The Dismissal of General MacArthur Flashcards

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Who was General Douglas MacArthur in the Korean War?

He was the top United Nations and United States military commander in Korea.

What did President Truman want from the Korean War by late 1950?

He wanted a limited war to push North Korean troops back and avoid a wider war with China or the Soviet Union.

What did General MacArthur want to do that went beyond Truman’s plans?

He wanted to win total victory, reunite Korea by force and was willing to attack China to do this.

How did MacArthur suggest widening the war into China?

He talked about bombing Chinese bases, even using atomic bombs, and using Chinese Nationalist forces from Taiwan.

Why did Truman refuse to widen the war as MacArthur wanted?

He feared it could start a third world war and a nuclear conflict with the Soviet Union.

How did MacArthur openly challenge Truman’s policy in 1951?

He made public statements and sent a letter, read in the US Congress, which attacked Truman’s limited war strategy.

Why was MacArthur’s behaviour seen as breaking the rule of civilian control of the military?

Because he publicly opposed the President’s policy instead of obeying orders from his civilian commander-in-chief.

When did Truman dismiss General MacArthur and what did this mean?

On 11 April 1951 Truman removed MacArthur from all his commands in Korea and the Far East.

Who replaced MacArthur as commander in Korea after his dismissal?

General Matthew Ridgway took over command of United Nations forces and continued the limited war policy.

How did Americans react to MacArthur’s dismissal and how is it viewed now?

Many were angry at first and treated MacArthur as a hero, but many historians now think Truman’s decision helped avoid a wider, possibly nuclear, war.