An Old Soldier's View of the Early Cold War, 1949-1953

This Master's Thesis examines General Douglas MacArthur's strategic assessments which led to his pursuit of the expansion of the Korean War beyond the Yalu River. By examining General MacArthur's actions during the Korean War, I clarify the reason behind his desire to expand the war into Manchuria and China. This evaluation also provides insight into MacArthur's overall early Cold War strategy - 1949-1953. This Master's Thesis challenges the notion that General MacArthur's desire to use atomic weaponry in the expansion of the Korean War as being indicative of a flawed personality or a lack of understanding of the geopolitical situation. Some viewed General MacArthur as a warmonger, who purposefully sought to antagonize the Soviet Union into a general war. In contrast, I postulate that MacArthur's Korean War strategy demonstrated his intricate evaluation of the geopolitical situation of the early Cold War period.