North Korea invades South Korea

When Japan surrendered at the end of the Second World War, their occupation of Korea came to an end and the Allied Powers divided Korea along the 38th Parallel. The Korean Peoples' Army (KPA) was established in February 1948 and was raised from the former Korean Communist guerrilla units who had fought the Japanese occupation alongside the Chinese. The North was increasingly influenced by the USSR and the South was supported by the USA. The Soviet Union 'advised' the KPA and by mid-1950 the KPA consisted of ten infantry divisions and supporting arms with a total strength of almost 225,000.

The KPA invaded South Korea on 25 June 1950, advancing rapidly south and forcing South Korean and American forces into a pocket around the port of Pusan. The United Nations responded quickly, calling for international member support for South Korea. The United States, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa were to respond by sending military forces.

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