End of the Korean War. The conflict between North and South Korea: essence, cause, chronology

Between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

The war was fought with the participation of the Chinese military contingent and military specialists and units of the USSR Air Force on the side of the DPRK, and the armed forces of the United States and a number of states as part of the UN multinational forces on the side of South Korea.

The prerequisites for the Korean War were laid in the summer of 1945, when Soviet and American troops appeared on the territory of the country, at that time completely occupied by Japan. The peninsula was divided into two parts along the 38th parallel.
After the formation of two Korean states in 1948 and the withdrawal of first Soviet and then American troops from the peninsula, both Korean sides and their main allies, the USSR and the USA, were preparing for a conflict. The governments of the North and South intended to unite Korea under their own rule, which was proclaimed in the Constitutions adopted in 1948.
In 1948, the United States and the Republic of Korea signed an agreement to create a South Korean army. In 1950, a defense agreement was concluded between these countries.

In North Korea, with the help of the Soviet Union, the Korean People's Army was created. After the withdrawal of the Soviet Army from the DPRK in September 1948, all weapons and military equipment were left to the DPRK. The Americans withdrew their troops from South Korea only in the summer of 1949, but left about 500 advisers there; military advisers of the USSR remained in the DPRK.
The mutual non-recognition of the two Korean states by each other, their incomplete recognition on the world stage made the situation on the Korean Peninsula extremely unstable.
Armed skirmishes along the 38th parallel took place with varying degrees of intensity until June 25, 1950. Especially often they happened in 1949 - the first half of 1950, numbering in the hundreds. Sometimes more than a thousand people from each side participated in these skirmishes.
In 1949, the head of the DPRK, Kim Il Sung, asked the USSR for help in invading South Korea. However, considering the North Korean army insufficiently trained and fearing a conflict with the United States, Moscow did not comply with this request.

Despite the start of negotiations, hostilities continued. A large-scale air war broke out in the air, in which the main role from the South was played by the US Air Force and aviation, and from the North - the Soviet 64th Fighter Air Corps.

By the spring of 1953, it became obvious that the price of victory for either side would be too high, and, after Stalin's death, the Soviet party leadership decided to end the war. China and North Korea did not dare to continue the war on their own. The opening of a memorial cemetery in memory of those killed in the Korean War In the capital of the DPRK, as part of the celebration of the anniversary of the end of the Patriotic War of 1950-1953, a memorial cemetery was opened in memory of the dead. The ceremony was attended by the highest party and military officials of the country. The truce between North Korea, China and the UN was documented on July 27, 1953.

The human losses of the parties in the armed conflict are estimated differently. The total losses of the South in killed and wounded are estimated in the range from 1 million 271 thousand to 1 million 818 thousand people, the North - from 1 million 858 thousand to 3 million 822 thousand people.
According to official US figures, the US lost 54,246 killed and 103,284 wounded in the Korean War.
The USSR lost in Korea a total of 315 people killed and died from wounds and diseases, including 168 officers. The 64th Air Corps lost 335 MiG-15 fighters and over 100 pilots in 2.5 years of participation in hostilities, shooting down over a thousand enemy aircraft.
Total losses The air forces of the parties amounted to more than three thousand aircraft UN forces and about 900 aircraft of the Air Forces of China, North Korea and the USSR.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Korean War (1950-1953) - The civil war between North Korea and South Korea, which almost immediately escalated into an international conflict, was fought from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953 (formally, the war is not over). This Cold War conflict is seen as global confrontation on the limited area, countries of the Communist camp and anti-communist countries. It was one of the bloodiest local conflicts after the Second World War, which had every chance to develop into the Third World War.

Communist bloc: Korean People's Army (KPA); the People's Liberation Army of China (since it was officially believed that the PRC did not participate in the conflict, regular Chinese troops were formally considered to be formations of the so-called "Chinese People's Volunteers - CPV"); Soviet army(not officially participated in the war).

Anti-communist bloc: South Korean Army (SKA); military contingents of 16 countries in the UN peacekeeping forces (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, France, Turkey, Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ethiopia, Colombia, South Africa). In addition, 5 UN member countries sent only medical units to Korea (India, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Italy).

Timeline of the Korean War:

The first operation of the KPA was the defeat of the South Caucasus in the border areas (25-28.06.1950).

The second operation of the KPA - the defeat of the troops of the South Caucasus in the Seoul region and reaching the line of the river. Hangang, Gangneung (June 28-July 2, 1950).

The third (Taejongsk) operation of the KPA - reaching the line of Posong, Geumsan, Endong, Yongju, Yondok (3-25.07.1950).

The fourth operation of the KPA is an offensive in the direction of the city of Busan (26.07-20.08.1950).

The fifth operation of the KPA - the struggle for the Pusan ​​bridgehead (21.08-14.09.1950).

Amphibious landing of the UN troops in Incheon and counteroffensive of the UN and SKA troops from the "Busan Perimeter" (15.09-08.10.1950).

Continuation of the offensive of the UN and SKA troops north of the 38th parallel (11-24-10.1950).

The entry into the war of Chinese people's volunteers and military personnel of the aviation units of the Soviet Union. Counterattack in the area of ​​Unzan, Hichen, Tokchen (29.10-05.11.1950).

Counteroffensive of the Chinese volunteers and the Korean People's Army in North Korea (25.11–18.12.1950).

"New Year's" offensive of the Chinese volunteers and the Korean People's Army from the turn of the 38th parallel (12/31/1950 - 01/09/1951).

Defensive actions and retreat of the Chinese volunteers and the Korean People's Army to the 38th parallel (25.01.–21.04.1951).

Combat operations of the CPV and KPA (22.04.-09.07.1951).

Fighting during the armistice negotiations in 1951

Armed provocations organized by the Americans in the neutral zone of Kesson hinder the work of the Korean-Chinese delegation and are aimed at disrupting negotiations.

Since July 1951, American aviation has sharply increased the bombardment of CPV and KPA troops and rear facilities. Up to 700 sorties are made daily.

"Summer" offensive of the UN troops on the positions of the KPA on the eastern sector of the front (18-26.08.1951).

Counteroffensive of the KPA against the UN troops on the eastern sector of the front (26.08-02.09.1951)

"Autumn" offensive of the UN troops on the positions of the CPV on the western sector of the front (October 3-8, 1951)

"Autumn" offensive of the UN troops on the positions of the CPV on the central sector of the front (13-20.10. 1951)

On November 27, 1951, an agreement was reached on a demarcation line established on the basis of the line of contact between the troops of the opposing sides that existed by that time. This line, with minor changes, was preserved until the end of the war. The front line stabilized, the fighting took on a local character and was fought to capture strongholds and heights.

Fighting during the negotiations for an armistice in 1952

"War of Suffocation". Since January 1952, American aviation has stepped up mass and systematic aerial bombardment of rear facilities of military and economic importance, areas where troops are stationed, communications, and also civilian settlements. On average, up to 800 sorties are made daily. The activities of the CPV and KPA aviation were limited mainly to covering the most important installations in the DPRK and Northeast China, and partly to covering troops.

The troops are strengthening the front line, the construction of defensive structures is underway.

Offensive of the UN and SKA troops against the CPV in the area north of Kumkhua (14.10.-25.11.1952)

Fighting during the armistice negotiations in 1953

The aviation of the UN troops, having met with serious opposition from the fighter aircraft of the KPA and the CPV, was forced to build up fighter aircraft and change the tactics of waging an air war. On average, the Americans made from 700 to 1000 sorties per day. The blows were delivered against the combat formations of troops, rear and communication facilities, and were also subjected to massive bombing of the hydroelectric power plants of the Changchingang, Hotchengan cascades and the Supun hydroelectric power station on the Yalujiang River. The cities of the DPRK were also subjected to raids.

Offensive of the 20th CPV Army with the aim of defeating units of the South Caucasus in the area south of Kimson (July 13-18, 1953).

July 27, 1953 at 10:00 a.m. belligerents signed an armistice agreement in Panmenchzhong. Accordingly, at 22:00 Korean time fighting along the entire front were stopped. The Korean War is over.

Names of the Korean War used in participating countries:

USSR: Korean War

North Korea: 조국해방전쟁

After Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 Korea became part of the Japanese empire. At the end of World War II, the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition came to an agreement that the Russians would disarm the Japanese troops in the northern part of the country, and the American ones in the south. The United Nations was going to give Korea full independence. To this end, at the end of 1947, a UN commission was sent to the country to organize national elections. But by this point, cold war The conflict between the western and eastern blocs was already in full swing, and the USSR refused to recognize the authority of the commission in its zone of occupation.

Elections were held in the south of the Korean Peninsula under the supervision of a UN commission, and in August 1948 the state of South Korea was established, headed by the President Lee Seungman. The USSR held its own elections in North Korea, and in September 1948 Stalin's protege came to power Kim Il Sung, who remained the leader of the country until his death in July 1994. Soviet troops were withdrawn from the Korean Peninsula, and in July 1949 the Americans did the same. Stalin, however, left the North Korean army much better armed than its southern neighbor. Relations between the two Koreas were very tense.

Less than a year later, on June 25, 1950, North Korean troops launched the war with a surprise attack. They crossed the 38th parallel, which was the state border between the two Koreas. Their goal was to overthrow the South Korean government and unite the country under the rule of Kim Il Sung.

Poorly armed and poorly trained South Korean troops failed to repulse the aggression from the north. Three days later, the capital of the country, Seoul, surrendered to North Korean troops, who continued to advance south on a broad front. South Korea turned to the UN for help. Ever since January 1950 Soviet Union refused to participate in the work of the UN due to the presence there as a permanent member of the Security Council from China, the ambassador of the nationalist regime Chiang Kai-shek, not from the communist government of Mao. Therefore, the USSR was unable to veto the UN ultimatum to North Korea on the withdrawal of troops. When this ultimatum was ignored by Kim Il Sung, the Security Council called on the member states of the Council to provide military and other assistance to South Korea.

The US Navy and Air Force immediately began deploying. On July 1, 1950, the first contingents of US ground forces under the NATO flag, airlifted from Japan, arrived at the front of the war in Busan, a port on the extreme southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Additional contingents arrived by sea over the next few days. However, they were too weak and soon, along with the South Korean troops, fled. By the end of July, all of South Korea, with the exception of a small southeastern foothold around the port of Busan, was captured by North Korean troops.

General who had previously led the Allied struggle against the Japanese in southwestern region Pacific Ocean, was appointed the Supreme Commander of the UN forces in the Korean War. He organized the defense of the Pusan ​​Perimeter and by the end of August had achieved a double numerical superiority against the North Koreans, preparing a decisive counteroffensive.

MacArthur came up with a daring plan. He ordered an amphibious landing at Inchon in the northwest of the Korean Peninsula to divert the attention of the North Koreans of the Busan bridgehead and facilitate its breakthrough.

The Inchon landing operation began on September 15, 1950. US and South Korean marines participated in the landing, which caught the North Koreans by surprise, and the next day Inchon was taken. Then an American infantry division was transferred to the war zone. The Americans launched an offensive deep into Korea and liberated Seoul on September 28.

On September 19, 1950, the Pusan ​​Perimeter was breached. This offensive finally brought confusion to the ranks of the North Koreans, and on October 1, their troops turned into a disorderly flight across the 38th parallel. But the UN forces did not stop at the border of North Korea, but rushed deep into its territory. On the 19th, they entered the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. Nine days later, UN forces reached the Yalu River, on the border between North Korea and China.

Counterattack by anti-communist forces in 1950. Incheon landing site shown

Such a rapid change in the situation worried the communist government Mao Zedong, which was one of the main organizers of the Korean War. During October 1950, 180,000 Chinese soldiers were secretly and quickly transferred across the border. It's fierce korean winter. On November 27, 1950, the Chinese carried out a surprise attack on UN forces, quickly putting them on a rout. The lightly armed Chinese were accustomed to the winter cold, and by the end of December 1950 they had reached the 38th parallel. Unable to hold them here, the UN forces retreated even further to the south.

Seoul fell again, but by this point the Chinese offensive had lost its momentum, and the UN troops managed to launch a counteroffensive. Seoul was again liberated, and Chinese and North Korean troops were expelled beyond the 38th parallel. The front of the Korean War has stabilized.

At this stage, a split occurred in the camp of the UN forces. General MacArthur, who was considered the best soldier in the history of America, wanted to strike at what he called the Chinese "sanctuary" - the area north of the Yalu River, which served as an outpost for Chinese offensive operations. He was even ready to use nuclear weapons. President of the U.S.A Truman was horrified by this prospect, fearing that this would provoke the Soviet Union to launch a nuclear strike on Western Europe and start the third world war. MacArthur was recalled and replaced by US General Matthew Ridgway, commander of the US Eighth Army in Korea.

By the end of April 1951, the Chinese undertook another offensive. They managed to infiltrate South Korea despite heavy losses. Once again, UN forces counterattacked and drove the Chinese and North Koreans twenty to thirty miles north of the 38th parallel.

Front line changes during the Korean War

At the end of June, there were first signs that the Chinese were ready for peace talks. On July 8, 1951, a meeting of representatives of the warring parties took place aboard a Danish ambulance ship in Wonsan Bay on the east coast of North Korea. However, it soon became clear that the Chinese were in no hurry to end the Korean War, although the UN was ready to agree to a permanent division of Korea along the 38th parallel. However, after a serious defeat, the Chinese needed time to recuperate. Therefore, they favorably met the refusal of the UN to further offensive operations.

So both sides switched to positional warfare, which resembled the situation on the Western Front World War I in 1915 - 1917. The defensive lines on both sides were barriers made of barbed wire, trenches with parapets made of sandbags, deep dugouts. A major difference between the Korean War of 1950-1953 and the First World War was the widespread use of minefields. The UN forces had a significant advantage over the enemy in firepower, but the Chinese and North Koreans were outnumbered.

At least sixteen countries sent troops to fight under the UN flag in Korea, and five more countries provided medical care. America made the largest contribution, and among the countries that sent their troops were the United Kingdom, Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Colombia, India, the Philippines and Thailand.

At sea, UN forces had an overwhelming advantage. Aircraft from aircraft carriers attacked the territory of North Korea. And in the air, the UN troops had superiority. The Korean War of 1950-1953 was marked by the first air battles using exclusively jet aircraft - American F-86 Sabers fought Soviet MiG-15s. Allied bombers, including the giant B-29s that dropped atomic bombs on Japan in 1945, attacked North Korean communications. Attack aircraft were also widely used, often with napalm bombs.

In the Korean War, attack helicopters first spoke a weighty word. During the Second World War, helicopters were rarely used - mainly for rescue missions. Now they have demonstrated their full effectiveness as a means of reconnaissance and detection of enemy artillery, as well as vehicles for the transfer personnel and evacuation of the wounded.

There was no progress in the negotiations until mid-1953. Difficulties in finding a compromise were created not only by the Chinese. The South Koreans opposed the idea of ​​creating two Koreas. In response, the Chinese launched a new decisive offensive in June 1953. Then the UN began to act over the head of South Korea, and while the Chinese offensive was still ongoing, on July 27, 1953, a ceasefire agreement was signed in Panmunjom.

The Korean War of 1950-1953 cost both sides nearly two and a half million dead and wounded, including nearly a million Chinese. She was unable to end the enmity between the two Koreas that persists to this day.

In the Korean War, Mao Zedong's son, Mao Anying, was killed during an American air raid.

Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910-1945. 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 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. The countries of the anti-Hitler coalition assumed that after some time Korea should be reunited, however, in the context of the beginning cold war, the USSR and the USA 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 unify 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) outnumbered the Army of the Republic of Korea (AKP) in terms of numbers (130,000 versus 98,000), in terms of the quality of weapons (high-class Soviet military equipment) and in combat experience (more than a third of North Korean soldiers participated in civil war in China). 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 appeal to the Soviet government 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 degree of readiness of the North Korean army and the possibility of US troops intervening in the conflict and unleashing a full-scale war using nuclear weapons chose not to grant these requests to 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 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. On July 6, the US 34th Regiment unsuccessfully attempted 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 placed 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.

On August 5, the North Korean People's Army's 4th Infantry Division crossed the Naktong River near Yongsan in an attempt to cut through the American supply line and secure a foothold inside the Pusan ​​Perimeter. She was opposed by the 24th Infantry Division of the Eighth American Army. The First Naktong Battle began. Over the next two weeks, American and North Korean troops fought bloody battles, launched attacks and counterattacks, but no one managed to gain the upper hand. As a result, American troops, reinforced by reinforcements approaching, using heavy weapons and air support, defeated the invading North Korean units, suffering from lack of supplies and high level desertion. The battle marked a turning point in the initial period of the war, ending a streak of North Korean victories.

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 relieve 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 for a landing operation deep in the rear of the North Korean troops near the port of Inchon 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 heavy bombardment of the Inchon area, and American forces carried out several false landings in other parts of the coast in order 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 coast by a dam, and began shelling it, serving as a bait for enemy coastal artillery, while aircraft detected 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 units 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 of the Western coalition reached the Chonju-Pukchin-Udan-Orori-Tancheon line, approaching with their 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 the Chinese border in the upper Yalu River near Hesan, and by November 24, units of the left wing established control over the strategically important area of ​​the Chhosin reservoir. At the same time, the 1st ROK Corps captured Chongjin and ended up 100 km from the 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, taking place in the most difficult winter conditions(deep snowdrifts, temperatures up 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. Marines The US still considers the Battle of Chhosin one of the most heroic pages in its history, and the PLA its first major victory over Western armies.

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

In early December, the allied forces were forced to begin a general withdrawal 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. Hangan. 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 the northern regions of South Korea remained in their hands.

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 Chkhorvon, 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.

In August 1945, the Korean Peninsula was liberated from Japanese occupation. In the northern part of Korea, which was entered Soviet troops established a communist regime led by Kim Il Sung. And in the south of the peninsula, where US troops landed, Lee Syngman, one of the leaders of the anti-communist nationalist movement, came to power. Thus, two Korean states hostile to each other were formed. However, North and South Korea did not abandon the idea of ​​reunifying the country. Enlisting the help of their main patrons - Moscow and Washington - they were preparing to solve the problem by force of arms. On June 25, 1950, the war broke out on the peninsula. Within two months, North Korean troops captured almost all of South Korea, including Seoul. The South Korean government remained in the hands of only the Pusan ​​bridgehead. However, this was only the beginning of a bloody war. The South Korean regime was supported by a broad coalition of countries led by the United States.

"The Forgotten War" 1950-1953

This war is called "forgotten". In our state, before the collapse of the Soviet Union, nothing was reported or written about it at all. Our fellow citizens, who happened to take part in this war as pilots, anti-aircraft gunners, military advisers and other specialists, signed a non-disclosure agreement. In the West, many documents relating to the Korean War are still classified. Therefore, objective information is clearly not enough, researchers are constantly arguing about the events of that war.

There are several reasons for hushing up the problems of this war. The main reason is that the war is still not over. Only a truce has been concluded, formally the war continues. From time to time, armed clashes take place on the border of South and North Korea, some of them may become a pretext for the start of a new Korean war. The peace treaty between Seoul and Pyongyang has not yet been signed. The border between South Korea and the DPRK is one of the most fortified places on our planet, a real "powder magazine" threatening a new war. And until the war is finally over, a certain censorship cannot be completely absent. Both sides of the conflict and their allies waged an information war, voicing only information that was beneficial to them, or interpreting the facts in their favor. Another reason for the silence is the ratio of the number of human lives lost and the political and military results achieved. The Korean War is apparently one of the most brutal and fratricidal wars ever fought on the planet. A real civil war. The number of victims of the Korean War is still not known exactly, the spread in numbers is huge: you can find data from 1 to 10 million dead. Most sources agree on the figure of 3-4 million dead, the destruction of more than 80% of the industrial and transport infrastructure of both Korean states. The result of the war is the return of the opposing sides to their original positions. Thus, millions of lives were completely senselessly sacrificed to the Moloch of War, almost the entire peninsula was turned into ruins, a single people was divided into two hostile parts. However, no one was punished for these crimes. Therefore, many have tried to simply "forget" this unpleasant page. There is another reason - the war was extremely brutal on both sides. Both South Korean and North Korean troops often resorted to torture and execution of prisoners, and killed wounded enemy soldiers. The Americans had orders to shoot to kill at all people approaching their positions on the front line (North Korean soldiers could disguise themselves as refugees). Western forces pursued a strategy of destroying the country's industrial and human potential, a policy that the US and British Air Forces had tested in the war against the Third Reich and the Empire of Japan. Airstrikes were carried out on irrigation facilities, on roads with refugees, on peasants working in the fields, napalm was massively used, etc. In South Korea, tens of thousands of people were killed without trial or investigation on charges of sympathizing with communism. Such crimes were a mass phenomenon.

Key dates and events of the war

June 5, 1950 - the beginning of the war. North Korean troops launched a military operation against South Korea. The Soviet Union provided assistance in the development offensive operation. Her plan was approved in Moscow. Joseph Stalin for a long time did not give consent to the start of the operation, drawing attention to the insufficient combat training and armament of the North Korean army. In addition, there was a danger of a direct conflict between the USSR and the USA. However, in the end, the Soviet leader still gave the go-ahead to start the operation.

June 27, 1950 - The UN Security Council passes a resolution that approved the use of US UN forces on the Korean Peninsula, and also recommended that UN member states voluntarily support these actions in accordance with Art. 106 of the UN Charter. The Union could not impose a ban on this resolution, since it was absent from the Security Council starting in January 1950 in protest against the representation of the Chinese state in the UN by the Kuomintang regime. The resolution was passed almost unanimously, with only Yugoslavia abstaining. As a result, the participation of Americans in hostilities became quite legitimate. The United States put up the most powerful contingent - from 302 to 480 thousand people (for comparison, up to 600 thousand people fought South Koreans) and Great Britain - up to 63 thousand soldiers. In addition, soldiers were provided by Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Turkey, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, France, Thailand and other states.

June 28 - North Korean troops capture Seoul. The capital of South Korea during the three years of the war 4 times passed from hand to hand and was turned into ruins. The North Korean leadership expected that the fall of Seoul would be the end of the war, but the South Korean government managed to evacuate.

September 15th. The landing of the UN landing corps in Inchon, the beginning of the counteroffensive of the troops of South Korea and the allies. To this moment armed forces South Korea and UN forces controlled only small plot peninsula near the city of Busan (Busan bridgehead). Busan managed to hold on, accumulate strength for a counteroffensive, starting it simultaneously with the landing in Inchon. American aviation played a big role - the United States at that moment completely dominated the air. In addition, the North Korean army was exhausted, having lost its offensive capabilities.

September 5 - Seoul is taken by UN forces. October 2, 1950 - Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai warned that if UN troops (except South Korean troops) crossed the 38th parallel, then Chinese volunteers would enter the war on the side of North Korea. October 7, 1950 - American and British units began to advance to the north of the peninsula.

October 16, 1950 - the first Chinese units ("volunteers") entered the territory of the peninsula. In total, 700-800 thousand Chinese "volunteers" fought on the side of North Korea. October 20, 1950 - Pyongyang fell under the blows of UN troops. As a result of the offensive by South Korean and UN troops, the North Koreans and Chinese were left with only a small foothold near the border with China.

November 26, 1950 - The counteroffensive of North Korean and Chinese forces began. December 5, 1950 - North Korean and Chinese forces recapture Pyongyang. Now the pendulum of war has swung the other way, the retreat of the South Korean army and its allies was like a flight. December 17, 1950 - the first clash of Soviet and American combat aircraft took place: MIG-15 and Saber F-86. January 4, 1951 - North Korean and Chinese troops captured Seoul. In general, the participation of the USSR was relatively small (relative to China and the USA). Up to 26 thousand Soviet military specialists fought on the side of Pyongyang.

February 21, 1951 - the beginning of the second counter-offensive of the South Korean troops. March 15, 1951 - the capital of South Korea is recaptured by the troops of the southern coalition for the second time. April 10, 1951 - the resignation of General Douglas MacArthur, Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway was appointed commander of the troops. MacArthur was a supporter of the "hard line": he insisted on expanding the military operation into China and even on the use of nuclear weapons. At the same time, he expressed his ideas in the media without notifying the top management, as a result, he was removed from his post.

By June 1951, the war had reached a stalemate. Despite the huge losses, serious destruction, each side kept the Armed Forces combat-ready, had an army of up to a million people. Despite some superiority in technical means, the Americans and other allies of Seoul were not able to achieve a radical change in the war. The expansion of the war into the territory of China and the USSR would lead to the beginning of a new world war. It became clear what to achieve military victory a reasonable price will not be possible, so negotiations on a truce are necessary.

July 8, 1951 - Beginning of the first round of negotiations in Kaesong. During the negotiations, the war continued, with both sides suffering significant losses. On November 4, 1952, Dwight Eisenhower was elected President of the United States. On March 5, 1953, I.V. Stalin died. New Soviet leadership decides to end the war. On April 20, 1953, the parties began to exchange prisoners of war. July 27, 1953 - a ceasefire agreement is concluded.

The proposal for a ceasefire, which was accepted by the UN, was made by India. The southern coalition was represented by General Mark Clark, since the representatives of South Korea refused to sign the agreement. The front line stopped at the 38th parallel, and a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was created around it. This zone ran a little north of the 38th parallel in the east and a little south in the west. The peace treaty that would have ended the war was never signed.

The threat of using nuclear weapons. It was the first war on Earth, which began with the presence of nuclear weapons from the warring parties - the USA and the USSR. Especially dangerous was the fact that by the beginning of the Korean War, both great powers did not have equality in nuclear weapons. Washington had about 300 warheads, and Moscow had about 10. The USSR conducted the first test of nuclear weapons only in 1949. This disparity in nuclear arsenals created real danger the fact that the American military-political leadership uses nuclear weapons in a critical situation. Some American generals believed that atomic weapons should be used. And not only in Korea, but also in China and against the USSR. It should also be noted that the American President Harry Truman (President of the United States in 1945-1953) did not have a psychological barrier of novelty in this matter. It was Truman who ordered the nuclear bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The possibility of using nuclear weapons by the American side was quite high. Especially during defeats at the front. So, in October 1951, the American Armed Forces carried out an imitation of a nuclear bombing, approved by President Harry Truman, a “practical atomic strike” on the positions of North Korean troops. Fake nuclear bombs were dropped on North Korean targets in several cities (Operation Port Hudson). Fortunately, Washington still had the sense not to start a third, nuclear world war. Apparently, the Americans had an understanding of the fact that they were not yet capable of causing irreparable damage to the military-industrial potential of the USSR. And the Soviet troops in such a scenario could occupy the whole of Europe.