The Korean War: Truman vs. MacArthur - Essay Example

Korean War al Affiliation) According to Halberstam (2007), the Korean War was a result of a combination of factors and events that followed the end of World War II, but the primary cause was North Korea’s act of invading the Republic of Korea (South Korea) by crossing the 38th parallel that separated the two nations. On 25th June 1950, North Korea crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea and took the major port of Pusan. As the North Koreans advanced rapidly into South Korea, the United States urged the UN Security Council to use the United Nations Charter to classify North Korea as an aggressor; the request was accepted and put into action (Gruenberg, 2004).

Member states were called on to deploy military aid, and this was followed by the first US troops landing in South Korea. The Korean conflict lasted for three years until a truce and agreement were reached in 1953Truman vs. MacArthurBased on the literature I have read with regards to this subject and my logical interpretation of the events preceding and following the Korean conflict, I am convinced that Truman was justified in relieving General MacArthur of his duties. MacArthur (as recognized by many scholars) was a fighting man; he did not know how to quit and even viewed a stalemate as a loss (Halberstam, 2007).

I cannot fault General MacArthur for his reasoning, but the time was very wrong for an international nuclear war considering that it had been only 5 years since the end of World War II. I, therefore, believe that Truman was justified in relieving General MacArthur of his duties and hence promoting the greater good.