Wheels of History Podcast

KOREA - THE FORGOTTEN WAR PART 5: The Contest of Wills

This episode covers the final two and a half years of the Korean War as the UN forces rallied and stopped the Chinese, the front stabilized along the 38th Parallel, and two years worth of peace talks before the armistice is finally signed. In particular, this episode highlights the influence of General Matthew B. Ridgway in restoring the fighting spirit of the US 8th Army and the bloody hill battles along the 38th Parallel that resembled World War I static warfare. Furthermore, the growing political concerns during the conflict bring about great frustration at the front lines and the shocking POW riots at Koje Island.

KOREA - THE FORGOTTEN WAR PART 4: The Frozen Chosin

This episode covers the Chinese counterattack that hit the US 1st Marine Division and elements of the 7th Infantry Division around the Chosin Reservoir. These forces, supplied on a single, winding road through the mountains of Korea, were cut off and surrounded by nine Chinese divisions. In the face of subzero temperatures, relentless Chinese attacks, and unable to receive ground resupply, survival will require the utmost courage, determination, and valor from the Marines and soldiers at the Chosin Reservoir.

KOREA - THE FORGOTTEN WAR PART 3: The Dragon Strikes

This episode covers the Chinese counterattack that hit the US 8th Army in the western part of North Korea. Shortly after MacArthur launches his forces north toward the Chinese border, the Chinese launch their own counterattack, surprising the UN forces with nearly 300,000 soldiers who have been hidden in the hills. This counterattack collapses the ROK II Corps on the right flank of the 8th Army, endangering the entire army with encirclement. Will UN air supremacy and firepower be able to withstand the massed Chinese armies?

KOREA - THE FORGOTTEN WAR PART 2: Incheon and the Drive to the North

This episode covers the UN amphibious assault at Incheon, the collapse of the North Korean army, and the rush north to the Yalu River. The North Korean offensive to eliminate the Pusan Perimeter has failed. Conditions are right for a counterattack to drive the Communists north, but only General Douglas MacArthur is so bold as to propose an amphibious assault at Incheon, just twenty miles from Seoul. The Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine generals almost universally oppose it as too risky due to the challenging geography, tides, and distance from the front. Yet this operation would be MacArthur’s masterpiece, utterly changing the course of the war… until the Chinese arrive.

KOREA - THE FORGOTTEN WAR PART 1: Origins and Defeats

This episode covers the background of the Korean War and the opening months of the war. I start with a brief overview of how Korea was divided in half after the Second World War. Then, as the Cold War begins and tensions rise between the Communist-sponsored North Korea and US-sponsored South Korea, the temporary division becomes permanent. The US occupation troops depart Korea in 1949, only for Kim Il Sung to launch a surprise invasion on June 25, 1950. This invasion forces the United States to come to grips with the realities of war in the nuclear age and the threat of World War III breaking out in Europe. This war also serves as the first test of the newly-formed United Nations and if it is able to overcome the weakness that plagued the League of Nations. Regardless of international support for South Korea, the opening months are a disaster for the UN and South Korean forces as they are pushed into the Pusan Perimeter in the southeast corner of Korea. This episode ends with the last North Korean attack on the Pusan Perimeter in September 1950.