After reading MacArthur’s War by Bevin Alexander, I will discuss many important topics discussed in this book. I learned more about the author’s argument and reasoning’s behind the topics he discusses in the book. The authors name is Bevin Alexander and he has been studying military history. He was a marine during the Korean War, so Alexander had a firsthand account of that time period. This book is written mainly about the conflict between General McArthur and President Harry S. Truman. Alexander viewed some of MacArthur’s views differently than Truman’s, mainly the arguments that McArthur made during the Korean War. By breaking down the events while they happened Alexander states his views on who was right and who was wrong between the rivalry.
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Communism was flooding into the Asian countries and many capitalistic countries took notice including the United States of America. Communism during this time period was considered a threat to capitalism democracy itself. The US and other western powers tried to contain communism, and there were several different Ideas on how to do it. Not only between the Countries but between the top leaders of the US, General McArthur and Harry S. Truman. Both of these man were highly respected and know around the country. Well respected and honorable, except they had two differentiating views on many issues. Alexander writes about both of the men’s views in detail and then expressed his views on the issue. McArthur was famously known for wanting to invade China in fear of China becoming another Russia. Alexander disagreed with McArthur’s plan and I agree with him. The world was still recovering from WW2 and the United States was in the Korean War at the time. The North Koreans did get extra help from the Chinese but that was because of MacArthur’s plan to take all of Korea. To completely wipe out communism in Korea was the goal. It was not the place and time to bomb and invade a major communist country. That could have possibly started another war, a nuclear war which would devastate the world. Another reason I believe invading China would be a mistake is that it would make the United States look like Russia and other communist countries. It was a strategy you would use in a risk game, not in real life. It was a radical plan which ultimately lead to the conflict between Truman and MacArthur. Which ended with Truman releasing MacArthur of command in the War, and was the end of MacArthur’s military career. Alexander talked about Truman’s views on what to do with Korea and China. Truman’s plan was similar to MacArthur’s in containing communism, but Truman’s plan was more
Communism was flooding into the Asian countries and many capitalistic countries took notice including the United States of America. Communism during this time period was considered a threat to capitalism democracy itself. The US and other western powers tried to contain communism, and there were several different Ideas on how to do it. Not only between the Countries but between the top leaders of the US, General McArthur and Harry S. Truman. Both of these man were highly respected and know around the country. Well respected and honorable, except they had two differentiating views on many issues. Alexander writes about both of the men’s views in detail and then expressed his views on the issue. McArthur was famously known for wanting to invade China in fear of China becoming another Russia. Alexander disagreed with McArthur’s plan and I agree with him. The world was still recovering from WW2 and the United States was in the Korean War at the time. The North Koreans did get extra help from the Chinese but that was because of MacArthur’s plan to take all of Korea. To completely wipe out communism in Korea was the goal. It was not the place and time to bomb and invade a major communist country. That could have possibly started another war, a nuclear war which would devastate the world. Another reason I believe invading China would be a mistake is that it would make the United States look like Russia and other communist countries. It was a strategy you would use in a risk game, not in real life. It was a radical plan which ultimately lead to the conflict between Truman and MacArthur. Which ended with Truman releasing MacArthur of command in the War, and was the end of MacArthur’s military career. Alexander talked about Truman’s views on what to do with Korea and China. Truman’s plan was similar to MacArthur’s in containing communism, but Truman’s plan was more