President Harry S. Truman found himself entrenched in a major dilemma as the Korean War unfolded. The consensus among most political leaders in the United States was that the Soviet Union was intending to export communism to the rest of the world. This consensus formed the basis of the American foreign policy with the goal being to contain communism at home and abroad. In Europe, this policy was characterized by the Marshall Plan but, in Asia, this policy became identified by the United States’ participation in the Korean War.
Korea had been divided at the end of the Second World War into two halves. This division had occurred as a result of the Soviet Union having invaded Korea during the War and the Japanese subsequently surrendering to the Soviets. The United States, fearing that the Soviet Union might try to establish a communist government on the entire peninsula moved troops into southern Korea toward the end of the War. Subsequently, the United States and the Soviet Union peacefully agreed to divide Korea at the 38th parallel. In the North a communist government was organized while a rival government was established in the South. Unfortunately, each government was intent on uniting the nation under its own principles which created an unstable condition.
Despite this situation the Truman administration had adopted a position of withdrawal from Korea. The State Department had argued that Korea lay outside the United States’ defense perimeter and that they had no intention of defending South Korea from any potential attack from North Korea. Several World events, however, caused the United States to reconsider its position. First, the news that the Soviet Union had exploded an atomic bomb caused great concern as America’s monopoly on the weapon was now eliminated. Additionally, the Soviet Union began to intervene in political affairs in both Greece and Turkey. Finally, in China, a communist government under the leadership of Mao Tse Tong was established. This series of events caused the Truman administration to re-evaluate its position so that when the North Koreans invaded the South Truman determined that he needed to take action to protect the democratic South Korean government. Based upon the events in Europe and China, Truman reasoned that the Communists were determined to expand their sphere of influence throughout not only Europe but also throughout Asia and that in order to stall their efforts the United States needed to make a statement in Korea.
Truman, although he strongly believed that the North Koreans needed to be stopped, did not want to act unilaterally against the North Koreans. He categorically believed that the Soviet Union and Red China were behind the North Koreans’ efforts but felt that any assistance provided to the South Korean government must be done under the auspices of the newly formed United Nations. Through the urging of the United States, the United Nations sent forces to South Korea but the United States sent the bulk of the forces and directed the operations.
Although Truman was dedicated to stalling the expansion of Communist influence throughout the World, he was also determined to not allow political events to deteriorate into another World War. This caused Truman to be placed in a position of attempting to limit Communist expansion but not being able to wage an all-out military offensive. As a result, Truman ordered that the United States limit its activities in Korea so as to not irritate either the Soviet Union or Red China too severely. This position caused a major rift to occur between Truman and his commanding general, Douglas MacArthur, who favored a more aggressive approach. Matters between the two developed into a major media event that resulted in Truman actually being forced to dismiss MacArthur. MacArthur emerged from the dispute a national hero while Truman suffered significantly in the polls.
Shortly after MacArthur’s dismissal, the North Koreans, who had been forced back deep into their own country, mounted a major offensive that allowed them to push the United Nation forces below the 38th parallel. During this offensive the North Koreans were heavily assisted by the Red Chinese government with both manpower and armaments. This action by Red China confirmed Truman’s suspicions and he became more determined to take a position that would neutralize matters as much as possible in Korea.
The sides eventually became divided along the original 38th parallel line and the war settled down into a battle along this line for the remainder of the next two years as representatives from the United Nations and the North Korean government began protracted peace talks. An armistice agreement, maintaining the divided Korean peninsula, was signed at Panmunjom on July 27th, 1953. A horribly bloody conflict was thus ended but Truman was able to at least stall the feared Communist expansion and to avoid a third World War breaking out.
Throughout the entire Korean conflict Truman was forced to address concerns that the United States would be forced to address for most of the next thirty years. The War revealed how difficult it was for any force, no matter how large and powerful, to defeat an enemy that is fiercely determined. The United States and the United Nation forces greatly outnumbered the North Koreans; they enjoyed a huge advantage in military equipment and technology; and the United States possessed the ultimate weapon: the atomic bomb. None of these advantages, however, were enough to defeat the determined North Koreans.
The War also displayed how difficult it is to fight a limited war. Truman and the U.S. military was never able to establish clear objectives and fought the entire war fearing the likelihood that other forces, primarily the Soviet Union and Red China, would intervene in the war. These two factors caused severe morale problems for the American forces. The U.S. military leaders never fully bought into the approach advocated by the Truman administration and there was considerable political pressure in the U.S. Congress, led by the controversial Joseph McCarthy, suggesting that Truman’s approach was inappropriate for the circumstances. Finally, the Korean War also demonstrated how difficult it often is to end military conflicts. Truman entered the Korean conflict attempting to send a message to the Soviet Union and Red China that the United States would go to great lengths to defend democracy throughout the World but the War never officially ended as the best the United States could do was to negotiate an armistice. The Communist government in North Korea remained in place and the United States, just a few years later, found itself engaged in another similar conflict in Vietnam.
On a positive note, Truman was able to successfully maintain a democratically elected government in South Korea and to do so without hostilities developing into an escalated worldwide war. He was also able to withstand the pressures from his military advisors who suggested that the United States use atomic weapons in their battles with the North Koreans. There was pressure applied to him, just like in the waning days of the Second World War, by military leaders to bomb the North Koreans into submission but Truman adopted a policy that eschewed the use of such weaponry. It was a policy that has been adopted by subsequent administrations as well and one that likely avoided, at a minimum, a possible world war.
Works Cited
Griffith, Robert. “Truman and the Historians: The Reconstruction of Postwar American History.” The Wisconsin Magazine of History (1975): 20-47.
Jervis, Robert. “The Impact of the Korean War on the Cold War.” The Journal of Conflict Resolution (1980): 563-592.
Leffler, Melvyn P. A Preponderance of Power: National Security the Truman Administration and the Cold War. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2010.
Marra, Robin F. “Foreign Policy and Presidential Popularity: Creating Windows of Opportunity in the Perpetual Election.” The Journal of Conflict Resolution (1990): 588-623.
Matray, James I. “Hodge Podge: America Occupation Policy in Korea, 1945-1948.” Korean Studies (1995): 17-38.
— . “Truman’s Plan for Victory: National Self-Determination and the Thirty-Eight Parallel Decision in Korea.” The Journal of American History (1979): 314-333.
McCormick, Thomas J. America’s Half-Century: United States Foreign Policy in the Cold War and After (The American Moment). Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995.
Pearlman, Michael D. Truman and MacArthur: Policy, Politics, and the Hunger for Honor and Renown. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008.
Ridgway, Matthew B. The Korean War. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 1986.
Snyder, William P. “Dean Rusk to John Foster Dulles, May-June 1953: The Office, the First 100 Days, and Red China.” Diplomatic History (1983): 79-86.
Truman’s Dilemma in the Korean War
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
