US Army conquered Pyongyang: 5 little-known facts about the Korean War

US Army conquered Pyongyang: 5 little-known facts about the Korean War

75 years ago, this week, over 135,000 North Korean soldiers remembered in South Korea and heralded a war that cost millions of lives and leaves traces to this day. Nevertheless, the Korean War is often pushed into the background by the events of the Second World War, a much larger conflict that ended less than five years earlier. Even the US Army describes Korea as "the forgotten war", although more than 36,000 American soldiers lost their lives.

the origin of the conflict

sixteen nations, including the United States, sent combat troops to support South Korea under the command of the United Nations. On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops crossed the 38th latitude, which separates North and South Korea. A ceasefire that was signed on July 27, 1953 ended the fights, but the war was never officially ended because there was no peace treaty. While the phrases and challenges of today's US North Korea relationships put the legacy of the Korean War in the spotlight, this conflict is largely ignored.

six things that you should know about the Korean War

1. The US Army once controlled one of the most secret cities in the world

It is almost impossible for Americans to travel to North Korea or the capital Pyongyang. US passiners are not permitted to enter without special approval by the US State Department. But Pyongyang was under control of the US Army for eight weeks in 1950. On October 19 of the same year, the 1st cavalry division of the US Army, together with a division of South Korean soldiers, conquered the North Korean capital. The American troops quickly felt at home. Until October 22, the US eight army had set up its headquarters in the former main building of the North Korean leader Kim Il Sung.

2. Bombardization of North Korea

Most pictures of the Korean War show floor fights in places such as the Chosin reservoir and incheon. But the majority of the destruction that North Korea suffered from the US Army was the result of a tireless bomb campaign. During the three years of the Korean War, US fighter aircraft dropped 635,000 tons of bombs- both explosive and fire bombs- on North Korea. That is more than the 500,000 tons that the United States is off in the entire Pacific War of World War II.

3. North Korea persuaded the Soviet Union for warfare

After the end of the Second World War, control over the Korean Peninsula between the Soviet Union in the north and the United States was divided into the south. Kim Il Sung, the leader of North Korea, strived to unite the two Koreas under communist rule, and looked for the permission of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. After some concerns, Stalin finally allowed the invasion.

4. The war saved Taiwan from a possible communist takeover

1949 set up communist china troops along his coast to invades Taiwan. However, the outbreak of the Korean War was a significant obstacle to the communist plans-the US Navy was sent to prevent a possible conflict. The US government was ready to allow an approximation between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, which was ultimately averted by the Korean War.

5. The first jet-against-jet air combat

With the Korean War, jet fighter planes entered a new chapter of air warfare. The first air combat between Jets took place on November 8, 1950 via Sinuiju in North Korea when American F-80 jets had to compete against Soviet-built MIG-15. This event marked a turning point in the air warfare and initiated a new era.

6. The war was never officially explained

Despite the millions of losses during the fights on the Korean Peninsula between 1950 and 1953, the conflict was never officially declared war. The United States intervened under the United Nations roof, and the US Army acted without a formal declaration of war. This has written history and created a new standard of military interventions in the United States.

The Korean War remains an important but often overlooked part of world history. Its effects can still be felt today, both in the USA and on the Korean Peninsula.