Effects of the war

Effects of the war

The Korean War also had many great effects. First and foremost, there were heavy casualties on both sides, as the estimated number of fatalities, wounded people, POWs of all countries is well over one million people.

In terms of the balance of power between the US and the Soviet Union, the war emphasized the US's unrelenting will to prevent the proliferation of communism, and made clear that it will stop at nothing to ensure this. Friction between the two superpowers only rose after the war, threatening to resurface and emerge once again.

Furthermore, the war caused a deep feeling of hatred and hostility between the US and China, one that would last for decades to come. In fact, even today the two countries are rivals (Jervis, 1980).

The fear of communism felt by the US did not subside after this war but rather increased. Worried about the domino effect, the US has had several other wars and operations against communism, including the notorious Vietnam War, one of the most traumatic experiences of the US in the 20^th century. Be that as it may, South Korea remained an important military base for the US and thousands of troops were still stationed there ("Causes and Effects", 2009).

The war between the two Koreas may have ended, but the two sides failed to resolves their differences and remained antagonistic to one another, resulting in their constant readiness and high level of alertness in case battles commence once more (Jervis, 1980).

Summation

In summation, the Korean War was one of the most influential conflicts in the 20^th century after World War II. It was a decisive battle of powers between the aggressive Soviet Union which was determined to spread its chokehold and absolute control on other countries via its communist approach, and the US which wanted to put a halt to the Soviet Union's expansion efforts and to reduce the totalitarian threat it posed to Asia and to the entire world.

China was also intent on using Korea as a buffer against any possible US invasions of it, and caused an escalation of the war. What was originally a fight between the North and the South of Korea, each wanting to unify the country under its rule, became one of the most crucial scenes of combat between the two major superpowers of the world, the two ideologies and the two ways of life.

 In my opinion, it was absolutely imperative for the US to curb the dangerous aspirations of the Soviet Union, without which we may be living in a communist world right now.

References

"Analyze the causes of the Korean War" (2008). ECeat Website. Published November

      9, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=33849

"Cause and Effects of Korean War" (2009). Buzzle Website. RetrievedMay 19,

      2009 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cause-and-effects-of-korean-war.html

"Causes of the Korean War" (2007). Learn Korean Language Website. Retrieved May    

      19 from http://www.learnkoreanlanguage.com/causes-of-the-korean-war.html

Jervis, R. (1980). "The Impact of the Korean War on the Cold War". Journal of

       Conflict Resolution, Vol. 24 (Issue 4), p. 563-592

"Korean War" (2009). Wikipedia Website. Modified May 19, 2009. Retrieved May

       19, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War#Legacy

Written by Roei Levi