At this time Kim Il Sung's made a national address in which he stated "The war which we are forced to wage is a just war for the unification and independence of the motherland and for freedom and democracy." The Americans took this act as a sign that Kim II Sung was utilising a communist take-over, thus in October of the same year America, with UN sanction, invaded North Korea. The Korean War became the first American war ever waged solely as an ideological war. "For the first time in the nations history Americans were asked to fight and die to contain an idea". The Korean War was extremely popular domestically because it was part of the Cold War.
Additionally the conflict in Korea allowed the USA to demonstrate its military capabilities to the world, and help to increase UN credibility. However, despite US concession to accept containment as an accomplishment, North Korea remaining communist can be seen as an American failure. In 1950, the US made the decision to invade North Korea. This switch to rollback policy shows that their goals were higher than just containment. They were defeated by Chinese ‘dragon’ attacks, which in December 1950 caused the most humiliating retreat in US history, totalling 300 miles.
The main reason for the USA’s military intervention in the Korean war was that of containment. The American aims was to work with its allies to contain the spread of soviet and communist Chinese power using political, economic and if necessary military pressures. Any failure of containment was potentially disastrous. According to the USA the loss of SK might well lead to a chain reaction leading to the loss of much of the rest of Asia, including Japan. This was called the domino theory.
It stated that the U.S. would aid Greece and Turkey to prevent them from falling to “outside pressures” or communism. $400 million of American money was sent to these countries. This is because after WWII many countries were in great debt from keeping up with the war efforts. Communism was looking better to countries with poor economies and militaries. This was a successful form of containment because from the aid of the U.S., Greece and Turkey did not become communism.
“Unlike the Soviet Union, the United States attached little importance to Korea as a strategic area.” -James F. Schnabel INTRODUCTION Early on the morning of 25 June 1950 North Korean’s Kim Il Sung attacked “in great strength across the 38th Parallel.” Though skirmishes, attacks, and reconnaissance actions were commonplace between North and South Korea, President Syngman Rhee’s warning and frenzied request for assistance found General Douglas MacArthur committing American military troops and equipment in defense of South Korea. As North Korea pushed through the capital of South Korea, Seoul, and continued south, General MacArthur began formulating a plan to regain the lost ground. The plan, known as Operation CHROMITE, relied on surprise and an amphibious landing in a difficult location but its success would be a product of General MacArthur’s forethought and genius in the weeks prior to 15 September 1950. Operation CHROMITE succeeded due to General MacArthur’s initiative despite a vague strategic policy, command design, and timely joint organization. BACKGROUND AND THE STRATEGIC SETTING Harry S. Truman’s administration placed a higher priority on stability and resource allocation to the European theater than the Pacific theater following World War II.
War Introduction/Thesis Statement The Korean War started in June, 1950, as North Korea launched an all-out assault on the south. What was already a tense, international situation became a more formidable crisis for America, its policy makers, and the military. [1] Truman's decisiveness in committing American forces to the battle in Korea earned him renewed support from the public, and the string of victories won early on by American military forces, helped gain Truman increasing approval from his country. Both President Truman and leader of the military, General MacArthur, thought that prior to the Chinese intervention, total victory over North Korea was near. After the assault of Chinese soldiers in the mountains of North Korea caused
America has spent numerous amounts of money on strengthening our homeland security as well as border patrol, which have strengthened our defense but weakened our economy. Although some Americans feel much safer within our borders today, there are still many more that still have fear of those terrorists, but with all the new laws stemming from 9/11 people generally feel much safer in America than ever before. In conclusion, 9/11 has had many a huge impact in America in many ways both positive and negative. A positive impact of 9/11 is that Americans came together as one and showed they were there for one another when times got hard. A negative impact that 9/11 has had is the effect it has had on the economy and also with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
How far was the Korean War a military and political success for the USA? The Korean War was an arena of war between the US and the USSR, the extent to which it was a militant success and a political success was minimal. The outcome of the war produced more military success, than political success, the most important reason being that the US was not able to achieve their target of containment of Communism, and hence, could not unify Korea under a capitalist rule. The USA’s military objective was to prevent the DPNK (North Korea) from invading and taking over ROK (South Korea). It can be said that there was significant military success due to the several militant achievements, for example; the US was able to restore ROK to its former state, prior to the invasion by the DPNK.
The G.I bill (Servicemen's Readjustment Act) provided veterans with money, college tuition, and low interest loans so that they could buy homes. This contributed to the economy because soldiers returning home had money to spend. Another reason for the economic boom was new technology being invented that people wanted to buy. * In general the prosperity level of all sections of society increased. This brought about basic changes in lifestyle of Americans.
Building on the economic base left after the war, American society became more affluent in the postwar years than most Americans could have imagined in their wildest dreams before or during the war. Public policy, like the so-called GI Bill of Rights passed in 1944, provided money for veterans to attend college, to purchase homes, and to buy farms. The overall impact of such public policies was almost incalculable, but it certainly aided returning veterans to better themselves and to begin forming families and having children in unprecedented