It was believed that the US involvement in Korea was based on a fear of communism and the prior mentioned domino effect. US involvement in Korea wouldn’t have been the first example of her anti-communism. On March 12, 1947, President Truman gave an address to Congress that would later be known as the Truman Doctrine. He asked that approximately $400 million of financial aid to be given to Greece and Turkey. This aid, Truman claimed, was needed so that these countries would have the resources to combat guerrilla forces, some of which, but not all, were communist. However, in his speech this wasn’t all Truman talked about. Perhaps more significant than the request for aid was the broader aim of Truman's speech. For it was in this speech that the whole nature of US policy towards communism and the cold war was fashioned, this being containment. Truman asserted that the Soviet Union, like Germany before it, sought world domination. With hindsight it can be seen that perhaps Truman misinterpreted Soviet intention, as it would appear that all Stalin wanted was a buffer zone, and not, like Hitler, world domination. However, Truman insisted that all efforts must be made to "support free people who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures....we must assist free people to work out their own destinies in their own way." The U.S. had to concentrate all its efforts on "containing" communism, to stop the rot and prevent communising spreading further. Another string in Truman Doctrines bow was the Marshall Plan. Aid was to be given to any European country struggling with the economic burden of reconstruction after the war. But Marshall made cooperation with U.S. policies a condition of that aid. This ensured that these countries had an American friendly "way of life", an antidote if you will against the threat of communism.
So, when the US gave aid to the South Korean Republic in 1948 it would appear that this was just part of the US containment policy, as US officials did not want communist ideas from the North spreading into the South, and therefore had to promote the idea that capitalism ensured a better way of life for her people. In 1949, NATO was set up also, with its security ensuring NATO members felt more protected against the USSR, and to counter increasing Soviet strength in Europe. 1949 proved to be a busy year not only due to the formulation of NATO, but also from a Soviet perspective. In August 1949 the USSR tested her first atomic bomb, a monumental feat, as this ended the US/West advantage, and the Soviets no longer had this proverbial weight hanging over their heads. With both sides equipped with new weaponry technology, the Cold War took a dramatic twist, as the world entered a new era of ‘Nuclear Terror’. This wasn’t the only set back for the US in 1949, for in October Mao proclaims the People’s Republic Of China after defeat of Chiang Kai Shek, meaning a second Communist super power alters world balance of power and draws US attention back to Asia.
This led to political pressure from Republicans on Truman’s Democrat regime, who blamed Truman for the ‘loss’ of China, pronouncing that they hadn’t been tough enough on communism. Douglas MacArthur, who at this time was a Republican senator heightened Cummunist mistrust and started a Communist witch-hunt when he claimed that there were closet communists in the US State Department. Given the current political situation, no eyebrows were raised when in April 1950 NSC 68 was produced.
In conclusion is can be seen that the US’s dominance in the UN could raise a valid argument that the UN was a mere puppet and the US the puppet master pulling the strings, with the UN being used as an instrument of anti-communism. After a double blow in 1949 for the US, the ‘loss’ of China and the USSR exploding the atomic bomb, US was determined not to let the domino effect come into play and increased defences immensely. It could well be argued that the US only took an interest in Korea for this sole reason. This could also be proved by the outcomes and consequences of the war as the US continued to pursue rigid anti-communist policies, indeed the Korean War had speeded up the direction that the US was going before the war. An example of this acceleration could be seen in 1960, when the US was involved in another anti-communist conflict in Vietnam. Given the continued US intervention, one might question the motives of this superpower, and doubts arise as to whether or not her involvement was a selfless act.
