June 1950: The Korean War
Communist forces of North Korea ignited the Korean War in June 1950 by invading South Korea across the 38th parallel. The attack escalated the Cold War. It challenged the United States and its Western Allies. And it tested the resolve of the newly formed United Nations.
The subsequent war was a brutal one.It was a "meat grinder," in the words of author David Halberstam. As a result, more than 2 million Koreans died. Countless thousands of families were separated. The armistice that ended the hostilities created the world's most heavily fortified border and left a legacy of rhetoric and saber-rattling that threaten world stability to this day.
Learn the history behind the headlines. Red Star Rising explores the Asian front in the Cold War, including the communist-takeover of China and the Korean War. It's part of the acclaimed educational documentary, Cold War, from Media Rich Learning. You won't find a more accurate and engaging video-primer on the Korean War. It's Perfect for middle and high school students (and their teachers, too!) Most of all, for a limited time, it's streaming free-of-charge right here!
Images from the Pusan Perimeter
All images courtesy National Archives and Records Administration;
Created by Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. U.S. Marine Corps. 9/18/1947-
Even More History and Context for Current Events
Cold War chronicles the twentieth century's epic geopolitical conflict like no other program of its kind. It's been critically-praised as "...a standards-based tour de force" and documents the most important events of the era—Berlin Airlift, policy of containment, Marshall Plan, McCarthyism, nuclear arms race, Cuban Missile Crisis, and much, much more. Cold War is 130 minutes of essential educational content—available in the members-only Streaming Room™, as a limited-time pay-per-view screening, or on DVD.