American Response
"The armistice had been signed and the war ended. But what followed was not a sense of victory or euphoria on the part of most Americans, merely gratification that an unpopular war was over. Instead of jubilation a widespread feeling existed in the United States that while there was no more war, neither was there peace or victory. For the first time in history, the United States could not claim victory over its enemies. Also for the first time in their history, American were told that the end of a war meant cease-fire, not a return to peacetime conditions." -Burton Kaufman
"Korea: The Unfinished War"
American RadioWorks The Korean War, was considered a failure by many Americans. Victory hadn't been won; Communism hadn't been defeated. President Eisenhower had said, "Now as we strive to bring about that wisdom, there is, in this moment of sober satisfaction, one thought that must discipline our emotions and steady our resolution. It is this: We have won an armistice on a single battleground—not peace in the world. We may not now relax our guard nor cease our quest."
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International Consequences
"In sum, although the war had left the peninsula bitterly divided, an armed camp licking severe wounds, the circumstances of its end made unlikely a repeat performance. The Cold War would not depart anytime soon, but there was reason to hope that its most devastating impact on Korea was in the past." Stueck, 2002
- Tensions continued between the US and USSR until its collapse in 1991
- The Koreas have not been unified and still maintain a fragile relationship
- No planned attack on either Korea to date
- No further peace agreements have been reached
- The UN remains an international power