Did political issues prolong the Korean War?

Question

Did political issues like prolong or have any major effect on the Korean War...

like Truman doing lots of things wrong and also MacArthur.... doing lots of things wrong

and to help me more look at my other questions :)

waiting for expert answers plz........ but did it prolong the war? like how..simply

Answer 1

Officially the Korean War is still under way, since hostilities ended by an armistice and a final peace treaty is still in negotiation, as it has been since 1953.

When the North Koreans invaded South Korea in 1953 the U.S. was not particularly well-prepared, since it had largely dismantled its World War II military establishment. So the decision to conduct the war as a U.N. police action was itself essentially a political decision. War was not declared.

President Truman recognized (appropriately) that the conflict was full of political pitfalls. The relationship with the Soviet Union, or Cold War, could have easily turned into open hostility.

MacArthur saw the conflict as a military issue and chose to prosecute it that way. His decision to carry out the Inchon invasion was a brilliant move which turned the conflict from an allied defeat to an opportunity to win.

Truman did not want to risk a larger war. MacArthur saw a larger war as a key to victory. You could consider the decision to fight the Korean War as a limited war as prolonging it, however I think the fact major fighting ended after three years meant it was not particularly extensive in its time.

Vietnam, by comparison, dragged on from 1961 until 1973. (1975 if you consider the Fall of Saigon as its actual end.)

Mistakes were made, but generally both Truman and MacArthur had good reasons for the choices they made. Truman did not want World War III--MacArthur wanted a clear victory. The two goals didn't mesh particularly well.

Eisenhower pushed the armistice once he had been elected president. The armistice was partly a political decision, but it shortened the war, not prolonged it.

Added: Disagreement on how to carry out the war was largely based on political issues. The larger view was that Korean instability threatened Japan. The narrower view was that Korea was a foreign war we had no business engaging in. Truman tried to split the difference--to stabilize Korea without defeating North Korea and risking war with China and the Soviet Union.

Indecision--based largely on political issues--prevented a clear victory in Korea, which was likely possible in 1951. Since the choice was made to limit the objectives in the war the result was a stalemate--no significant land gains by either side after 1951.

This resulted in the war being prolonged. When the decision was made to negotiate an armistice rather than a clear end to the war the effect was to prolong the war but to cease active combat by 1953.

Korea remains a trouble spot with the seeds of the conflict unresolved.

I hope that will answer your question. If not, please let me know and I will try to expand my answer even more.

Answer 2

The americans had a policy of shoot to kill if more than two Koreans were together.This was because they felt that a gunman could hide between them. So Americans drove all the Koreans out of villages to disperse them and then if they walked in groups of 3 of more areoplanes would gun or bomb them. It was genocide of the innocent civilians of Korea.300,000 died this way.The american then liked to pile up the dead bodies in a triangular heap and have a photo taken of them sitting on the top grinning. The most famous picture is of about 40 dead civilians piled up,and at the top the removed the skirt and underwear of an old women and spread her legs open as an amusing photo. Forgotten genocide and savagery of American troops.No-one noticed because little brown skinned people don't matter.Sickening

Answer 3

i'm not an expert. but in my opinion, without political influence the korean war would never have happened. but in another aspect, political influence can prevent war from happening. its only a matter of perspective and the one applying it.

Answer 4

All Wars are Selfish ! Oriented by Selfish Individuals !

Answer 5

Of course they did, all wars are political.

Answer 6

Decode this lyrics " We are family"
Don't think so.
Just blunders and slip-ups with human errors with communication problems.
With time they solve their own communication prblems.
Must be tired of throwing pots and pans in bashing up one another.
Luke 9.55-56
What do you think?