The United States used the United Nations, then less than five years old, to authorize a US-led coalition force against the North Korean offensive. The American military soon controlled most of the north, unnerving Joseph Stalin, who asked for Mao’s help. Mao was reluctant—he had enough on his plate with Taiwan and Tibet—but he also needed to keep in with Stalin. American and Chinese troops fought brutally, face to face, often in close-quarter combat; so equally matched were they that it took more than two years before both sides accepted a stalemate. Fighting ended on July 27, 1953, but with
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