all North Korean and Chinese prisoners of war be returned to their homeland. However, when interviewed, many of them did not want to return. In addition, a significant proportion of the North Korean prisoners of war were actually South Korean citizens who fought on the side of the North under duress. In order to disrupt the process of screening out "refuseniks", the northern coalition sent their agents to the South Korean prisoner of war camps, who provoked riots.
Dwight Eisenhower, elected President of the United States on November 4, 1952, traveled to Korea even before he officially took office to find out on the spot what could be done to end the war. However, the turning point was the death of Stalin on March 5, 1953, shortly after which the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks voted to end the war. Having lost support from the USSR, China agreed to the voluntary repatriation of prisoners of war, subject to the screening of "refuseniks" by a neutral international agency, which included representatives of Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, Czechoslovakia and India. On April 20, 1953, the exchange of the first sick and crippled prisoners began.
After the United Nations accepted India's proposal for a ceasefire, an agreement on it was concluded on July 27, 1953. It is noteworthy that the representatives of South Korea refused to sign the document, so that all the so-called. "UN forces" was represented by the commander of the American contingent, General Clark. The front line was fixed in the area of ​​the 38th parallel, and a demilitarized zone (DMZ) was proclaimed around it. This territory is still guarded by North Korean troops from the north and US-Korean troops from the south. The DMZ runs somewhat to the north of the 38th parallel in its eastern part and slightly to the south in the west. Place peace talks, Kaesong, the old capital of Korea, was part of South Korea before the war, but now it is a city with a special status of the DPRK. To this day, a peace treaty that would formally end the war has not been signed.