Partition1945 CE – 1948 CEEast Asia

Partition of Korea

Korea was divided at the 38th parallel after WWII between Soviet-occupied north and US-occupied south, eventually hardening into two separate states still divided today.

Key Figures
Kim Il-sungSyngman RheeHarry TrumanJosef Stalin

Preceding Causes

Post-WWII agreement between US and USSR to divide Japanese-occupied Korea; Cold War competition prevented reunification.

War1939 CE

World War II

The deadliest conflict in human history, killing an estimated 70–85 million people. The war included the Holocaust — the genocide of 6 million Jews and millions of others — and ended in the Pacific theater with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Historical Consequences

Led directly to the Korean War; created one of the world's most militarized borders; North Korea became isolated dictatorship.

War1950 CE

Korean War

North Korea invaded South Korea, drawing in US-led UN forces and China, ending in armistice that still governs the divided Korean peninsula.

Cause-Effect Graph

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