nge the communist’s minds, Ridgeway was ordered to launch a full-scale air, navy, and land attack in order to destroy the communist hold in North Korea. UN. war ships bombarded and blockaded North Korean ports. Allied air force worked on destroying communist supply lines day and night. Wave upon wave of allied troops attacked communist strongholds day after day.27 In 1953, General Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected as President of the United States . He threatened that if the armistice was not signed by the communists, the U.S. would start to use atomic weapons to end the war. With the death of Joseph Stalin in March of 1953, the standpoint of the Russians towards the peace treaty was drastically affected.28 Now the Soviets were not under as much communist pressure and wanted a peaceful settlement in Korea. However, the peace talks still dragged on with the speed of a stiff concrete mix as thousands of soldiers died on each side. Finally, during June of 1953, both sides established the Neutral Nations Reparation Commission to over see the return of POW’s.29 The U.S. returned 6,670 communist prisoners and received 684 sick or wounded allied troops. After the reparation was made, the guns fell silent over Korea on July 27, 1953 as the armistice was signed. The U.S. and the allies signed the “Declaration of Sixteen” which did not hold them responsible for the cause or the cost of the war.30 Korea remained divided at the 38th parallel, and there was a twenty mile wide demilitarized zone enacted between the two states. Both North and South Korea agreed not to increase military strength and the terms were enforced by the Military Armistice Commission.31 The economic and human expenses of the Korean War were immense. The U.S. alone spent 67 billion dollars to keep South Korea independent. The entire allied war effort cost approximately 129 billion dollars. The damage in North Korea was labeled at 49 billion dollars, while...
