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General Macarthur's Role In The Korean War

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On April 11, 1951 President Harry Truman made the decision to fire the Army General Douglas McArthur after MacArthur made public statements that had contradicted the policies and positions of his administration. While General MacArthur was a well redound hero of World War Two, his role in the Korean War can be a questionable and controversial topic.
General MacArthur was the leader of the allied forces in the pacific southwest during the duration of WWII. When the Korean War broke out and North Korea invaded South Korea he was assigned commander of the United States Forces. While he was in charge during the war some say he was a genius for his defeats. “As U.S. and United Nations forces turned the tide of battle in Korea, MacArthur argued for a policy of pushing into North Korea to completely defeat the communist forces. Truman went along with this plan, but worried that the communist government of the People’s Republic of China might take the invasion as a hostile act and intervene in the conflict ("Truman Relieves MacArthur,")”. However, his victories were short lived once China entered the war, causing him to withdraw his troops from North Korea. By April 1951 the military was stable but General MacArthur could not keep his opinions to …show more content…

In view of the specific responsibilities imposed upon me by the Constitution of the United States and the added responsibility which has been entrusted to be by the United Nations, I have decided that I must make a change of command in the Far East. I have, therefore, relieved General MacArthur of his commands and have designated Lt. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway as his successor” ("Speech Explaining the Fire of MacArthur,”). President Truman’s polls took a massive hit in the next

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