Korean War Safe Conduct Pass
Most simply stated, the Korean War was a war between North Korea and South Korea. The war was initiated by North Korea in June 1950 when they invaded South Korea, and the war lasted slightly over three years before the two sides came to an armistice. China and the Soviet Union provided assistance to North Korea, while the United Nations, with the United States as the primary force, came to the support of South Korea.
To understand the Korean War a little better, it is necessary to discuss the situation that led up to the military action. Korea had been annexed by the Japanese in 1910. During World War II, the United States and other allied nations applied pressure on the Soviet Union to enter war against Japan. However, Joseph Stalin, the Premier of the Soviet Union, was hesitant to do so because he did not want to fight a war on two fronts. At the Tehran Conference in 1943, Stalin agreed that the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan, but not until after Nazi Germany had been defeated. Two years later, at the Yalta Conference in February, 1945, Stalin further agreed that the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan within three months of the end of the European war. Stalin followed through on this promise, and began invasions against Japanese territories three months to the day following the German surrender. As part of these invasions, the Soviet Union liberated Korea north of the 38th parallel. While the Soviet involvement in the war against Japan did possibly help bring the war to a quicker end, it also led to the situation that escalated into the Korean War.
After the conclusion of World War II, tensions quickly grew between the United States (along with its NATO allies and others) and the Soviet Union, which ushered in the period known as the Cold War era. By 1948, the Korean Peninsula had been split into two regions, although both the governments of North Korea and South Korea each claimed that they were the legitimate government of the entire Korean peninsula, and the border between the two regions was not considered a permanent border by either side. The conflict between the two escalated into open warfare when North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. As stated above, this led to a three-year war that involved countries from around the world as they came to the support of either the North Korean government or the South Korean government. The armistice that ended up being agreed upon to end hostilities created the Korean Demilitarized Zone to separate the two Korean regions, and allowed for the return of prisoners of war. No peace treaty has ever been signed, however, and technically the two Koreas are still at war.
The item in my collection is a Safe Conduct Pass that was used during the Korean War. Passes such as this, or other variations, were air dropped over North Korean areas as part of the Psychological Warfare efforts. The pass encouraged North Korean and Chinese troops to surrender, and instructed them to take the Pass to the nearest U.N. soldier, which would ensure that they would be treated humanely. The passes did have an effect, with thousands of North Korean and Chinese troops surrendering using them even though they had been threatened with execution by their superiors for even picking one up.
To understand the Korean War a little better, it is necessary to discuss the situation that led up to the military action. Korea had been annexed by the Japanese in 1910. During World War II, the United States and other allied nations applied pressure on the Soviet Union to enter war against Japan. However, Joseph Stalin, the Premier of the Soviet Union, was hesitant to do so because he did not want to fight a war on two fronts. At the Tehran Conference in 1943, Stalin agreed that the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan, but not until after Nazi Germany had been defeated. Two years later, at the Yalta Conference in February, 1945, Stalin further agreed that the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan within three months of the end of the European war. Stalin followed through on this promise, and began invasions against Japanese territories three months to the day following the German surrender. As part of these invasions, the Soviet Union liberated Korea north of the 38th parallel. While the Soviet involvement in the war against Japan did possibly help bring the war to a quicker end, it also led to the situation that escalated into the Korean War.
After the conclusion of World War II, tensions quickly grew between the United States (along with its NATO allies and others) and the Soviet Union, which ushered in the period known as the Cold War era. By 1948, the Korean Peninsula had been split into two regions, although both the governments of North Korea and South Korea each claimed that they were the legitimate government of the entire Korean peninsula, and the border between the two regions was not considered a permanent border by either side. The conflict between the two escalated into open warfare when North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. As stated above, this led to a three-year war that involved countries from around the world as they came to the support of either the North Korean government or the South Korean government. The armistice that ended up being agreed upon to end hostilities created the Korean Demilitarized Zone to separate the two Korean regions, and allowed for the return of prisoners of war. No peace treaty has ever been signed, however, and technically the two Koreas are still at war.
The item in my collection is a Safe Conduct Pass that was used during the Korean War. Passes such as this, or other variations, were air dropped over North Korean areas as part of the Psychological Warfare efforts. The pass encouraged North Korean and Chinese troops to surrender, and instructed them to take the Pass to the nearest U.N. soldier, which would ensure that they would be treated humanely. The passes did have an effect, with thousands of North Korean and Chinese troops surrendering using them even though they had been threatened with execution by their superiors for even picking one up.