Korean War Lessons

I've shared a new document with you in your Cold War file. It is titled Korean War. Read this and answer the prompt below. (Also, if you want to read about the Korean War in your Americans textbook, it is 26-2)

Prompt:

It is 1952. A new president, Eisenhower, has been elected in the US. Your task is to write a report for him on what lessons the United States can learn from the war. Your report should advise the President on:

the US aims in Korea
how the support of the UN helped
how far the US achieved its aims
whether MacArthur should have been allowed to invade North Korea
why MacArthur was removed
the military and civilian cost of war


For each point you will need to use the sources and text on pages 338-41 to compile your answer.

Finally, make up your own mind as to whether, on balance, the policy of containment succeeded and then write up your ideas as a balanced report.


The Korean War has demonstrated many lessons to the U.S. The U.S., in its fight against communism had given its support to the anti-communist South Korea and so when communist controlled North Korea attacked, the U.S. hoped to drive North Korea away. Because the Soviet Union was boycotting the UN, the UN could assist he U.S.'s cause. ALthough most of the UN force sent to Korea was American, additionally support from 18 states including Britain sent troops. The UN was able to quickly drive the North Korean forces out of South Korea, which was the U.S.'s original goal. However, the US general MacArthur was not satisfied with this. MacArthur, along with Truman, wanted to remove communism from all of Korea. However North Korea had the support of the Chinese, which MacArthur underestimated. The UN's troops we pushed back into South Korea. Even then MacArthur wanted to continue the war, even if that meant using nuclear weapons, but Truman was satisfied with achieving the US's original goal of pushing North Korean troops out of South Korea. MacArthur's attack on North Korea resulted in intense fighting and of course, many civilian and military deaths. had MacArthur been able to continue as he wanted and use a nuclear weapon the toll would be much higher and could have begun a war with China and the USSR. Truman removed MacArthur after ignored UN instruction and threatened China.

The US's policy of containment seems to have been effective. The Korean War can be counted as a success for containment because it did just that and contained communism to North Korea. Although further efforts to bring down communism in all of Korea were very unsuccessful, the UN was able to counter North Korea's attack on South Korea and push the communist troops back. Had this not happened than South Korea might have been taken over and turned into a communist state. Mac Arthur aggressive policies however seem to have been counter-effective as they would have in all probability have launched a war with China or the USSR. China had already shown in North Korea how hard they were willing to fight and if they would have won a war against the US, communism would have spread even more.