1. Was the Korean War a successful effort at containing communism? 2. How did it predict fiature U.S. involvemen~ in Asia?

Transcription

1 1. Was the Korean War a successful effort at containing communism? 2. How did it predict fiature U.S. involvemen~ in Asia? 3. What was its impact on the American commitment to fighting the Co!d War?.

2 KEY EVENTS OF THE KOREAN WAR Event Korea divided between North and South Soviets & Americans withdraw military North Korea invades South Korea fruman orders air and naval support for South Korea & zalls for UN intervention U.S. troops invade at Inchon Pyongyang falls to UN forces Chinese divisions enter fighting MacArthur declares "There is no substitute for victory" March 1951 Truman relieves MacArthur ofapril 11, command 1951 MacArthur addresses Congress after being away from the U.S. April 19, ~ 1951 since 1935 Negotiations begin at Panrnunjon July 1951 Korea becomes campaign issue in 1952 presidential election IDate!September June 24, June 27, September 15, October 19, November 4, SunLrner 1952 Significance Following Japanese surrender, Soviets maintained military presence in the North with American troops in the South. Temporary border at 38th ~arallel established A pro-soviet puppet government is left in charge of North Korea with a vastly superior army to U.S.-supported South Whether North Koreans acted with Stalin s approval is still debated With the Soviet Union absent from the Security Council, the U.S. was able to win agreement from UN to support South Korea. MacArthur appointed to command UN operations In surprise landing behind enemy lines, US forces push North Korean army back north of the 38th parallel North Korean capital now in UN control With increased opposition, UN offensive stalls and then collapses. Chinese troops push UN forces back across 38th parallel and capture Southern capital of Seoul [n message to House Republican leader Martin, MacArthur expresses his frustration with the limited war U.S. is fighting against communists Following several warnings about insubordination, Truman angers public (69% support MacArthur) by firing the US commander [n emotional speech, MacArthur declares "Old soldiers never die, they merely fade away". Falks drag on until 1953 and war is settled with the establishment of a DMZ (demilitarized zone) on each side of the 38th parallel Eisenhower pledges to go to Korea to end the war. VP candidate Nixon icontends Democrats had caved in to communists in Korea and that Democrat presidential candidate Stevenson should be called "Adlai the Appeaser" Armistice formally reestablished the division of Korea March 1953 Formal peace treaty never signed. Over 1,000,000 Koreans and 54,000 Americans ldlled in conflict plus thousands who die as prisoners of war United Nations Peak Combat Strengths in Korea* *as of July 1953 Republic of Korea-- 590,911 Turkey - 5,455 United Kingdom- 14,198 Canada - 6,146 France - Ll19 Australia - 3,382 Greece- 1,263 Colombia- 1,068 ~- Ethiopia- 1,271 Thailand - 1,294 Netherlands Belgium/Luxemburg Philippines - 1,496 - South Africa New Zealand - :!,389 United States Forces - 325~270 United States Ground Forces - 302,483

3 Harry S. Truman. Policy Statement, June 27,. State Department Bulletin, July 3,. In Korea, the Government forces, which were armed to prevent border raids and to preserve internal security, were attacked by invading forces from North Korea. The Security Council of the United Nations called upon the invading troops to cease hostilities and to withdraw to the 38 t~ Parallel. In these circumstances I have ordered United States air and sea forces to give the Korean Governmer~t troops cover and support. The attack upon Korea makes it plain is beyond doubt that communism has passed beyond the use of subversion to conquer independent nations and will now use armed invasion and war. [as instruments of national policy] italics added. It has defied the orders of the Security Council to the United Nations... Accordingly, I have ordered the Seventh Fleet to prevent any attack on Formosa. The Seventh Fleet ~vill see that this is done. The United States will continue to uphold the rule of law. Dean Acheson. Speech to American Newspaper Guild. June 29,....Sunday afternoon [June 24t~]--it was just before daybreak of Sunday morning in Korea--without warning and without provocation, Communist forces of the north launched a coordinated full-scale assault on the Republic of Korea. Ambassador Muccio s cable reached the State Department code room at 9:26 Saturday night, having crossed an inquiry the Department had sent to him a few minutes before, based on the first flash of action. Within a matter of minutes, the message was decoded and the Department was alerted for action. During Sunday night and early Monday morning, actions flowing from the conference with the" President were set in motion. General MacArthur was authorized to respond at once to urgent appeals from the Government of Korea for additional supplies of ammunition and in a matter of hours was flying into Korea loaded transport planes with fighter protection to assure their safe arrival. At the same time the Seventh Fleet with all men aboard was steaming north out of Subic Bay, to be on hand m case of need... Yesterday--4 days after the fighting began--the fall of Seoul was confirmed, but American air and sea support for Korean Government troops was beginning to make itself felt, and peace-loving nations the world over were able to hope that this act of brutal, unprovoked, and naked aggression would not be allowed to succeed.

4 Douglas MacArthur, ~Military Situation in the Far East." He~trings Part I0 Senate, Committee On The Armed Services pp GENERAL OF TIlE ARMY DOUGLAS MACARTHUR: ~If that is the concept [limited warfare] of a continued and indefinite campaign in Korea, with no definite purpose of stopping it until the enemy gets tired or you yield to his terms, I think that introduces into the military sphere a political control such as I have never known in my life or have studied." SENATOR SALTONSTALL: In other words, you feel the Korean situation, having gone into an armed conflict, it should be brought to an end in the quickest possible way through a military victory. GENERAL MACARTHUR: I do, Senator, exactly; and I believe ff you do not do that, ff you hit soft, if you practice appeasement in the use of force, you are doomed to disaster. I believe that if you continue that way, you are inviting the very things that you desire to stop---the spread of the conflict... Omar Bradley, "Military Situation in the Far East," Hearings, Part II, Senate, Armed Services Committee. Pp The fundamental military issue that has arisen is whether to increase the risk of a global war by taking additional measures that are open to the United States and its allies. We now have a localized conflict in Korea. Some of the military measures under discussion might well place the United States in the position of responsibility for broadening the war and at the same time losing most if not all of our allies. General MacArthur has stated that there are certain additional measures which can and should be taken, and that by so doing no unacceptable increased risk of global war will result. As long as the conflict within its present scope, we are holding to a minimum The forces we must commit and tie down.. From a military viewpoint, appeasement occurs when you give up something, which is rightfully free, to an aggressor without putting up a struggle, or making him pay a price.

5 Stephen B. Oates. Portrait of America.. Volume II, p.298 His decision (Truman s) to go into Korea in June was the most difficult of his presidency, he said. And he felt it was the most important decision of his presidency--more difficult and important than the decision to use the atomic bomb, because he feared he might be taking the country into another war still more horrible world war, a nuclear war. Yet at the time, it was a very popular decision, a p.oint often forgotten. The country was waiting for the President to say we would go the rescue of the South Korean s, who were being overrun by the Communist North Korean blitzkrieg... He was applauded by the press across the country. It was only later that summer of when the war went sour that it became "Truman s War." James T. Patterson, Grand Expectations The US New York: Oxford Book Company, Pp Professor James T. Patterson of Brown University made these salient observations about the Korean conflict in his award winning book. )~ One writer called this conflict, The Forgotten War ~ National amnesia over Korea pitted the American and allied troops against North Korean...seemed inconsequential compared to two world wars ~ The war had lasting diplomatic, economic, and domestic consequences, For a police action, it was a brutal, bloody conflict...that inflicted 4 million casualties. ~ The Korean war was rooted in WW II. ~ The coming of the Cold War dashed any hope of reunification. ~ It now seems that American leaders mis-read Stalin s role in the invasion. ~ The North Korean onslaught.in the darkness of June 25 was wellorganized, smashing offensive, with T-34 tanks, and 90,000 camflouged soldiers...battle hardened as %olunteers" from Mao s Chinese Civil War. ~ Truman was forced to act under the pressure of time ~ Truman s decisions angered some congressional leaders such as Sen. Taft ~ The war went badly for the US in the early stages until MacArthur led the Inchon landing. MacArthur drove them back to Chinese border and then advocated ~unrestricted open warfare." ~ The impressive record of achievement gave MacArthur an almost legendary reputation. Many observers...hailed him as the American Caesar. ~ Truman fired MacArthur, which has left a lasting debate upon the record. > Both sides--north and South Koreas--agreed on voluntary repatriation of prisoners. The drew a peace-line roughly the same as when the war began, raising the question, "What did we fight and die for?" ~ The War finally elevated the Red Scare to high tide. Truman was powerless to stop the wave of xenophobia that endured throughout the conflict. > Well before the 1952 elections it was clear that the Korean War had divided the nation and that a majority of the American people were ready for a change in leadership.

6 ~ ~lacarthur attack Nov, 25,!950 July 27, [, 953 The Shifting Front in Korea

7 Page I of [