The Korean War, which took place from 1950 to 1953, was a conflict between North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union and China, and South Korea, supported by the United States and other member nations of the United Nations.

Following World War II, Korea was divided along the 38th parallel, with the Soviet Union controlling the northern half and the United States controlling the southern half. The differing ideologies of communism in the North and capitalism in the South set the stage for tensions and disputes between the two Koreas.

The United States and the Soviet Union were both engaged in a global power struggle during the Cold War. Each superpower sought to expand its sphere of influence, and the Korean Peninsula became one of the battlegrounds for this ideological confrontation.

The division of Korea and the involvement of the United States and Soviet Union were crucial factors leading up to the outbreak of the Korean War.