Preface

The Korean War was long regarded as a neglected or forgotten conflict, not least by many of those who fought there in the ranks of the United Nations Command. Overshadowed in the popular mind by the Second World War and Vietnam, its critical importance in shaping the course and conduct of the Cold War has only gradually been appreciated. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of Cold War conflict between east and west has allowed access to some of the documentary record of 'the other side' in recent years, and has provided historians with important new evidence which has helped us to reach a more fully rounded understanding of this most complex of conflicts. With indications that rapprochement between North and South Korea may be underway following the historic summit between Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il, this chapter of postwar history may finally be reaching a close.

The papers collected here were presented, in some cases in a different form, at the Chief of Army's annual military history conference in Canberra in July 2000, the fiftieth anniversary year of the beginning of the war. Several others that were not delivered on the day have been added to the collection. While the Korean War was of fundamental importance for the people of the two Koreas, fifteen other nations contributed forces to resist communist aggression while on the North Korean side the Chinese intervened decisively in late 1950, backed by the Soviet Union. These essays cannot hope to cover all the aspects of the conflict, but they convey a measure of the disparate experiences and ways of viewing the war in its aftermath, while presenting as well a specifically Australian focus.

As always we are indebted to Roger Lee and his staff at the Army History Unit for making the conference run as smoothly as it did. We thank those who presented papers at the conference, and the several other authors who have answered our call for additional essays. We are particularly grateful to Margaret McNally for her patience and skill in typesetting, to Tanya Buxton for her cover design, to Ron Campbell for his speedy production, and to Jeff Doyle for his willingness to help with proofreading.

Contents

Contributors: Contributors

Introduction
Lieutenant General Peter Cosgrove: Cosgrove

The Forgotten Army in the Misunderstood War: The Hanguk Gun in the Korean War, 1946-53
Allan R Millett: Millett

ANZAXIS at War: Australian-New Zealand Relations During the Korean War
Ian McGibbon: McGibbon

Success and Frustration:The Korean War and Australian Land/Air Warfare
Russell Parkin: Parkin

From Koje to Kosovo: The Development of the Canadian National Command Element
Aryeh JS Nusbacher: Nusbacher

The Korean War Through Chinese Eyes
Paul McLeod: McLeod

'But to this day I still ask myself, why did I serve in Korea?': The Formation of K-Force
Richard Trembath: Trembath

Other Fronts: Resistance, Collaboration and Survival Among United Nations Prisoners During the Korean War
Jeffrey Grey: Grey

Propaganda, The Media and Psychological Operations: The Korean War
Stephen Badsey Badsey

Australia's War in Korea: Strategic Perspectives and Military Lessons
Michael Evans: Evans

Another Forgotten War Remembered: The Australian National Korean War Memorial, Anzac Parade, Canberra
Jeff Doyle: Doyle