Korean War. Results and consequences

Statistics

Number of troops (people):

Southern Coalition (so-called “UN troops”):

South Korea - 590 911

USA - from 302,483 to 480,000

UK - 14,198

Philippines - 7000

Canada - from 6146 to 26,791

Türkiye - 5190

Netherlands - 3972

Australia - 2282

New Zealand - 1389

Thailand - 1294

Ethiopia - 1271

Greece - 1263

France - 1119

Colombia - 1068

Belgium - 900

Luxembourg - 44

Total: from 933,845 to 1,100,000.

Northern Coalition (data approximate)

North Korea - 260,000

China - 780,000

USSR - up to 26,000, mostly pilots, anti-aircraft gunners and military advisers

Total: about 1,060,000

Losses (counting both killed and wounded):

Southern Coalition

from 1,271,000 to 1,818,000

Northern coalition

1,858,000 to 3,822,000 Chinese and North Koreans

315 USSR citizens who died from wounds and illnesses (including 168 officers)

War in the air

The Korean War was the last armed conflict in which piston aircraft such as the F-51 Mustang, F4U Corsair, A-1 Skyraider, as well as the Supermarine Seafire and Fairy Firefly aircraft used from aircraft carriers played a significant role " and the Hawker "Sea Fury", owned by the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. They began to be replaced by the F-80 Shooting Star, F-84 Thunderjet, and F9F Panther jets. Piston aircraft of the northern coalition included the Yak-9 and La-9.

In the fall of 1950, the Soviet 64th Fighter Air Corps, armed with new MiG-15 aircraft, entered the war. Despite secrecy measures (the use of Chinese insignia and military uniforms), Western pilots knew about this, but the UN did not take any diplomatic steps so as not to aggravate already tense relations with the USSR. The MiG-15 was the most modern Soviet aircraft and was superior to the American F-80 and F-84, not to mention the older piston engines. Even after the Americans sent the latest F-86 Saber aircraft to Korea, Soviet aircraft continued to maintain an advantage over the Yalu River, since the MiG-15 had a greater service ceiling, good acceleration characteristics, climb rate and armament (3 guns versus 6 machine guns), although the speed was almost the same. The UN troops had a numerical advantage and soon this allowed them to level the air position for the rest of the war - a determining factor in the successful initial offensive to the north and confrontation of Chinese forces. Chinese troops were also equipped with jet aircraft, but the quality of training of their pilots left much to be desired.

Among other factors that helped the southern coalition maintain parity in the air were a successful radar system (due to which the world's first radar warning systems began to be installed on MiGs), better stability and controllability at high speeds and altitudes, and the use of special suits by pilots . A direct technical comparison of the MiG-15 and F-86 is inappropriate, due to the fact that the main targets of the former were heavy B-29 bombers (according to American data, 16 B-29s were lost from enemy fighters; according to Soviet data, 69 of these aircraft were shot down), and the targets of the second are the MiG-15s themselves. The American side claimed that 792 MiGs and 108 other aircraft were shot down (although only 379 American air victories were documented), with the loss of only 78 F-86s. The Soviet side claimed 1,106 air victories and 335 MiGs shot down. Official Chinese statistics indicate 231 aircraft (mostly MiG-15) shot down in air battles and 168 other losses. The number of North Korean air force losses remains unknown. According to some estimates, it lost about 200 aircraft in the first stage of the war and about 70 after China entered hostilities. Since each side provides its own statistics, it is difficult to judge the real state of affairs. The best aces of the war are considered to be the Soviet pilot Yevgeny Pepelyaev and the American Joseph McConnell. Total losses in the war, South Korean aviation and UN forces (combat and non-combat) amounted to 3046 aircraft of all types.

Throughout the conflict, the US Army carried out massive carpet bombing, mainly with incendiary bombs, throughout North Korea, including civilian settlements. Despite the fact that the conflict lasted relatively short, significantly more napalm was dropped on the DPRK than, for example, on Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Tens of thousands of gallons of napalm were dropped on North Korean cities every day.

In May and June 1953, the US Air Force aimed to destroy several key irrigation structures and hydroelectric dams in order to cause significant damage agriculture and industry in the north of the peninsula. The dams on the Kusongan, Deoksangan and Pujongang Rivers were destroyed and vast areas of land were flooded, causing severe famine among the civilian population.

Consequences of the war

The Korean War was the first armed conflict of the time cold war and was the prototype of many subsequent conflicts. She created a model of local war, when two superpowers fight in a limited area without the use of nuclear weapons. The Korean War added fuel to the fire of the Cold War, which at that time was more associated with confrontation between the USSR and some European countries.

Korea

According to American estimates, about 600 thousand Korean soldiers died in the war. About a million people died on the South Korean side, 85% of whom were civilians. Soviet sources say 11.1% of North Korea's population died, which is about 1.1 million people. In total, including South and North Korea, about 2.5 million people died. More than 80% of the industrial and transport infrastructure of both states, three quarters of government institutions, and about half of the entire housing stock were destroyed.

At the end of the war, the peninsula remained divided into zones of influence of the USSR and the USA. American troops remained in South Korea as a peacekeeping contingent, and the demilitarized zone is still littered with mines and weapons caches.

USA

The US initially announced 54,246 deaths in the Korean War. In 1993, this number was divided by the country's Defense Committee into 33,686 combat deaths, 2,830 non-combat casualties, and 17,730 non-Korean theater incident deaths during the same period. There were also 8,142 missing persons. US losses were less than during the Vietnam campaign, however, it should be taken into account that the Korean War lasted 3 years versus the 8 year Vietnam War. For military personnel who served in the Korean War, the Americans issued a special medal “For the Defense of Korea.”

The subsequent neglect of the memory of this war in favor of the Vietnam War, the First and Second World Wars, was the reason for calling the Korean War Forgotten war or the Unknown War. On July 27, 1995, the Korean War Veterans Memorial was opened in Washington.

As a result of the Korean War, the insufficient preparedness of the American military machine for combat operations became obvious, and after the war the US military budget was increased to $50 billion, the size of the army and air force was doubled, and American military bases were opened in Europe, the Middle East and other parts of Asia.

A number of projects for the technical re-equipment of the US Army were also launched, during which the military received at its disposal such types of weapons as M16 rifles, 40-mm M79 grenade launchers, and F-4 Phantom aircraft.

The war also changed America's views of the Third World, especially in Indochina. Until the 1950s, the United States was very critical of French attempts to restore its influence there by suppressing local resistance, but after the Korean War, the United States began to help France in the fight against the Viet Minh and other national communist local parties, providing up to 80% of the French military budget in Vietnam .

The Korean War also marked the beginning of efforts at racial equalization in the American military, in which many black Americans served. On July 26, 1948, President Truman signed an executive order requiring black soldiers to serve in the military under the same conditions as white soldiers. And, if at the beginning of the war there were still units only for blacks, by the end of the war they were abolished, and their personnel merged into the general units. The last black-only special military unit was the 24th Infantry Regiment. It was disbanded on October 1, 1951.

The United States still maintains a large military contingent in South Korea in order to maintain the status quo on the peninsula.

People's Republic of China

According to official Chinese statistics, the Chinese army lost 390 thousand people in the Korean War. Of these: 110.4 thousand were killed in battles; 21.6 thousand died from wounds; 13 thousand died from disease; 25.6 thousand were captured or missing; and 260 thousand were wounded in battle. According to some, both Western and Eastern, sources, from 500 thousand to 1 million Chinese soldiers were killed in battle, died from disease, hunger and accidents. Independent estimates suggest that China lost nearly a million people in the war. Mao Zedong's only healthy son, Mao Anying, also died fighting on the Korean Peninsula.

After the war, Soviet-Chinese relations seriously deteriorated. Although China's decision to enter the war was largely dictated by its own strategic considerations (primarily the desire to maintain a buffer zone on the Korean Peninsula), many Chinese leadership They suspected that in order to achieve their own geopolitical goals, the USSR deliberately used the Chinese as “cannon fodder.” Dissatisfaction was also caused by the fact that military assistance, contrary to China's expectations, was not provided free of charge. A paradoxical situation arose: China had to use loans from the USSR, initially received for economic development, in order to pay for the supply of Soviet weapons. The Korean War made a significant contribution to the growth of anti-Soviet sentiments in the leadership of the PRC, and became one of the prerequisites for the Soviet-Chinese conflict. However, the fact that China, relying solely on its own forces, essentially entered into a war with the United States and inflicted serious defeats on American troops, spoke of the growing power of the state and was a harbinger of the fact that China would soon have to be reckoned with in a political sense.

Another consequence of the war was the failure of plans for the final unification of China under the rule of the CCP. In 1950, the country's leadership was actively preparing to occupy the island of Taiwan, last stronghold Kuomintang forces. The American administration at that time was not particularly sympathetic to the Kuomintang and did not intend to provide direct military assistance to its troops. However, due to the outbreak of the Korean War, the planned landing on Taiwan had to be cancelled. After the end of hostilities, the United States revised its strategy in the region and made clear its readiness to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion by communist armies.

Republic of China

After the end of the war, 14 thousand prisoners of war from the Chinese army decided not to return to the PRC, but to go to Taiwan (only 7.11 thousand Chinese prisoners returned to China). The first batch of these prisoners of war arrived in Taiwan on January 23, 1954. In official Kuomintang propaganda they began to be called “anti-communist volunteers.” January 23rd has since become known as “World Freedom Day” in Taiwan.

The Korean War had other lasting effects. By the outbreak of the Korean conflict, the United States had effectively turned its back on the Kuomintang government of Chiang Kai-shek, which by then had taken refuge on the island of Taiwan, and had no plans to intervene in the Chinese civil war. After the war, it became obvious to the United States that in order to global confrontation Communism needs to support anti-communist Taiwan in every possible way. It is believed that it was the dispatch of the American squadron to the Taiwan Strait that saved the Kuomintang government from the invasion of the PRC forces and possible defeat. Anti-communist sentiments in the West, which sharply increased as a result of the Korean War, played a significant role in the fact that until the early 70s, most capitalist states did not recognize the Chinese state and maintained diplomatic relations only with Taiwan.

Japan

Japan was politically influenced by both the defeat of South Korea in the first months of the war (this threatened its political security) and the emerging leftist movement in Japan itself in support of the northern coalition. In addition, after the arrival of American army units on the Korean Peninsula, Japan's security became doubly problematic. Under US supervision, Japan created an internal police force, which then developed into the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The signing of the peace treaty with Japan (better known as the Treaty of San Francisco) accelerated Japan's integration into the international community.

Economically, Japan received considerable benefits from the war. Throughout the conflict, Japan was the main rear base of the southern coalition. Supplies to American troops were organized through special support structures that allowed the Japanese to effectively trade with the Pentagon. About 3.5 billion dollars were spent by the Americans on the purchase of Japanese goods during the entire war. Zaibatsu, which at the beginning of the war were distrusted by the American military, began to actively trade with them - Mitsui, Mitsubishi and Sumitomo were among those zaibatsu that prospered by profiting from trade with the Americans. Industrial growth in Japan between March 1950 and March 1951 was 50%. By 1952, production had reached pre-war levels, doubling in three years. By becoming an independent country after the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan also eliminated some unnecessary expenses.

Europe

The outbreak of the Korean War convinced Western leaders that communist regimes posed a serious threat to them. The United States tried to convince them (including Germany) of the need to strengthen their defense. However, Germany's armament was perceived ambiguously by the leaders of other European countries. Later, rising tensions in Korea and China's entry into the war forced them to reconsider their position. To contain the emerging German army The French government proposed the creation of a European Defense Committee, a supranational organization under the auspices of NATO.

The end of the Korean War marked a decline in the communist threat and thus the need for the creation of such an organization. The French Parliament has postponed the ratification of the agreement on the creation of the European Defense Committee indefinitely. The reason for this was the fear of de Gaulle's party about the loss of sovereignty by France. The creation of a European Defense Committee was never ratified, and the initiative failed in a vote in August 1954.

USSR

For the USSR, the war was politically unsuccessful. The main goal - the unification of the Korean Peninsula under the Kim Il Sung regime - was not achieved. The borders of both parts of Korea remained virtually unchanged. Further, relations with communist China seriously deteriorated, and the countries of the capitalist bloc, on the contrary, united even more: the Korean War accelerated the conclusion of the US peace treaty with Japan, the warming of relations between Germany and other Western countries, the creation of the military-political blocs ANZUS (1951) and SEATO (1954) ). However, the war also had its advantages: the authority of Soviet state, who showed his readiness to come to the aid of a developing state in third world countries, many of which, after the Korean War, took the socialist path of development and chose as their patron Soviet Union. The conflict also showed the world high quality Soviet military equipment.

Economically, the war became a heavy burden for the national economy of the USSR, which had not yet recovered from the Second World War. Military spending has increased sharply. However, despite all these costs, about 30 thousand Soviet military personnel who participated in the conflict in one way or another gained invaluable experience in fighting local wars; several new types of weapons were tested, in particular the MiG-15 combat aircraft. In addition, many samples of American military equipment were captured, which allowed Soviet engineers and scientists to apply American experience in the development of new types of weapons.

In August 1945, the Korean Peninsula was liberated from Japanese occupation. In the northern part of Korea, which was invaded by Soviet troops, a communist regime was established led by Kim Il Sung. And in the south of the peninsula, where US troops landed, Syngman Rhee, 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. Having enlisted the help of their main patrons - Moscow and Washington - they prepared to solve the problem by force. On June 25, 1950, war began on the peninsula. Within two months, North Korean troops captured almost all of South Korea and Seoul. The South Korean government only had the Busan bridgehead left in its hands. However, this was only the beginning of a bloody war. A broad coalition of countries led by the United States took the side of the South Korean regime.

"The Forgotten War" 1950-1953

This war is called the “forgotten” war. 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 issue of 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 keeping silent about 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 occur on the border of South and North Korea, some of which could lead to the start of a new Korean War. A 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 keg” that threatens a new war. And while the war is not completely 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 silence is the ratio of the number of people killed human lives and the political and military results achieved. The Korean War is apparently one of the most brutal and fratricidal that has ever taken place on the planet. A real civil massacre. The number of victims of the Korean War is still unknown exactly; the range 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 warring parties 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, and a single people was divided into two hostile parts. However, no one suffered any punishment for these crimes. Therefore, many 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 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 tested in the war against the Third Reich and the Empire of Japan. Airstrikes were carried out on irrigation structures, on roads with refugees, on peasants working in the fields, napalm was used en masse, 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 widespread phenomenon.

Key dates and events of the war

June 5, 1950 - the beginning of the war. North Korean troops have launched a military operation against South Korea. The Soviet Union provided assistance in developing the offensive operation. Her plan was approved in Moscow. Joseph Stalin did not give his consent to the start of the operation for a long time, drawing attention to the insufficient combat training and weapons 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 for the operation to begin.

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

June 28 - North Korean troops capture Seoul. During the three years of war, the capital of South Korea changed hands 4 times and was reduced to ruins. The DPRK leadership hoped 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 amphibious corps in Inchon, the beginning of the counter-offensive of the troops of South Korea and allies. To this moment armed forces South Korea and UN forces controlled only small area peninsula near the city of Busan (Busan Bridgehead). They managed to hold Busan and accumulate forces for a counteroffensive, launching it simultaneously with the landing at 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 captured by UN forces. October 2, 1950 - Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai warned that if UN troops (except South Korean) crossed the 38th parallel, 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 to 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 bridgehead near the border with the PRC.

November 26, 1950 – The counter-offensive of North Korean and Chinese forces began. December 5, 1950 - North Korean and Chinese troops recapture Pyongyang. Now the pendulum of war has swung in the other direction, the retreat of the South Korean army and its allies resembled flight. December 17, 1950 - the first clash between Soviet and American combat aircraft took place: the MIG-15 and the Saber F-86. January 4, 1951 - DPRK and PRC 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 Pyongyang’s side.

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

By June 1951 the war had reached a stalemate. Despite huge losses and serious destruction, each side retained its armed forces combat-ready and 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 turning point in the war. Expansion of the war into the territory of China and the USSR would lead to the start of a new world war. It became clear that it would be impossible to achieve a military victory at a reasonable cost, so negotiations for a truce were necessary.

July 8, 1951 - the 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. The 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 was concluded.

The ceasefire proposal, which was accepted by the UN, was made by India. The Southern Coalition was represented by General Mark Clark, as 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 passed a little north of the 38th parallel in the east and a little south in the west. A peace treaty that would have ended the war was never signed.

Threat of use atomic weapons. This was the first war on Earth that began when the warring parties - the USA and the USSR - had nuclear weapons. What was especially dangerous was 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 its first nuclear weapons test only in 1949. This inequality of nuclear arsenals created a real danger that the American military-political leadership would use 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 (US President 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 the use of nuclear weapons by the American side was quite high. Especially during defeats at the front. Thus, in October 1951, the American Armed Forces carried out a simulated nuclear bombing approved by President Harry Truman, a “practice atomic strike” on the positions of North Korean troops. Dummies of real people were dropped on North Korean facilities in several cities. nuclear bombs(Operation Port Hudson). Fortunately, Washington still had enough sense not to start a third, nuclear world war. Apparently, the Americans understood the fact that they were not yet capable of causing irreparable damage to the military-industrial potential of the USSR. And in such a scenario, Soviet troops could occupy all of Europe.

At the final stage of the war, the USSR and the USA decided to consider the 38th parallel on the Korean Peninsula as the demarcation line of allied military actions against Japan. Soviet troops accepted the Japanese surrender to the north, and American troops to the south of the 38th parallel.

Immediately after entering Soviet troops A government of a unified Korea sympathetic to the Soviet Union was created in Korea. The Americans opposed this government to the provisional Korean government, which had previously been in exile. These two governments competed for power in the country, although it was assumed that the division of the country along the 38th parallel would be temporary. Nevertheless, on August 15, 1948, the Republic of Korea was proclaimed with its capital in Seoul, and on September 9 of the same year - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) with its capital in Pyongyang. In fact, residents of both parts of the country were never given the opportunity to decide their own fate, and Korea still remains divided: temporary military borders turned into permanent ones.

After the communist victory in China, Mao Zedong was given the opportunity to help the North Korean communists in their quest to create a unified state. It was with the support of Mao Zedong and with the knowledge of Stalin that the North Korean troops attacked the south. In 1950, the leader of the Korean communists, Kim Il Sung, informed Stalin that as soon as the communists crossed the 38th parallel, a popular uprising would begin in the south and the whole thing would be limited to a short civil war.

The corrupt regime in South Korea was not popular with the people; about 100 thousand people died during various uprisings against it. In addition, Stalin apparently believed that the United States did not attach much strategic importance to South Korea and would not interfere in the conflict. However, the American leadership, confused by the events in Berlin, believed that communism was on the march and must be stopped at all costs.

In 1950, the USSR withdrew from the United Nations for some time. The US leadership did not fail to take advantage of this situation and was able to involve the UN in solving the Korean problem. American and UN troops were sent to Korea.

The Americans hoped for a quick resolution of the conflict, but they were faced with a three-year bloody war, which was the result of the participation of the Chinese army in it.

It is interesting to note that during the Korean War (in which the United States officially participated, but the USSR did not), Washington knew for certain that at least 150 Chinese aircraft were actually Soviet and flown by Soviet pilots. The Americans kept this information secret, since they reasonably believed that Moscow did not at all want to be drawn into the war. In other words, the main concern of both sides was to prevent actions that could be regarded as steps towards starting a war between the powers.

On July 9, 1951, the USSR proposed a truce. Negotiations proceeded extremely sluggishly, and meanwhile the front line stabilized in the same positions where hostilities began - along the 38th parallel. On July 26, 1953, a truce was concluded.

Victims

In the Korean War, 4 million Koreans, 1 million Chinese, 54,246 Americans, and 120 Soviet pilots of the 4th Fighter Aviation Corps died. Material from the site

Prestige of China

China's victory, which cost a large number of casualties but forced the Americans to retreat, caused shock in the Western world. Military successes in the fight against American and UN troops, as well as pursuing a policy independent of Moscow, have increased China's international prestige. The Korean War showed that China can no longer be ignored in international affairs.

Arms race

The Korean War was a global event. It contributed to the development of the arms race. After the Korean War, the size of the army in the United States sharply increased from 1.5 million in 1948 to 3.2 million in 1951 (in the USSR, respectively, from 2.9 million to 3.1 million people). Under the influence of the Korean War, a decision was made to permanently station American troops in Europe. Since the end of 1953, the United States began to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the European continent.

During the war, the United States was able to win over the UN, military spending, created NATO, and the opportunity arose to arm Germany, which happened in 1955.

The ongoing tension in the military-political situation on the Korean Peninsula is a consequence of one of the largest local wars of the 20th century, the fighting of which took place on it from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953.

In this war, moments repeatedly arose that threatened to transform the regional conflict into a global one, including due to the real possibility of the use of nuclear weapons (nuclear weapons) by the United States. It turned out to be characterized by the use of very significant human and material resources, the fierceness of the confrontation and the involvement, in addition to the armed forces of both Korean states (North and South Korea), the forces of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the USSR, the USA and a dozen and a half other countries that made up the multinational forces (MNF) of the United Nations (UN). The Korean War was the first large-scale military conflict of the Cold War following the end of World War II.

The reasons that led to the outbreak of the Korean War, initially defined as a civil war, lie in the split of a united Korea and external intervention. The split of Korea into two parts was one of the results of the Second World War, at the final stage of which, in the fall of 1945, the country was conditionally, temporarily, divided by the Soviet Union and the United States along the 38th parallel (approximately in half) to liberate the peninsula from Japanese troops. Temporary governance of the country required the creation of civilian authorities, which, given the different political systems of the liberating states, led to the emergence in 1948 of two states in the divided parts of Korea, built on the basis of opposing ideological platforms: in the north of the country - the pro-Soviet Korean People's Democratic Party Republic (DPRK) with its capital in Pyongyang and in its southern part - the pro-American Republic of Korea (ROK) with its capital in Seoul. As a result, attempts to achieve the unification of the country through peaceful means were practically exhausted by the beginning of 1949. At the same time, both Soviet and American troops were withdrawn from the country.

But, at the same time, neither Pyongyang nor Seoul thought of the Korean nation as divided, and the leaders of both sides (in the DPRK - Kim Il Sung, in the ROK - Syngman Rhee) saw the way out for unifying the country in the use of force. Indirectly, these sentiments were fueled by both the USSR and the USA by providing assistance in building armed forces in the divided parts of Korea. As a result, as the prominent Soviet diplomat M.S. noted in his notes. Kapitsa, both sides were preparing for war.

The Soviet Union initially assumed that the DPRK should be a buffer state, allowing it to avoid direct contact with the United States of America. This resulted in Moscow’s refusal, until the spring of 1950, to support the aspirations of North Korean leader Kim Il Sung to overcome the division of the peninsula by military means. But soon, in May of the same year, he nevertheless approved his intentions, although the formally positive decision was transferred to the Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

The Soviet leadership, with the support of the plans of the DPRK, took into account Pyongyang's achievement of military superiority over Seoul and did not assume US intervention in the war between the Korean states - on January 12, 1950, US Secretary of State Dean Acheson, speaking in Washington to reporters, outlined the American line of defense in the Far East along the line of Japan - Philippines - Okinawa, which meant classifying South Korea as a non-priority country for the United States of America.

The approval of Kim Il Sung’s plans was also facilitated by two important events of global significance: the emergence of nuclear weapons in the USSR and the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. A significant argument was the fact that the North Koreans were able to convince both Moscow and Beijing that a revolutionary situation had developed in the south of the Korean Peninsula, which, in the event of an armed action by the DPRK, will lead to a nationwide uprising in South Korea and the elimination of the pro-American regime of Syngman Rhee.

At the same time, since the beginning of 1950, Washington’s position has undergone qualitative changes towards the formation of a policy of tough response to the allegedly intensifying attempts to weaken US influence on the world community. Against the backdrop of the unfolding Cold War, the Truman administration was accused of being unable to confront strategic challenges, which were then considered the Berlin crisis of 1948, the defeat of Chiang Kai-shek in China, etc. The situation was also made more acute by the fall in the ratings of the US President in the year of midterm congressional elections in the country.

As a result, in the spring of 1950, the US National Security Council made changes to the country's strategy and diplomacy in the Far East. The Council Directive NSC-68 identified South Korea and Japan as potential subjects of Soviet expansion. Therefore, by the beginning of the Korean War, the United States of America found itself prepared for an active political and diplomatic demarche and direct entry into the war against “communist aggression.” The very contents of the directive were known to a very narrow circle of the American administration.

As for the PRC's position on the Korean Peninsula, first of all, it was determined by the fact that Kim Il Sung's military successes could lead to an increase in communist influence in Asia and, of course, the influence of Beijing itself, with calculations for US non-interference in upcoming events on the peninsula and the presence of a revolutionary situation in South Korea, which will contribute to a North Korean victory. At the same time, the Chinese realized that if the plan they approved failed in the DPRK, there might be the prospect of American troops appearing on the 700 km long Sino-Korean border. This was unacceptable to them and could ultimately lead to the armed participation of the PRC in Korea.

So, both the South and the North were preparing for war on the peninsula. The US trained and armed the South Korean army. With the help of the USSR, the Korean People's Army (KPA) was created in the DPRK. Armed clashes on both sides occurred with varying degrees of severity during 1949-1950. Each of them could mark its beginning. On the eve of the opening of hostilities by the KPA against the armed forces of South Korea, which unfolded on June 25, 1950 in response to an allegedly provoked border incident in the area of ​​the 38th parallel, the composition of the opposing forces was as follows.

The KPA consisted of 10 infantry divisions, a tank brigade, 6 separate regiments, 4 brigades of internal and border guards (part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs), an aviation division, 4 divisions of ships (sea hunters and torpedo boats, minesweepers), 2 naval regiments infantry, coast guard regiment. The combat units were armed with about 1,600 guns and mortars, 260 tanks and self-propelled artillery units (SPG), 170 combat aircraft, including 90 Il-10 attack aircraft and 80 Yak-9, 20 ships. The strength of the DPRK armed forces was 188 thousand people. Their first priority was to defeat the enemy by encircling and subsequently destroying his main forces in the Seoul area.

In the South, an army equipped with modern weapons was created, prepared for offensive military operations. It consisted of 8 infantry divisions, a separate cavalry regiment and 12 separate battalions for various purposes, an aviation detachment, 5 ship divisions, a marine regiment, and 9 coast guard detachments. In addition, the territorial army included 5 brigades, considered as an organized reserve of the armed forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Also, special detachments of up to 20 thousand people, intended for counter-guerrilla operations, were located in the ranks of the police. The total number of South Korean armed forces was 161 thousand people. The combat units were armed with about 700 guns and mortars, 30 tanks and self-propelled guns, 40 aircraft, including 25 fighters, and 71 ships. As can be seen, the balance of forces and means in June 1950 was in favor of the KPA.

The United States had significant forces in the immediate vicinity of the Korean Peninsula from the main command of the country's armed forces in the Far East, with headquarters in Tokyo under the leadership of General D. MacArthur. Thus, the 8th Army (3 infantry and cavalry divisions) was stationed in Japan, and a separate infantry regiment was stationed on the Ryukyu and Guam islands. The US Air Force was represented by the 5th Air Force (VA) in Japan, 20 VA - on the island. Okinawa, 13 VA - in the Philippines.

The US Navy had 26 ships of the 7th Fleet in the region (an aircraft carrier, 2 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 4 submarines, about 140 aircraft). The total number of US forces that could be used in military operations on the Korean Peninsula is relatively short time, was approaching 200 thousand people. The aviation component of the US troops in the region was especially powerful - 1040 aircraft, including 730 in Japan. It is obvious that, in the event of intervention in the war on the Korean Peninsula, the US Armed Forces were able to ensure complete superiority in the air and at sea.

Multinational UN forces took part in the hostilities in Korea - troops of states that supported the UN Security Council (SC) resolution of June 27, 1950 on providing military assistance to South Korea in the outbreak of war with the DPRK. Among them: Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Greece, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Thailand, Turkey, the Philippines, France, Ethiopia and the Union of South Africa. Military medical units were provided by India, Italy, Norway, and Sweden. In total, the strength of the so-called southern coalition of troops ranged from 900 thousand to 1.1 million people, including the ROK Armed Forces - up to 600 thousand people, the US Armed Forces - up to 400 thousand, the Armed Forces of the above allies - up to 100 thousand people .
General Douglas MacArthur

In a critical situation for the DPRK, when US and ROK troops, operating under the UN flag, crossed the 38th parallel in November 1950 and began to approach the Korean-Chinese border, the PRC and the USSR came to the aid of the North. The first provided a powerful group ground forces under the guise of Chinese people's volunteers as part of two army groups under the command of Colonel General Peng Dehuai, initially with a total number of 260 thousand people, which later increased to 780 thousand people. The Soviet Union, for its part, committed itself to providing air cover for the northeastern part of the territory of the PRC and the adjacent part of the DPRK.

For this purpose, a group of Soviet aviation was urgently formed, organizationally formalized as the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps (IAK). The composition of the forces and means was variable; in addition to fighter aircraft, it included anti-aircraft artillery units, aviation technical and radio technical units. The total number of personnel reached about 30 thousand people, including about 450 pilots. The corps was armed with more than 300 aircraft, mainly MiG-15. Thus, the maximum number of troops of the northern coalition was about 1.06 million people, taking into account the total number of KPA troops of 260 thousand people.

North Korean troops began military operations against South Korea quite successfully. Already on the third day of the war they captured its capital, Seoul. But which began in its essence Civil War quickly escalated into a regional conflict due to the intervention of the United States and its allies in events on the peninsula. The fact is that the US actions did not coincide with the expected forecasts and calculations; Washington behaved very decisively, immediately concentrating its efforts in several areas: providing South Korea with direct military assistance from forces stationed in Japan; consultations with allies in the military-political NATO bloc; formation of a military coalition against the DPRK under the UN flag.

On June 27, 1950, the United Nations Security Council approved a resolution allowing the use of American troops in Korea and recommended that other UN member countries voluntarily support US action. On July 7, the UN Security Council approved the creation of a multinational UN force under the leadership of Washington to wage war on the Korean Peninsula against the aggressor state, which was considered North Korea. The USSR could veto these UN Security Council resolutions, but a Soviet representative was absent from its meetings since January 1950 in protest against the fact that the PRC’s place in the organization was occupied by a representative of the Kuomintang regime of Chiang Kai-shek. This circumstance can be considered as a diplomatic miscalculation of the Soviet side. Pyongyang hoped to carry out its operation to achieve control over the territory of South Korea quickly and before the Americans were able to intervene in events on the Korean Peninsula. In this context, delaying the decision-making process in the UN Security Council in connection with the situation in Korea could contribute to the military success of the DPRK.

The periodization of combat operations in the Korean War includes four stages: the first (June 25 - September 14, 1950), consisting of the KPA crossing the 38th parallel and developing the offensive to the river. Naktong with blocking enemy troops on a bridgehead in the Busan area; the second (September 15 - October 24, 1950), containing the counter-offensive of the UN multinational forces and their entry directly into the southern regions of the DPRK; the third (October 25, 1950 - July 9, 1951), characterized by the entry of the Chinese People's Volunteers into the war, which led to the withdrawal of UN troops from North Korea and the stabilization of the battle line on the peninsula in areas adjacent to the 38th parallel; the fourth (July 10, 1951 - July 27, 1953), which included both military operations and armistice negotiations.

The first stage of the Korean War was marked by the successes of the troops of the Korean People's Army. Its troops broke enemy resistance in the Seoul direction and dynamically continued their offensive to the south. By mid-August, up to 90% of South Korea was controlled by the northerners. An important role in the development of KPA operations was played by Soviet military advisers led by Lieutenant General N.A. Vasilyev. Their number throughout the war ranged from 120 to 160 people, but they did not take part in hostilities, concentrating their efforts on assisting in the development, preparation and conduct of operations, training and organization of units and individual services of the North Korean army. From November 1950 until the end of the war, the apparatus of Soviet military advisers in the DPRK was headed by Lieutenant General V.N. Razuvaev, being at the same time the USSR ambassador to it.

However, by September 1950, North Korean troops gradually lost the initiative in the conduct of hostilities and practically stopped along the perimeter of the Busan bridgehead, unable to overcome the resistance of American and South Korean troops. By the end of the first stage of the war, the KPA was largely weakened by the harsh and constant impact of US Air Force aviation. Transport communications were seriously disrupted, which led to the loss of maneuverability and uninterrupted logistics support for combat operations by the Korean People's Army troops.

In general, the course of the war began to be negatively affected by the calculation of the DPRK leadership that the war would be short-term and would not require significant human and material resources. Moreover, in the context of direct US military intervention in events on the Korean Peninsula, the complete superiority of the Americans in the air and at sea began to play a dominant role.

Meanwhile, a group of American and South Korean troops, operating under the UN flag and under the general leadership of General D. MacArthur, was preparing for a counteroffensive. The plan of the operation was to launch two coordinated attacks on North Korean troops. One - directly from the Busan bridgehead, for which purpose the group of multinational UN forces was secretly strengthened there. The second blow was planned to be delivered to the rear of the KPA troops by amphibious assault forces in the area of ​​​​the port of Incheon. Unfortunately, the possibility of an enemy landing in the area of ​​the port of Incheon was not discovered in a timely manner.

The second stage of the Korean War began on September 15 with an enemy amphibious landing near the port of Incheon. The landing force included the 10th American Corps (1st Marine Division, 7th Infantry Division, British commando detachment and units of South Korean troops) with a total number of more than 50 thousand people. The landing was provided by the 7th Fleet of the Navy and the US Air Force with the participation of allies (about 200 ships and more than 400 aircraft). Even more significant enemy forces and assets were concentrated on the Busan bridgehead, where, as in the Inchon area, by the beginning of the counteroffensive the balance of forces and assets at the front was in favor of the UN MNF.

The superiority of the UN forces against the backdrop of fatigue and losses suffered by the Korean People's Army ensured the first success. They broke through the KPA defense line and managed to take the capital of the DPRK, Pyongyang, on October 23, soon reaching the closest approaches to the borders of the PRC and the USSR. In general, the military results of September-October 1950 put an end to Kim Il Sung’s plans to unify the country, and the issue of providing urgent assistance to North Korea to exclude a possible victory of the forces of the southern coalition became acute on the agenda. In this situation, I.V. Stalin and Mao Zedong quickly reached an agreement on the entry into the war on the peninsula of troops of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) under the guise of Chinese people's volunteers and the involvement of Soviet aviation and air defense systems to provide air cover for the combat zone within the DPRK, as well as northeastern part of the territory of the People's Republic of China.

Marshal of the People's Republic of China (since 1955) Peng Dehuai

The third stage of the war was marked by the entry into hostilities of Chinese people's volunteers under the command of Colonel General Peng Dehuai on the side of the KPA, which came as a surprise to the command of the southern coalition. The Chinese group included three echelons with a total number of more than 600 thousand people. To reduce the level of American air superiority in the air, night time was used for troop movements. The actions of the northern coalition acquired a fast and maneuverable character, which led to the rapid retreat of UN forces - on December 5, Pyongyang was liberated by the North’s troops, and Seoul was liberated on January 4 of the following year. All Syngman Rhee's hopes for victory over the DPRK and the unification of the country under his leadership were dispelled. Further, the course of hostilities on the opposing sides resembled the movement of a pendulum with a gradually decreasing amplitude. At the beginning of July 1951, the front line almost stopped in the areas adjacent to the 38th parallel.

Soviet pilots and air defense soldiers made their contribution to stabilizing the situation on the peninsula. The results of their military operations deserve high praise. It is no coincidence that 22 pilots were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In total, 1,259 enemy aircraft were destroyed by the forces and means of 64 Air Forces, of which 1,106 aircraft were destroyed by aviation, 153 aircraft were destroyed by anti-aircraft units. One of the interesting episodes of the Korean War was the hunt for “live” fighters.

By the beginning of the war, the air forces of the USSR and the USA were armed with 1st generation jet fighters - the technical solutions were different for each side, however, they were quite comparable in flight characteristics. The Soviet MiG-15 fighter had better weapons and a lower take-off weight compared to the faster American F-86 Saber aircraft, whose pilots were equipped with anti-g suits. Both sides showed practical interest in obtaining and studying a “living”, undestroyed enemy vehicle for flight testing.

MiG-15 aircraft of the USSR Air Force

US Air Force F-86 aircraft

In April 1951, a group of Soviet pilots arrived in Manchuria with the task of capturing an American F-86 aircraft. But it turned out that it was technically difficult to force a serviceable aircraft of this type to land due to its speed advantage over the MiG-15. As often happens in life, chance came to the rescue. In October 1951, Colonel E.G. Pepelyaev, one of the best pilots of the Korean War, damaged a Saber in battle, the pilot of which was unable to eject and made an emergency landing, which made it possible to obtain the aircraft in virtually working order and deliver it to Moscow for detailed study. In May 1952, the second F-86 aircraft was received, shot down by anti-aircraft artillery fire.

Colonel Evgeniy Georgievich
Pepelyaev

Throughout the Korean War, there remained a direct threat of the United States using nuclear weapons. It was largely determined by the position of the commander-in-chief of American troops in the Far East, General D. MacArthur. He took a hard line in the war, insisting on expanding military operations into Chinese territory and using nuclear weapons.

The issue of the possible use of nuclear weapons was considered by the US administration in the context of the defeat of the UN MNF after the Chinese people's volunteers entered hostilities in Korea. At the end of November 1950, US President G. Truman, speaking to the press, did not rule out a similar course of development of the war on the peninsula.

Washington studied the possibility of using six atomic bombs from December 27 to 29, 1950 to destroy North Korean and Chinese troops in the Pyeongsan, Chorwon, Kimhwa areas and, later, eight more atomic bombs against Chinese troops in the Chonju area and north of the Imjingan River.

However, the idea of ​​using nuclear weapons in the Korean War raised concerns among Great Britain and other European allies of the United States. British Prime Minister C. Attlee in early December 1950, during a visit to the US capital, spoke out against a nuclear solution to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which was plunging Europe into a global conflict.

The limitations of the US nuclear arsenal and the opinion of coalition allies who feared the outbreak of a world war nuclear war, influenced the change in the position of the leadership of the United States of America on the possibility of using nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula. D. MacArthur's hawkish position came into conflict with the approach of the US administration, which led to his dismissal from his post and replacement by General M. Ridgway.

The deadlock that arose in the spring of 1951 forced the US National Security Council, in its NSC-48 directive, to formulate the minimum goals for resolving the situation in Korea: a ceasefire, the establishment of a demilitarized zone, and a refusal to introduce new forces into the battle area.

At the same time, the diplomatic activity of the United States and the USSR to resolve the Korean issue intensified. In May and June 1951, at the initiative of Washington, informal meetings were held between the famous American diplomat D. Kennan and the Soviet representative to the UN Ya.A. Malik. They discussed the possibility of organizing a negotiation process on Korea. The Soviet side also held a meeting on this issue in Moscow with the participation of I.V. Stalin, Kim Il Sung and a member of the Central Committee Communist Party China Gao Gang, where the idea of ​​holding such negotiations found support.

On June 23, the Soviet representative to the UN Ya.A. Malik spoke on American radio with a proposal to hold, as a first step, an exchange of views between the countries fighting on the peninsula regarding a ceasefire and truce on the terms of the withdrawal of troops from the 38th parallel. Six days later, General M. Ridgway radioed to the command of the North Korean troops and Chinese people's volunteers with a proposal to hold a meeting to discuss the possibility of a truce, to which a positive response was received three days later.

The thorough work of diplomats on both sides ensured the possibility of holding negotiations taking into account all factors of the military-political situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the countries involved in the military conflict. In the United States, the negative public perception of the Korean War was manifested in a drop in the ratings of the Truman administration on the eve of the presidential elections. Western Europe feared that the United States would get bogged down on the Korean Peninsula to the detriment of its security. I.V. Stalin, in turn, saw in such a development of events positive points. The DPRK and the PRC, suffering heavy human and material losses, showed interest in the negotiation process, striving for a return to the pre-war situation. South Korea's position remained intransigent and consisted of waging war to a victorious end.

On July 10, 1951, negotiations began in the city of Kaesong, controlled by North Korean troops. They represented only the parties that took part in direct military operations throughout the peninsula: the Americans, Koreans and Chinese. The Soviet Union refrained from participating in the negotiations, emphasizing that it was not a party to the military conflict.

Negotiations characterized the fourth and final stage of the Korean War, during which both sides continued to conduct military operations on the land front, supplemented by the Americans with the massive use of aircraft.

The fighting on both sides was harsh, primarily against civilians and prisoners of war. Thus, American troops shot any person approaching their positions, US Air Force attack aircraft bombarded roads with refugees, etc. The massive use of napalm by the US Air Force during the so-called carpet bombings caused many casualties among the civilian population, the destruction of many cultural values, and the industrial potential of the country, including irrigation and energy facilities.

In general, the war was marked by serious violations of international law, to which the artist Pablo Picasso managed to draw attention when he painted “Massacre in Korea” in 1951. In South Korea, the display of his painting was banned until the early 1990s. because of its anti-American orientation.

Meanwhile, at the negotiations in Kaesong, the establishment of a demarcation line and a demilitarized zone was determined to be a necessary condition for ending hostilities on the peninsula. Due to differences in the positions of the parties, negotiations were difficult and repeatedly broke down. Only by the end of November the parties reached an agreement on demarcation along the front line.

Disagreements between the parties also emerged when discussing the problem of the exchange of prisoners of war. Due to the fact that the number of Chinese and Koreans captured by the UN multinational forces was 15 times higher than the number of prisoners in the hands of the North Koreans, the situation did not allow the “one-for-one” principle put forward by the Americans to be applied during their exchange.

The progress of the negotiations was accompanied by the activity of the parties at the front, especially the UN MNF. The troops of the northern coalition occupied a passive defense, without neglecting the opportunity to improve the front line for themselves. As a result, by the end of 1952, the negotiations reached a dead end due to the impossibility of reaching a compromise between their participants on certain problems. At the same time, they gradually realized the futility of continuing hostilities, which were grinding down human and material resources.

Korean War 1950-1953 Combat operations from October 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953

A real and positive shift in the negotiations occurred after the election of US President D. Eisenhower, who took up his duties in January 1953, and the death of I.V. in March of the same year. Stalin. One way or another, following these events in April 1953, an exchange of prisoners of war began between the parties, initially the wounded and sick. While not a direct participant in the negotiations, the USSR closely monitored their progress and coordinated the actions of China and the DPRK, used various diplomatic channels to find acceptable solutions in working with states whose troops were part of the UN multinational force, and formed a positive attitude towards the negotiations at its General Assembly for a ceasefire and truce in Korea.

On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in Panmunjong near Kaesong. It was signed by Nam Il (North Korea) and W. Harrison (USA), as well as Kim Il Sung, Peng Dehuai, and M. Clark (commander of US troops in Korea at the time of signing), who were not present at the ceremony. The South Korean representative's signature was missing. The front line remained in the area of ​​the 38th parallel and was formed as the basis of a demarcation line with the creation of a demilitarized zone around it. The fighting stopped, but complete peace remained elusive, as did the formation of a unified Korean state.

The Korean War involved forces on both sides, numbering up to approximately 1.1 million people each. The number of losses during the war has not yet been calculated and there are different versions of their estimates. According to one of the available versions, the losses of the DPRK and South Korea amounted to about 1 million people for each of them, including losses among civilians. US losses are estimated at approximately 140 thousand people, while allied losses are estimated at 15 thousand people. According to available official Chinese data, for the Chinese people's volunteers the number of losses is determined at 390 thousand people. The Soviet Union suffered 315 casualties.

Soviet military intelligence showed itself positively in the Korean War, managing to provide the military-political leadership of the USSR with information about the armed forces of the Korean states, the grouping of US armed forces in Japan, the composition and armament of the military contingents of Washington's allies in the UN coalition. The role of intelligence in obtaining samples of American military equipment and weapons is significant.

Korean War 1950-1953 did not bring laurels of victory to either the DPRK or South Korea. The armistice agreement of July 27, 1953 did not solve the problem of creating a unified Korean state. Moreover, the Korean Peninsula has become a source of instability in Northeast Asia, and with the emergence of a nuclear arsenal in Pyongyang, a threat of a global nature arises. The Korean War also led to the consolidation of the US military presence in the region and the creation, under their auspices, of the military-political blocs ANZUS in 1951 and SEATO in 1954 in the Asia-Pacific region.

The consequences of the war should also include the expansion of the NATO alliance through the entry of Turkey and Greece, and later Germany. At the same time, serious changes took place in the bloc due to the formation of the United Armed Forces under a single command. A new situation had emerged in the world, which consisted of a confrontation between two great powers (the USSR and the USA), which excluded a direct military clash, but considered limited armed conflicts with their indirect participation acceptable. In this regard, the Korean War became a kind of testing ground for testing a model of such coexistence.

Another consequence of the war was the development of the Republic of Korea and the DPRK in opposite directions. The first made a powerful breakthrough in the economy within the framework of strong relations with the United States and Japan, including in the military field. The second established relations with the USSR and China on the basis of bilateral treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance. As a result, a system of maintaining the status quo on the peninsula was formed. But with the collapse of the USSR and the transition of the PRC, and Russia, to a more pragmatic foreign policy course, the geopolitical situation for the DPRK changed significantly. First of all, the level of economic assistance and military support for Pyongyang from Moscow and Beijing has decreased. North Korea has taken the path of creating its own means of ensuring its existence, including the development of nuclear weapons. Which was perhaps the most important lesson from the consequences of the Korean War.

There are other lessons from the Korean War that policymakers should take into account when making decisions about the use of military force. The world is becoming increasingly interconnected, and in this regard, it is necessary to approach the analysis of a specific situation from the standpoint of ensuring an integrated approach to the study of all possible factors and consequences of its development. Thus, in the case of Korea, the Soviet leadership did not see the obvious fact that the US administration, in the context of the flaring up Cold War, was keenly aware of attempts to limit the zone of their influence and was ready to resort to the use of military force in such cases. An assessment of the support of the population of the southern part of Korea for Kim Il Sung’s intentions to unify the country also required a sober and non-ideologized view.

In turn, it is time for the US ruling elite to realize that the widespread use of force (in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.) does not lead to stability in the world. Moreover, it is clear how the “Arab Spring” is leading to an increase in confrontation between Arabs, and how the events in Syria are leading to the strengthening of extremist organizations.

Returning to the Korean War, it should be noted that the contradictions between the two states of the peninsula at any moment could be the detonator of a new war covering the entire Far East and even wider. In light of the real danger of this, the task of eliminating the military option by involving interested countries in a dialogue to relieve inter-Korean tension on the entire range of existing problems is urgent.

Retired Lieutenant General Alexander Alekseev

Today, Koreans celebrate the end of the war that divided the people into two unequal halves 60 years ago. I would like to recall the main lines of that half-forgotten war in which our compatriots fought...

This war is called "forgotten". In our country, before the collapse of the USSR, nothing was written or spoken about it at all. Our compatriots who happened to participate in this war (pilots, anti-aircraft gunners, searchlight operators, military advisers and other specialists) gave a subscription obliging them to remain silent. In the West, many documents are also still classified, there is clearly not enough information, historians are constantly arguing about the events of that war.

“The myth is broken. Our country was not as strong as others thought,” admitted Marshall, the American Secretary of Defense at the time. On Korean War the myth of American power has been shattered.

There are several reasons for this silence. The most important thing is that the war is still not over. Formally, it continues, only a truce has been concluded, but even this is periodically violated. The peace treaty has not yet been signed; the border between the two Korean states is one of the most fortified, most tense places on our planet. And while the war is not over, censorship cannot be completely absent, and, therefore, there is no need to talk about the objectivity and completeness of the presentation of information. The second reason is the ratio of the number of human lives lost and the political and military results achieved - this war is probably the most cruel and senseless that has ever taken place on Earth. A real carnage. The number of victims of the war is still not known exactly; the range is gigantic: you can find data from 1 to 10 million people. Most sources agree on the figures - 3-4 million dead, and the result is the return of the opposing forces to their original positions. That is, millions of people were completely senselessly killed, almost the entire Korean Peninsula was turned into ruins, but no one suffered any punishment for this. Agree, in such a situation it’s somehow awkward to talk about your victories and defeats, it’s better to just try to forget about everything. There is also a third reason - the war was extremely cruel on both sides. Massive use of napalm, burning people alive, torture and cruel treatment of prisoners of war, a large number of casualties among the civilian population. In general, many war crimes were committed, but nothing like the Nuremberg trials happened, politicians remained in power, generals remained in office. And no one wants to stir up the past.

Key dates and events of the Korean War.

North Korean troops began a military operation against South Korea, developed jointly with Soviet specialists and approved by the Soviet leadership. From the published documents it is clear that Stalin did not give consent for a long time, paying attention to the insufficient training and weapons of the North Korean army and fearing a direct conflict between the USSR and America. But, in the end, he still gave the go-ahead. According to US Assistant Secretary of State D. Webb, President Truman's first reaction was the words: "In the name of the Lord God, I am going to teach them a lesson."

June 27, 1950 - The UN Security Council passes a resolution approving the use of American UN forces in Korea, and also recommends the voluntary support of these actions by UN member states in accordance with Article 106 of the UN Charter.

The Soviet Union could not veto the resolution because it had been absent from the Security Council since January 1950 to protest China's representation at the UN by the Kuomintang regime. What was it? Diplomatic miscalculation or just left hand the Soviet government did not know what the right was doing? The resolution was adopted unanimously, with only Yugoslavia abstaining. The entire operation to capture South Korea was designed to be lightning fast, so that the Americans would not have time to enter before it was all over. Therefore, stalling for time and vetoing the resolution could have contributed to the success of the campaign. But the Americans also understood this, everything was done in two days, their participation in military operations became completely legitimate. The joint participation of the armed forces of many states in this war gave it some diversity, mixing the military traditions of different armies. Here is a list of participants from the UN troops (by the end of 1951):

USA - 302.5 thousand; South Korea - 590.9 thousand; Great Britain - 14.2 thousand; Australia - 2.3 thousand; Canada - 6.1 thousand; New Zealand - 1.4 thousand; Türkiye - 5.4 thousand; Belgium - 1 thousand, France - 1.1 thousand; Greece - 1.2 thousand; Netherlands - 0.8 thousand; Colombia - about 1 thousand, Ethiopia - 1.2 thousand, Thailand - 1.3 thousand, Philippines - 7 thousand; South Africa - 0.8 thousand

June 28 - Seoul is captured by North Korean troops.

The long-suffering city changed hands four times during the three years of war. You can imagine what was left of it at the end of the war. The northerners hoped that the fall of Seoul would be tantamount to the surrender of the South Korean army. However, the leadership of the Republic of Korea managed to evacuate, encirclement and the end of the war did not work out.

September 15th. UN forces landing at Inchon, beginning of the counter-offensive.

By this time, the South Korean army and UN forces controlled only a small area of ​​the country around the city of Busan, the so-called Busan Bridgehead. However, they managed to hold the bridgehead and accumulate forces for a counteroffensive, timed to coincide with the landing at Inchon. By this time, the North Korean army was greatly exhausted by the continuous raids of American aviation, the Americans completely dominated the air, and there was nothing to repel air attacks.

October 2, 1950 - Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai warned that if Allied forces (except South Korean) crossed the 38th parallel, Chinese volunteers would enter the war.

October 7, 1950 - American and British divisions began to advance to the north of Korea.

October 16, 1950 - the first Chinese units (the so-called “volunteers”) entered Korean territory.

The first blow was delivered on October 25, but then the Chinese went into the mountains, and there was a month-long lull at the front. By this time, almost the entire territory of the country was controlled by the army of South Korea and its allies.

The DPRK troops have only a small bridgehead left near the border with China.

The pendulum of war has swung in the other direction. The Allied retreat in some places resembled a flight.

December 17, 1950 - the first meeting of Soviet MIGs and American Sabers in the skies of Korea.

January 4, 1951 - recapture of Seoul by North Korean troops and Chinese "volunteers".

April 10, 1951 - General MacArthur resigned, Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway was appointed commander of the troops.

An important event of this war, since MacArthur pursued a pronounced “hawkish” line, insisting on expanding the war into Chinese territory and even on the use of nuclear weapons. At the same time, he spoke with these ideas in the media without notifying the president. For which he was rightly removed.

During the negotiations, hostilities continued, the parties suffered heavy losses.

This event was decisive for the completion of hostilities. Published documents allow us to conclude that Stalin deliberately delayed the war in the last months of his life. The reasons for this can now only be guessed at.

The exchange began with sick and crippled prisoners. Military operations continued.

India made a ceasefire proposal, which was accepted by the UN. General Clark represented the Southern Coalition because South Korean representatives refused to sign the document. The front line remained in the area of ​​the 38th parallel, and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was proclaimed around it. The DMZ runs slightly north of the 38th parallel in the east and slightly south in the west. Kaesong, the city where the negotiations took place, was part of South Korea before the war, but is now a city in the DPRK with special status. A peace treaty ending the war has not yet been signed.

Here's the story. Let's add small, not very well-known touches to it.

The threat of using atomic weapons in the Korean War.

This was the first war on the planet that began when the warring parties had nuclear weapons. It's about, of course, not about Korea, but about the USA and the USSR - active participants in the campaign. And, paradoxical as it may be at first glance, what was especially dangerous was that by the time the war began, the two great powers possessed these weapons far from parity: the USA had already produced about 300 atomic bombs, and the USSR had only about 10 . Successful tests of the first atomic bomb in the USSR - an exact copy of the first American one - took place quite recently, at the end of August 1949. This inequality of nuclear forces created a real danger that in a critical situation the American side could use this last decisive argument in a military conflict. Documents have been published from which it is clear that some American generals (including the commander, General MacArthur) persuaded the country's leadership not only to use nuclear weapons in Korea and China, but also against the USSR. If we add to this that President Truman did not have a psychological barrier of novelty in this matter (it was he who gave the order to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki), then it should be clear on what terrible brink the world was balancing in these years.

How, given this balance of power, did Stalin still agree (albeit after much hesitation) to develop and launch a military operation against South Korea? This is one of the mysteries of the 20th century; maybe the leader really was not completely mentally healthy in the last years of his life? Or is it all because of the words of US Secretary of State Dean Acheson, spoken in January 1950? Acheson then stated that the American defense perimeter at Pacific Ocean covers the Aleutian Islands, Japan's Ryukyu Islands and the Philippines. From this statement one could conclude that South Korea is not within the zone of US strategic interests, and the Americans will not interfere in the conflict between the North and the South.

One way or another, the possibility of using nuclear weapons was considered quite seriously by the American side. In October 1951, the Americans carried out a simulated atomic bombing approved by President Truman, a “practice atomic strike” on North Korean positions. Dummies of real atomic bombs were dropped on North Korean sites in several cities. “Port Hudson” was the name of this intimidation operation. Fortunately, the American leadership still had enough wisdom and restraint not to start a third, nuclear world war, in comparison with which the terrible second would seem like something like a military exercise.

The hunt for "live" fighters during the Korean War.

By the beginning of hostilities, both the USA and the USSR had first-generation jet fighters, several different designs, but quite comparable in their flight and combat characteristics. The Soviet MIG-15 is a famous aircraft; it holds the record for the number of aircraft produced (more than 15 thousand) - it is the most massive jet combat aircraft in the history of aviation, which was in service with many countries. And in terms of service life, it probably also has no equal - the last such vehicles were withdrawn from service with the Albanian Air Force in 2005! The American F-86 Saber is the first swept-wing jet fighter adopted by the US Air Force.

It must be said that in the USSR, the leadership often preferred not to design a new one, but to copy already developed military equipment, so as not to waste time and money on creating a new path to the same goal. Thus, the Soviet bomber of that time TU-4 was an exact copy of the American Boeing - the “flying fortress” (B-29 “Superfortress”), the same one that bombed Hiroshima. But it didn’t work out that way with the fighters. They were completely different machines, each had its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, both warring sides were very interested in obtaining and studying a “living”, not destroyed enemy vehicle. The Americans were interested in the MIGA armament, technical solutions that allowed it to have a take-off weight significantly lower than that of the Saber. The American MiG engine, according to Apparently, he was not very interested, since it was a copy of English jet engines, which the USSR managed to purchase before the start of the Cold War.

Our military designers were interested in engines, electronic flight and navigation equipment, as well as an active anti-g suit. The latter was of particular interest, since pilots flying MIGs in combat experienced overloads of up to 8g, this could not but affect the results of aerial duels. If the F-86 managed to be shot down, the pilot ejected into a special plane. suit, but the most the hard part design - the apparatus that was connected to it and regulated the pressure remained on board the falling plane.

In April 1951, the “group of Comrade Dzyubenko” arrived at the Andong airfield in Manchuria - a group of 13 pilots with a secret mission to capture a “live” Saber. However, it was technically impossible to force a serviceable Saber to land using MIGs: it had a higher maximum speed than the MIG. The group was unable to complete the task, but chance helped. On October 6, 1951, the best ace of the Korean War, commander of the 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Colonel Pepelyaev, damaged a Saber, whose pilot was unable to eject, apparently due to a broken ejection seat. As a result, the plane made an emergency landing on the low tide strip of the Korean Gulf. The operation of pulling the plane ashore, loading its parts onto vehicles and delivering it to Moscow was very difficult, since the Americans at some stage spotted the work. But everything ended well, the “live” Saber was delivered for study by Soviet military specialists. In May 1952, the second F-86 was received, shot down by anti-aircraft artillery fire.

In the summer of 1951, American attempts to take possession of the Soviet MIG-15 also ended in success. The scenario was similar: the plane also fell into the shallow waters of the Korean Gulf and was raised by American and British military specialists. True, the specimen was badly damaged and was not suitable for flight research. A year later, another car was found in the mountains of North Korea and taken out, cut into pieces. Well, a completely intact, “living” plane came to the Americans after the end of hostilities, on September 21, 1953, when one of the DPRK Air Force pilots, Lieutenant No Geum Sok, flew to the South on it. Perhaps this was facilitated by the $100 thousand reward promised by the Americans for such a flight, although the pilot himself claimed that the motive for his action was not money. Later, No Geum Seok emigrated to the United States, taking the surname Kenneth Rowe, graduated from the University of Delaware, married and became a US citizen. He worked for a long time as an aeronautical engineer for various American companies, and for 17 years as a professor of aeronautical engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. wrote a memoir, “On the MiG-15 to Freedom.” The hijacked MIG was used for training air combat, which helped American pilots improve combat tactics in future wars involving Soviet-made aircraft.