Korean War Essay, Research Paper
The situation facing the American leaders in Washington D.C. and also in Tokyo was very much the same. They both foresaw the likely dissolve of the South Korea army and government, and therefore the imminent engulfing of all Korea into a communist state. It was John Foster Dulles, later to be President Dwight Eisenhower s secretary of state, who pointed out the way to the beginning course the United States were to follow. In the thought of bipartisan foreign policy, Dulles had recently appointed a special advisor to the then current Secretary of State Achenson. Dulles himself was in Tokyo when the North Koreans struck, and he immediately sent a message to Acheson that, if the South Koreans could not hold, U.S. forces should be used even though this risks Russian counter moves. To sit by while Korea is overrun by unprovoked armed attack would start a disastrous chain of events leading most probably to world war. These were the exact words used by Republican Dulles. When he returned to Washington D.C., Dulles said that he had meant sending in the U.S. air and naval forces only, not our troops. Although Dulles was a respected man his idea that without U.S. intervention there would be another world war was not exactly logical. Omar Bradley was quoted as saying If Korea falls, we may want to recommend even stronger action in the case of Formosa in order to offset the effect of the fall of South Korea on the rest of east Asia. Almost immediately after getting word of the invasion, Acheson decided tentatively that the United States should put the matter before the United Nations. He called President Truman, who was spending his weekend at his home in Independence, Missouri, and immediately got his approval. On Sunday morning, fourteen hours after Washington had first gotten a flash on the attack, the state department and army officials held a
Wolfe 2
conference, which was attended by Acheson and General J. Lawton Collins, the army chief of staff. The conference agreed to set up a protective air zone over Seoul, Kimpo airfield, and Inchon to assure the safe evacuation of American dependants, to send arms and equipment to the ROK army, and, if the UN Security Council asked for direct action in Korea. Many other conferences were held and decisions made, but the North Koreans refused to cease their advancements. They continued to ignore the Security Council resolution and shortly would occupy Seoul. After this Truman again held another conference in the Blair House around the time of 9:00 p.m. This time, Truman approve decisive steps. Truman approved three Acheson proposals that night all of which mainly took almost all restrictions on our military in the area away. He also approved a proposal to the Security Council, meeting the next day, to seek international sanction for open military intervention. The next morning, June 27, President Truman announced his decisions to the nation. I have ordered United States air and sea forces to give the Korean government troops cover and support. The attack on Korea makes it plain beyond all doubt that Communism has passed beyond the use of subversion to conquer independent nations and will now use armed invasion and war. It has defied the orders of the Security Council of the United Nations issued to preserve international peace and security. In these circumstances the occupation of Formosa [Taiwan] by Communist forces would be a direct threat to the security of the Pacific area and to the United States forces performing their lawful and necessary functions in that area.