What were the intentions of President Harry S. Truman and General Douglas MacArthur regarding the United States intervention during the Korean War?

What were the intentions of President Harry S. Truman and General Douglas MacArthur regarding the United States' intervention during the Korean War? Word Count: 3,967 Abstract The aftermath of the Korean War still directly affects the relationship between North and South Korea and their citizens. As the only divided nation which is still at war in theory, analyzing the origin of division, the impacts of Korean War, and the intentions of major figures are significant for both North and South Korea. After providing the basic background and the course of the Korean War, two opposing viewpoints on the United States' intervention in the Korean War are presented. Therefore, my investigation ultimately leads to one research question: What were the intentions of President Harry S. Truman and General Douglas MacArthur regarding the United States' intervention during the Korean War? Both primary and secondary sources were incorporated in the investigation to analyze two contrary viewpoints on the intentions of Truman and MacArthur. The experts and historians focus on the United States' initial standing on October 7, 1950, in General Assembly of the United Nations to unify Korea under a democratic government. In addition, they elaborate on MacArthur's great success in the Inchon landing and consider him a war hero. On the other hand, other historians quote the MacArthur hearing to

  • Word count: 5633
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: History
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The Korean War.

Elias Chamoun 20th century topics R5 - Richardson The Korean War Referred to by many as being "the forgotten war", the Korean War played a big role in shaping the cold war, though many people tend to disregard that. It began with the North Korean surprise attack in June 1950. The reasons for that attack are still a mystery till this day. After WW2, Korea was divided into two sections, North and South, by the 38th parallel. The Soviet Union occupied North Korea and a communist government was established under the leadership of Kim Il Sung. The United States on the other hand, occupied South Korea, and a democratic government was set up there under the leadership of Syngman Rhee. After failing to agree on the fate of Korea and the type of government that should be established, both superpowers contented with the 38th parallel and thus Korea was divided between a communist North and democratic South. Many explanations were given to what caused the North Korean attack. Some suggested that Stalin wanted to create problems for China because of Mao's refusal to submit to Stalin's authority. Others suggest that Mao was seeking to expand his influence in East Asia and started with Korea. And finally, some suggest that the Korean War was an internal affair, in which the North wanted to incorporate the South into its authority. Those were possible, but unlikely explanations. The one

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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"How was the Korean War Significant?"

"How was the KoreaWar Significant?" Following World War II both Russiaand the U.S.interested in securing spheres of influence in order to spread their respective ideologies. Already prior to this Koreaand its neighbour Manchuriahad been of great importance to the USSR, and now this interest returned. In August 1945, shortly after Japanhad surrendered to the allies, Russian made an attempt to occupy Korea. The U.S.not wanting to make the same mistake with "appeasement" as they had done with Hitler, moved into southern Koreain order to contain communist spreading. Now, similarly to the situation in Germanyat the time, Koreawas split in two along the 38th parallel. North Korea became Communist and South Korea became anti-Communist and under U.S. control, the scene was set for the first conflict of the Cold War. The Korean War actually broke out on June 25th 1950when North Koreacrossed the 38th parallel invading South Korea. The NKPA (North Korean People's Army) managed to gain quick victories over the South Korea, due to their weaponry and tanks that they had gotten from Russia. Although the U.S.had previously said that they did not consider "South Korea a vital part of [their] defense perimeter in Asia", Truman committed U.S.naval and Air support to South Korea. Although Koreawas clearly not a strategically important to the U.S. it was probably the tense political situation

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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North Korea and South Korea after the Korean war.

"In our hearts, I think we have already achieved reunification." Kim Bok Young, a clothing retailer in Seoul.1 As a new generation is born and raised that has forgotten the Korean War, the vast majority of Koreans want reunification of the Korean peninsula. The collective group called "Koreans" is a people that were dramatically and carelessly ripped into two states. With families and friends on each side of the border, there is a cry for help on each side. Unfortunately the governments of these two states have differences that separate a common people. Although, there is hope for the spilt nation of Korea. Many are working for the common goal of uniting the people of Korea into a single state. North Korea and South Korea have made significant strides towards unification despite obstacles and set backs. The division of Korea happened in 1945 when single country was split in two and sent on two very different paths. It is important to note that the Korean peninsula has been separated by different kingdoms through history, but the differences were small compared to the recent differences among Korea today. Currently North Korea is a very poor suffering communist state, while the South is a growing economic tiger that has successfully adopted capitalism. The two paths started to unfold late during World War II. While the allies drove the Japanese forces from Korea,

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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The Korean War and Superpower relations

The Korean War started on 25 June 1950 when North Korea forces crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea, which was considered and unprovoked aggression by the North Korea. The conflict between North Korea leader Kim Il Sung and South Korean leader Syngman Ree started out as one without any connections to the Cold War, until interference of USA and USSR. The Korean War in itself was significant as it marked the first time the Cold War was extended outside Europe to Asia. Moreover, the Korean War saw the emergence of several watershed events in the wider Cold War context, such as the entry of new parties in the Cold War conflict, an intensification of the policy of containment as well as development of the Cold War into an increasingly globalized conflict and the change in nature of the Cold War. The Korean War was significant in intensifying American misunderstanding of Soviet political and strategic aims which led to increasing tensions between the two Super Powers. Truman's conviction was that the USSR was expansionistic and aggressive, and they were not going to stop until they had world dominance. Stalin was seen as the main instigator of the attack and Kim Il Sung was thought to be Stalin's puppet while China was seen to be a monolithic community bloc together with the USSR. Thus the North Korean attack against South Korea was perceived to be a Soviet-inspired

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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How significant was Chinas intervention in deciding the course and outcome of the Korean War?

How Significant was China’s intervention in deciding the course and outcome of the Civil War? China’s intervention in the Korean played a significant part in deciding the course and outcome of the Civil War in a variety of ways. Among the most significant of these factors are the role played by the Chinese ‘volunteer’ army in pushing the UN forces back to the 38th Parallel and then South Korea, which prolonged a conflict which was seemingly going to be won by the UN. Without this intervention, the stalemate that led to the eventual Armistice would never have happened. Also, if China hadn’t intervened, then General MacArthur may not have been sacked by Truman, as part of the reason for his sacking was his failure to prevent the advance of the PRC; this would have been academic if the PRC hadn’t intervened in the war. If China had not intervened, MacArthur could have still been in control of the army ( as Truman would have had less reason to dismiss him), and as a result the US could have held a more aggressive stance towards attacking mainland China, as this is what MacArthur wanted in order to end the conflict quickly. Chinese intervention also meant that the damage and cost to all sides increased, as well as the significant impact China had on the eventual peace terms. One of the main factors that demonstrate the significance of the Chinese intervention was the

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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Using Sources A-C to explain why the U.S.A. became involved in the Korean War.

Louise Todd 11I 04.12.02 History homework. Using Sources A-C to explain why the U.S.A. became involved in the Korean War: * Source A compares the rise of Communism throughout Asia to a ten pin bowling game. In this instance, the Soviet Union is the hard-hitting, ambitious bowler and the head of the pins is China, recently turned into a Communist state. The idea of the ten pin bowling game is the same as the domino theory, If one country turns Communist, then it is likely that it's neighbours will do so. In this situation it seemed inevitable that the second row of pins: Burma and Vietnam would be knocked down by the Soviet Union. The remaining pins in the third row: Thailand, Malaya and Indonesia were also vulnerable and likely to topple. * Source B part a is part of a speech made by The commander-in-chief of the U.S.A. General MacArthur in 1951, explaining why he wanted to make attacks across the Chinese border. MacArthur believed that Communists conspirators in Asia had chosen to make a play for a global conquest. He believed that if the war to Communism were lost in Asia, the fall of Europe would be inevitable. MacArthur wanted to use atomic weapons in Asia. He drew up a list of targets for which he needed a total of 26 atomic bombs. He also wanted four more bombs dropped on the Chinese forces. * Source C is from the memoirs of the English Prime minister

  • Word count: 710
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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Explain how the USA, USSR and China became involved in the Korean War 1950 53

Transfer-Encoding: chunked Explain how the USA, USSR and China became involved in the Korean War 1950 – 53 Korea was liberated from Japanese control by the USSR in 1945. The country was divided along the 38th Parallel. Attempts were made to reunite the country but the USSR wanted a government sympathetic to communism and the USA preferred capitalism. The country ended up being divided into two separate states: in the north, a communist regime under Kim Il Sung and in the south a capitalist dictatorship under Syngman Rhee. The USSR became involved with Korea because it feared that the invasion of North Korea was a stepping stone to Asian communist revolution. They feared that if the whole of Korea was to fall Japan and other neighbouring countries could be a risk of communism. Many Americans believed in the domino theory – that one country after another would fall to communism. The 1947 Truman Doctrine was revised so it was extended to cover the whole world rather than just Europe. Truman wanted to prove he was tough on communism. He stated that the USA would help any country resisting ‘armed minorities or outside pressures’. The USA were still reeling from the loss of China to communism in 1949, after Zedong’s victory in the civil war. The USA had failed to keep Kai Shek, a nationalist, in power. Their fears were increased when in 1949 the USSR developed an

  • Word count: 1295
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Korean war - Domestic pressure an devents in asia

Korean War Domestic Pressure rather than events in Asia governed the USA's intervention in, and conduct of the Korean conflict. How far do you agree with these views? There are two views, firstly is that the domestic pressure applied on the US administration and the events of Asia. After the end of the Second World War the war time allies, Russia and America, became bitter enemies in a war that seemed, on the surface, to be about the Capitalist and Communist Ideology. This conflict caused Europe to be split by and "iron curtain" which divided eastern and Western Europe. This war was to be a cold war rather than a "hot war" where the two superpowers, USSR and the USA, never actually fought each other. This conflict spread to Asia where the power gap created by the defeat of the Japanese caused Korea, which was annexed by Japan since 1910, to become split along the 38th parallel, like Europe was split along the iron curtain, with Soviet backed communist North Korea lead by Kim IL Sung and US backed South Korea under the rule of Syngman Rhee who was a hard line anti communist. These two leaders wanted to unify North and South Korea into a unified Korea that was ruled by one of them. The war between North and South Korea started out as a civil war with border skirmishes since 1949. Many of the events in Asia caused domestic pressure on the Truman Administration back home. The

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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Was the Korean War successful in either containing Communism or Removing Communism?

Monday, 03 February 2003 Was the Korean War successful in either containing Communism or Removing Communism? In September 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. South Korea, was controlled by Anti - Communist leaders whilst the North was controlled by Communist leaders. The fact that South Korea was Anti - Communist gained it the support of America. The communist half on the other hand was liberated by the soviet troops, and the south by Americans. The south had the support of the UN behind it, which boosted its power. I will now discuss the war in more depth stating the causes and important events during the war. There was one main reason why the Korean War started. This reason was that there was a bitter hostility between the North's communist Leader Kim IL Sung and the South's President Syngman Rhee. The conflict between the two leaders eventually turned into war between the disunited countries. When the War began, the American President Truman began to send warships advisers and supplies to the waters surrounding Korea. The last thing that Truman wanted to see was another country turned communist. This is why he asked for the UN support. The USSR had no say in this as they were boycotting the UN at the time. So, the UN became involved in the war with the Americans contributing the most to the UN forces and in the driving seat. The aim of the UN forces was to drive all

  • Word count: 720
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: History
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