The Korean War began in 1950 when North Korean troops invaded South Korea, crossing the 38th parallel dividing line. The United Nations backed the US-led defense of South Korea in an effort to contain communism. Fighting escalated as Chinese troops entered on North Korea's side, pushing UN forces back below the 38th parallel. The war settled into a stalemate along the parallel, and armistice talks began in 1951. A truce was finally signed in 1953, leaving Korea still divided along roughly the same border. The war had significant impacts including the rise of the military-industrial complex and the desegregation of the US military.