korean war

Not long after the end of World War Two, Korea was divided into two zones of occupation at the 38th Parallel. The southern zone was controlled by the American forces; the northern zone came under the influence of the Soviet Union. Unable to find a solution to the issue of re-unification, the UN decided to establish two separate nations - the Republic of South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea.
The United States, fearful of the spread of communism in Asia after the success of the Communist Revolution in China in 1949, maintained forces in South Korea to protect it against the Communist North.
In June 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea, pushing the latter's forces back to the Pusan perimeter. The United Nations decided to send a force to defend South Korea, composed of contingents from 15 nations including Australia, Britain, United States, Canada, Turkey, Greece, Colombia, New Zealand, The Philippines, France, The Netherlands, South Africa and Luxe...