The Cold War The Korean War
On June 24, 1950 war broke out in South Korea. The country had been divided into North Korea and South Korea after World War II. North Korean soldiers were going into South Korea. These soldiers had been trained by the U.S.S.R. They quickly took over the South Korean army.
South Korea went to the United Nations and asked for military help to stop the North Korean soldiers. Members of the United Nations were split. The Communist members did not want to help. Other countries were afraid that they would anger the U.S.S.R. if they voted to help.
The split decision went to the Security Council for a vote. Most members wanted to vote to help South Korea; however, they figured the U.S.S.R. would vote against them. When time came for the meeting, the members from the U.S.S.R. did not come to vote because they were angry over something. Without the U.S.S.R.'s vote, the others voted to help South Korea.
Troops were sent to help South Korea. President Truman did not wait for Congress to formally declare war. He sent troops right away. Because Congress did not declare war, the Korean War was called a police action in the United States.
