The Vietnam War: The Aftermath Of The Korean War

he aftermath of the Korean War set the tone for Cold War tension between the superpowers. The Korean War was important in the development of the Cold War, as it showed that the two superpowers, United States and Soviet Union, could fight a "limited war" in a third country. The "limited war" or "proxy war" strategy was a feature of conflicts such as the Vietnam War and the Soviet War in Afghanistan, as well as Angola, Greece, and wars in the Middle East.

The Korean War was the first war in which the United Nations (UN) participated. Some commentators argued that it showed that the UN was a powerful organization for helping to keep world peace. The UN Command in South Korea is still functional.

The war scarred both North and South Korea. Both

Australian troops participated in two major battles in 1951. On April 22, 1951, Chinese forces attacked the Kapyong valley and forced South Korean and Australian troops into retreat; other UN troops, including the Australian, were ordered to halt the attack. After a night of fierce fighting, during which the allied positions were overrun, the Australians counterattacked and recaptured their positions, stalling the Chinese advance. The Australians suffered very few casualties. For their contribution to this action, 3 RAR (Royal Australian Regiment) was awarded a U.S. Presidential Citation.[1]

Australian soldiers participated in Operation Commando, an attack against a Chinese-held position in a bend of the Imjin River, a river running north–south that crosses the 38th parallel north just above Seoul. The attack began on October 3, 1951, and after five days of heavy fighting the Chinese withdrew. Twenty Australians were killed in the battle and 89 were wounded.[1]

As the war continued, several other nations grew less willing to contribute more ground troops. Australia, however, increased its troop strength in