Truman and MacArthur's Conflicting Views on the Korean War
Without a question, the conflict left many people wondering whether it should be ended or continued. When it came to analysts, though, Truman and MacArthur had conviction in their opposing positions. In my opinion, fighting a containment war against Korea was better than a full-scale war. While Truman wanted the conflict to continue, MacArthur actively advocated for the end of containment.
Truman's Desire for Soldiers in North and South Korea
Truman desired soldiers in both North and South Korea because he desired free elections in Korea to bring the communist era to an end (Unger). MacArthur, on the other side, disagreed with him and eventually succeeded in replacing him. After the UN defeat of North Korea, it was thought that everything had settled and communism was broken. However, this was not the case as Truman wanted to contain Korea.
MacArthur's Approach of Using Military Attacks
MacArthur was simple and believed that war involved attacks and not disguised by political approaches. Evidently, his attack on the Communist China saw the use of deadly force given that China was an Ally to Russia. More so, his attack on China without the American Presidential support saw him being removed from power (Minear 45). Even though Truman wanted to contain Korea, his intentions were not based on using military force to subdue the government. Rather, military landings were to contain the then situation simply.
The Ineffectiveness of MacArthur's Strategy
War using deadly force does not always solve everything, particularly when dealing with superpowers that are against you. In fact, this would be brewing trouble as the countries would be in constant conflicts. MacArthur was not a good strategist and even lost the Philippines to Japan. He also tried to divert US marine resources to bring the war to Korea (Casey 200). In other words, MacArthur’s ideas were a recipe for disaster. It is clear that wars do not always guarantee victory to the active participants. In this regard, containment through cold wars is better than a full-scale war using deadly force.
Works Cited
Casey, Steven. “Larry Blomstedt. Truman, Congress, and Korea: The Politics of America’s First Undeclared War.” The American Historical Review 122.1 (2017): 199-200. Print.
Minear, Richard H. Victors’ Justice: Tokyo War Crimes Trial. Princeton University Press, 2015. Print.
Unger, David C. “The Politics, and Political Legacy, of Harry S. Truman’s National Security Policies.” Origins of the National Security State and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman 11 (2015): 165. Print.
