. In four to six sentences, using your own words, write a conclusion paragraph for the following excerpt.

"Struggles of the 1950s"

The 1950s were a difficult time for countries across the world. The Korean countries were no exception. North and South Korea engaged in a civil war at the beginning of the decade. Like any civil war, it destroyed the country's unification and pitted countrymen against one another. At the heart of the feud were two conflicting ideas regarding the way the government should be structured. The Northerners believed communism was the superior government structure, where the Southerners believed democracy was ideal. Due to this divide, the Korean Civil War was a detrimental period in Korean history.

Following WWI, North and South Korea were split into two independent countries. At that time, there were plans to reunite the country. Those plans were nullified when the North invaded the South, inciting civil war. The North wanted the South to operate as a communist country as well. Even in the face of attack, the South stood strongly behind their belief in democracy.

During the Korean Civil War, the United Nations supported the South. The UN supported the South by providing armed forces to fight alongside the South Koreans. Many of the troops provided by the UN were American. American troops naturally supported the South because, like Americans, the Southerners wished to live under a democratic government. Americans, South Koreans, and other UN countries' citizens shared the desire to be a part of their government rather than be controlled by a communist dictator. Along with the manpower, the UN also encouraged the two countries to come to an agreement and unite once again.

After three years of fighting, the Korean Civil War ended with a cease-fire agreement between the two countries. Additionally, the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was established to eliminate physical combat occurrences at the 38th parallel, where the two countries met. Some saw the war as a waste of resources and a disgusting exhibition of violence. Others thought the South was justified in defending their right to democracy. Although the war ended, neither of the two countries agreed to adjust their government's structure, and many men, women, and children were affected in the process, especially in those villages along the 38th parallel.