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** Korean War ( 1950 – 1953 ) – The war, which lasted from June 25, 1950 until the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, started as a civil war between North Korea and the Republic of Korea ( South Korea ).

When it began, North and South Korea existed as provisional governments competing for control over the Korean peninsula, due to the division of Korea by outside powers.

While originally a civil war, it quickly escalated into a war between the western powers under the United Nations Command led by the United States and its allies and the communist powers of the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union.

On September 15, General Douglas MacArthur conducted Operation Chromite, an amphibious landing at the city of Inchon ( Song Do port ).

The North Korean army collapsed, and within a few days, MacArthur's army retook Seoul ( South Korea's capital ).

He then pushed north, capturing Pyongyang in October.

Chinese intervention the following month drove UN forces south again.

MacArthur then planned for a full-scale invasion of China, but this was against the wishes of President Truman and others who wanted a limited war.

He was dismissed and replaced by General Matthew Ridgeway.

The war then became a bloody stalemate for the next two and a half years while peace negotiations dragged on.

The war left 33, 742 American soldiers dead, 92, 134 wounded, and 80, 000 Missing in action ( MIA ) or Prisoner of war ( POW ).

Estimates place Korean and Chinese casualties at 1, 000, 000 – 1, 400, 000 dead or wounded, and 140, 000 MIA or POW.