how did the korean war affect america?

Answer 1

"The Korean War was the first armed confrontation of the Cold War and set the standard for many later conflicts. It created the idea of a limited war, where the two superpowers would fight in another country, making the people in that nation suffer the bulk of the destruction and death involved in a war between such large nations. The superpowers avoided descending into an all-out war with one another, as well as the mutual use of nuclear weapons. It also expanded the Cold War, which to that point had mostly been concerned with Europe. The war led to a strengthening of alliances in the Western bloc and the splitting of Communist China from the Soviet bloc."

"The war also changed America’s view of the Third World, most notably in Indochina. Before 1950, the Americans had been very critical of French endeavors to reestablish its presence there against local resistance; after Korea, they began to heavily support the French against the Viet Minh and other nationalist-communist local parties, paying for up to 80% of the French military budget in Vietnam."

"The U.S. military had been caught ill-prepared for the war. Accordingly, after the war, the American defense budget was boosted to $50 billion, the Army was doubled in size, as was the number of Air Groups, and they were deployed outside American territory in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia."

"U.S. casualties in the war are fewer than in the Viet Nam War, but they occurred over three years as opposed to 15 years (1960-1975) in Vietnam. However, advances in medical services such as the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital and the use of rapid transport of the wounded to them such as with helicopters enabled the death rate for U.N. forces to be much lower than in previous wars."

"The Korean War also saw the beginning of racial integration efforts in the U.S. military service, where African Americans fought in integrated units. President Truman signed Executive Order 9981 on 1948-07-26, calling on the armed forces to provide equal treatment and opportunity for black servicemen. The extent to which Truman’s 1948 orders were carried out varied among the various branches of the military, with segregated units still in deployment at the start of the conflict, and eventually being integrated towards the end of the war. The last large segregated operational unit was the U.S. 24th Infantry Regiment which was deactivated on October 1, 1951."

"The U.S. still maintains a heavy military presence in Korea, as part of the effort to uphold the armistice between South and North Korea. A special service decoration, known as the Korea Defense Service Medal, is authorized for U.S. service members who serve a tour of duty in Korea."

"Korean War : Legacy : United States" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea_War#United_States

"During the last 18 months of the Truman administration, the US defense budget had quadrupled; and Eisenhower resolved to reduce military spending by brandishing the United States' nuclear superiority while continuing to fight the Cold War effectively."

"Eisenhower's secretary of state, John Foster Dulles initiated a "New Look" for the "containment" strategy, calling for a greater reliance on nuclear weapons to US enemies. Dulles also enunciated the doctrine of "massive retaliation," threatening a severe U.S response to any Soviet aggression."

"Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy emerged as an influential proponent of a hard-line stance on the Cold War. Although the president quietly deplored his demagoguery, the senator exploited anti-Soviet sentiment when alleging a communist conspiracy to take over the US government, leading to a massive political witch-hunt."

"Cold War : Crisis and escalation (1953-1962)" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War#Crisis_and_escalation_.281953-1962.29

"McCarthy characterized Truman and the Democratic party as soft on or even in league with Communists, referring to "twenty years of treason" on the part of the Democrats."

"It was the Truman Administration's State Department that McCarthy accused of harboring 205 (or 57 or 81) "known Communists," and Truman's Secretary of Defense George Marshall who was the target of some of McCarthy's most colorful and memorable rhetoric."

"Marshall had been involved in American foreign policy with China, and McCarthy charged that Marshall was directly responsible for the "loss of China" to Communism. In the speech McCarthy also implied that Marshall was guilty of treason."

"Joseph McCarthy : McCarthy and the Truman administration" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthy#McCarthy_and_the_Truman_administration

Answer 2

In a word...negatively.