Truman and MacArthur differed over strategy in fighting the Korean War, which strategy was the best?

Question

Was fighting a full-score war against China or a war of containment the best policy? What are tsome reasons and arguements

thanks.

Answer 1

You are most likely going to get as many different opinions as there are people on this one:
This is going to be long because there is not simple answer to this question.
MacArthur wanted to as you said declare war on China and comment our nuclear weapons to the battle. In order words Nuke China.
Truman on the other hand had the Soviet Union to think about since they were an allie of China. They also by then had developed Nuclear weapons.
Also it was a United Nation's Police Action action in Korea not American even though we were commenting the bulk of the forces fighting in Korea. It was not an American war.

Truman's concern was that had we declared war on China and the Soviet Union entered into the war we'd have another World War on our hands right behind WW II and Western Europe both our Allies and former enemies were in any shape to fight another World War.

MacArthur on the other hand was just concerned with the Military action not the whole picture. He had also just been highly embarrassed by the Chinese surprise attack which sent the army reeling in retreat.

Again another case of not listening to your intelligence a trait common to all political officers (not combat officers) and make no mistake about it MacArthur was a political officer.

When the Chinese attacked in mass they caught the army strewn out all over Hell's half acre advancing behind the collapsed North Korean army which was in a pell mell retreat.

the only outfit that was in a organized was the Marines that the Chosin Resrvior becaues they had spear headed the attack to take and hold the resrviior and were waiting for the army to catch up.

When Chinese attacked they caught the army flat footed with the cooks and artillary actually ahead of the infantry because they had trucks and could move faster. Were also going ahead to set up messes for the infantry.

The Army was totally disorganized. It was more of a foot race than advance. They were strung out everwhere in the head long race to the Border between China and North Korea.

The reason given was to cut off the North Korean army's retreating into China to regroup.

Definitely not a good situation when you get hit by a whole Field Army attacking you in mass.

The Marines on the other hand were dug in on the high ground at the Frozen Chosin waiting for the army to get there.

The Chinese set the army reeling in full retreat cutting off the Marines under Col. Chesty Puller at the Chosin. and surrounding them.

Then to make matters worse for the Marines the weather hit. The bottom dropped out of the thermometers. It was so cold Marines were having to urinate on their rifles to unfreeze the bolts. And that is COLD ! Compounding that they none of them had winter clothing.
After sending the army reeling the Chinese attacked the cut off Mairnes at the Frozen Chosin to wipe them out. YEAH RIGHT ! With Chesty as their commanding officer Ha ha YEAH RIGHT !
His famous statement which like to this day in Marine History and Folk lore is:
I HAVE THE CHINESE IN FRONT OF ME! I HAVE THE CHINESE BEHIND ME ! I HAVE THE CHINESE ON THE RIGHT OF ME! I HAVE THE CHINESE ON MY LEFT!
I HAVE THEM JUST WHERE I WANT THEM ! I CAN ATTACK IN ANY DIRECTION I WANT TO!

One road led out of the Chosin to the coast and U.N. lines bordered by mountains on both sides.

MacArhtur and the brass wrote off the Marines at the Chosin, which was another bitter pill of MacArthur to swallow because of his incompendence and not listening to his intelligence.
But after being supplied by air Col Chesty Puller ordered his Marines and units of the Army's Airbourne who had managed to fight their way through to the Chosin. to attack down the road.
Seeing the Marines breaking out the Chinese commander swung his whole field army to stop them.
End result was the Marines annihalated the 8th Chinese Communist Field Army fighting their way back to American and U.N. lines.
But the end result of all that was that MacArthur had been humilated and burned to save face. That is the reason he broached declaring war on China and using Nuclear weapons.
He was not thinking it terms of the whole picture. He was only thinking it terms of saving face.
MacArthur was a political General a popular political general but still a political general. and that is one of the main reasons him and Truman were often at logger heads over the running of the war in Korea.

Answer 2

First of all, do your own damn homework. Second of all, it is clear that MacArthur was too aggressive. If he had not approached the Chinese border so aggressively, it is possiblethat the Korean War would have ended a few months after it started and that North Korea would not exist today.

On the other hand, if we had not engaged the Chinese at that time, we might have had to engage them later, in a different conflict.

So you see, there's no right or wrong answer here. Use your brain and think of your own bullsh*t...

Answer 3

I think that Truman was wrong and MacArthur was right to want to go all the way to North Kora.

Answer 4

mac arthur was best, because Truman never won that war.