In the aftermath of the Second World War, American and Soviet troops were fighting the Japanese in Korea, but when neither would leave, they agreed on dividing Korea along the 38th parallel. In 1949, Russia left North Korea with a communist government and not very long after, Americans left too leaving Syngman Rhee in charge. North Korea, seeing the opportunity, invaded anticommunist South Korea and the Soviet Union and China supported the offensive later. The United States managed to get U.N. assistance to Rhee against the invasion; it was easier without Soviets veto power in the Security Council. General MacArthur was appointed to command U.N. forces in Korea. He managed to North Korean forces past the 38th parallel. President Truman hoped to weaken communist powers set by the Soviet Union. MacArthur’s odds were looking good until the Chinese intervened. Stronger communist forces pushed Americans into a retreat, which Americans pushed back harder. The war had managed to convert itself into a stalemate. General MacArthur had been relieved of command, despite public protest, due to his ideas that the U.S. should attack China. Truman did not want further involvement with communist China. The Korean War spread more hatred of communism among …show more content…
The Yalta Conference was meant to create peace after the Second World War, but it barely accomplished much. Although, Soviets and Americans supposedly agreed with free election in Poland and German zones of occupation, Stalin never acted through all his promises. After the Conference, the Soviet Union did not feel satisfied with the decisions and started to systematically spread communist governments. The United States felt alarmed at the growing communism ideas and somewhat betrayed that Stalin did not follow through. The Korean War created more American opposition of communism, which the Soviet Union supported strongly. Americans did not like to send their troops to another war, especially not long after World War II ended, and lose more men overseas. China’s newfound communist government did not help in lessening American opposition to the government after the Korean War. It was after this war that the U.S. policies started to become a stronger anticommunist form. The United States found Soviet Union’s spread of communist threatening, and very closely resembling those of Hitler’s. The damage of World War II and Hitler’s influence on people made everyone see that something needed to be done about spreading radical forms of governments; communism was not something Americans were familiar so they felt the need to stop