Five short years after the last shots of world war ii had been fired, the United States army had been reduced to an active force of 600,000. A great number of these were scattered about the world on occupation duty. But the armed forces of the communists, soviet russia and red china, remained on a strong wartime footing and in belligerent posture. Aggression was soon to come. Americans would be fighting against tyranny for the third time in 32 years. Korea, a crowded Little Finger of land, but of key importance to the free world in the far east. What happened here opened the next major chapter in the history of the United States army. The war began here, at the 38th parallel. Just how did this imaginary line become the fuse for a threeyear explosion . Before the japanese surrender in world war ii, we made an agreement with the russians who were then our allies. When surrender came on the asian mainland, Russian Troops would accept the surrender of Japanese Forces north of the 38th parallel, and we would do the same south of it. The 38th parallel was chosen because it divides the Korean Peninsula roughly in half. It was also agreed that free elections would be held and the government of korea returned to the korean people. In august of 1948, free elections were held in south korea, supervised by United Nations inspector, establishing the republic of korea. Three weeks later, communist controlled elections in north korea from which u. N. Inspectors were barred established the communist regime and divided the korean nation. Not long afterwards the communist decided their moment for conquest had come. In early summer 1950, life was good in the agriculture south. There was peace. Time for living in the quiet, ancient way. Thun suddenly in the predawn darkness of june 25th, 1950 [ explosions ] South Koreans with jarred away by a living nightmare, unprovoked and unannounced, the communist latest war of conquest had begun. Many thought it was the beginning of world war iii. It might have been if we had not taken immediate action. President truman ordered our navy and air force to provide cover and support to the republic of korea. In the United Nations, United States delegate Warren Austin spoke for the indignant free people of nations everywhere. The armed invasion of the republic of korea continues. The republic of korea has a peeled appealed to the United Nations for protection. Im proud to report that the United States has prepared to furnish assistance to the republic of korea. Four days after the invasion began, the capital city of seoul fell to the communists. Small elements of the u. N. Army were airlifted from japan to help check the red advance they were greeted with cheers. But the cheering was soon forgotten. Our small forces found themselves greatly outnumbered by communist troops trained and equipped by the russians. Our handful of troops delaying action, buying precious time until reinforcements would arrive. We showed to the communists that we had the will to fight aggression wherever and whenever it occurred. On jewel 10th, president truman appointed general douglas macarthur, commander in chief of the United States forces, which were beginning to assemble. For the outnumbered troops in the field, it was fight, pull back, and fight again. More United States forces arrived in pusan. Not nearly enough, but it was a beginning. Field commanders like general walker h. Walker and william f. D. Found their act was a grim one and often too late, with too few time and too few men. But American Leadership had only recently been blooded and homed to professional kingness in a greater war. Korean enforcement top leaders were a hard corps of seasoned officers and enlessed men who had won their Campaign Ribbon on other fields of battle only five or six years before. [ gunfire ] through july and august of 1950, our small forces were being pushed into a corner, the pusan perimeter. We rushed more troops from japan. Again, we were faced with an emergency buildup of fighting strength. We drew on our citizen soldiers, reserves and inductees. Within the year our army would grow from 600,000 to more than a million and a half men. [ gunfire ] other United Nations forces began arriving in korea. British troops of the sutherland and argyle island. The International Army was depending to take shape. It was none too soon. Again, time was running out. The nakdong river provided a National Line around pusan. It was here the guts of the republic soldier and his allies and protective wall of the artillery fire held the communist forces at bay. [ explosion ] the buildup of allied strength was rapidly gaining momentum. Inchon, september 15, 1950, the United Nations suddenly took the offensive. [ explosions ] general douglas macarthur, the supreme commander, had conceived the daring amphibious strike along the coast of the sea just west of seoul. The Marine Landing force secured the island in just 58 minutes and pushed on into inchon itself, kicking in the backdoor to the enemys defense. Additional army forces poured in. Simultaneously the breakout from the pusan perimeter got under way in the south. In a week of henavy fighting, or forces drove 20 miles inland fromto inc seoul. More than 10,000 north korean troops were dug in and waiting at every Street Corner with orders to fight to the death. The United Nations offensive role rolled back the communist forces, sweeping northward past the 38th parallel. First cason fell. Then wasson on the east coast. Then pyongyang, the north korean capital itself. Psychological warfare played an important part. Loud speaker messages and safe conduct passes for north korean troops inviting them to surrender met with striking success. Often entire units stacked their weapons and awaited the arrival of u. N. Forces. Our army units pushed on through the uha river, koreans northernmost boundary. But there were signs of potential trouble ahead. Some of the prisoners taken in the north wore the quilted uniform of the communist chinese army. November found elements of the 10th corps on the frozen banks of the river. While they ate their thanksgiving daner, they could look across the river and see communist china. Victory seemed assured. There was talk of wars end by christmas. But on the other side of the yell ub, a new war was about to begin. Late in november, two full chinese field armies attacked across the river, splitting u. N. Forces and rolling them back, what president truman first called a Police Action had now become a major war. Our forces in the west pulled back to the south. Elements of the First Marine Division and 10th corps along with republic troops in the northeast fought their way towards the river and hungam and evacuation by sea. 100,000 fighting men and their machines were loaded on to waiting ships. More than 90,000 refugees fled from their homes in north korea rather than live again under communist rule. We gave transportation to freedom to as many of them as we could. By sea the massive withdrawal moved southward, towards ports where the units of land could regroup. In the west elements of the eighth army drew south of the parallel. The Chinese Forces followed up with their massive new years offensive. Thousands of koreans choked the roads leading southward. They had seen communist practice. Many hardship was preferable. Once again so changed hands, as we pulled out flowing up the bridges behind us. Far so the south, our units were regrouping. In late february we made a fresh start, an operation general ridgeway called operation killer. The chinese army held a staggering majority of numbers and ridgeway of tents was simple cut down the odds. [ gunfire ] operation killer did just that. The enemy lost ten minute for every United Nations casualty. What had begun to inflict personal personnel losses on the enemy developed into a groundgaining operation. On march 15th, soem again changed hands. They gained the streets unopposed. The enemy had pulled out to the north. But not for long. Spring brought with it still another crisis, another massive communi communist offensive. General van fleet fortified the city of seoul, determined not to lose it again. The enemy came on in human waves to be met by a storm of fire. They lost tens of thousands but still they came on, and then suddenly they faltered, broke and started pulling back, pursued by our armor. Again, the communists had run afoul of two things, the immense firepower of the eighth army and the principles of logistics. They were simply unable to supply a large force for a sustained offensive. June 2, 1951, again we crossed the 38th parallel, a badly battered enemy withdrawing before us. Soviet u. N. Delegate jacob mollinger frankly proposed truce talks, is suggesting that perhaps a ceasefire could be discussed. On july 10th, preliminary truce talks were open in the red held city of cason. They were to drag on for two long years while the bloodshed continued. The lines of the fighting front became virtually stabilized. After 12 days, the talks in cason were deadlocked over the issue of a ceasefire line and then the communists broke off the talks. In the fall they were resumed at pan pan moon jan. The fighting continued. Materials were expended daily and nightly in prodigious amounts. Massive supply by air was a new concept that gave to full development in korea. Airlift and drop techniques became a main means of supply in a large combat military situation. Winter 1952 found the talks at panmunjom deadlocked over prisoner exchange. While back and forth the twisted at the main line of resistance raged the bitter hill battle. 1in march 1953, the communist world was shaken by the death of josef stalin. His successor launched what he called a worldwide peace offensive. Its influence would soon be felt in korea. Within a month the communists suddenly took us up on our standing offer to exchange sick and wounded prisoners. This was operation littleswitch. It indicated that a ceasefire might come soon. Battlewearied men listened for word that the shooting was to end. On july 27, 1953, at the u. N. Base camp in moon soonyi, general clark signed the ceasefire agreement. A few miles away, the communists did the same. By august 5th, operation big switch was under way. Some 13,000 u. N. Soldiers returned from red prison camps. General william dean captured in the battle for pathon early in the war returned with his thousands of comrades and arms. It was there that the intelligence received a telling blow, for twothirds of the chinese prisoners refused to return to red china and 35,000 north koreans decided they would rather live in south korea. An armistice, however, its only a ceasefire, not peace. And in this divided nation, the need is for constant watchfulness, unending preparedness still remains and may continue for years to come. This is true anywhere on earth where people face an aggressor. The communists had miscalculated in korea. They could not bring themselves to believe that we spend so much of material and of effort and of pain so far from home. That lesson was an important one for all concerns. Once again, the United States army, the american soldier, had stood foremost in a massive military force on foreign soil, but not for conquest. As the years past, we began to see that our preparedness would have to be largescale constant, flexibility and adaptable. They were to be years of menace, bringing into being a new phrase, the cold war. The. Every saturday at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on American History tv on cspan3, go inside a Different College classroom and hear about topics ranging from the american revolution, civil rights and u. S. President s to 9 11. Thanks for your patience and for logging into class. With most College Campuses closed due to the impact of the coronavirus, watch professors transfer teaching to a virtual setting to engage with their students. Gorbachev did most of the work to change the soviet union but reagan met him halfway, reagan encouraged him, reagan supported him. Freedom of the press, which well get to later, i should just mention madison originally called it freedom of the use of the press and it is indeed freedom to print things and publish things. Its not a freedom for what we now refer to institutionally as the press. Lectures in history on American History tv on cspan3 every saturday at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. Lectures in history is also available at a podcast. Find it where you listen to podcasts. Week nights this month were featuring American History tv programs as a preview of whats available every weekend on cspan3. Tonight programs on the military. Well travel to northeastern france with historian mitchell yakleson to tour two battlefields with american and French Forces fought in the spring of 1918 to stop a german offensive towards paris. That starts at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. Enjoy American History tv every weekend on cspan3. Youre watching American History tv. Every weekend on cspan3, explore our nations past. Cspan3, created by americas Cable Television companies as a Public Service and brought to you today by your television provider. Tuesday morning former fbi Deputy DirectorAndrew Mccabe testifies on the review of the fbi russia investigation in a hearing before the Senate Judiciary committee. Watch live at 11 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan3, online at cspan. Org or listen online on the free cspan radio app. Next on history book shelf, ian buruma talks about his book near zero, in which he exams the world following the heed of world swar ii. Mr. Buruma looked at the transformation of the world after the fallen cities in ukraine and japan to the creations of the United Nations and