The USA Enters the War

CAUSES

How was it that in 1950 the United States and its allies ended up fighting on the other side of the globe to reinstate a nasty dictator with a repressive regime? 

1.  Cold War context: an existential threat

Nowadays we look at the freedom and democracy of 1950s western countries somewhat critically, but you have to understand that in 1950 people had just finished a World War to protect freedom and democracy and they faced a communist threat that genuinely was trying to take it away. 

The US was convinced that the invasion was a Soviet plot; for the US, Korea was not just a local border clash – it was the front line in a war for global survival. 

2.  Cultural Psychology: slaughter or be slaughtered

1950s culture was naturally more physically aggressive than today.  Naughty schoolchildren were caned.  Murderers were executed.  Films regularly featured ‘goodies’ heroically killing and slaughtering faceless enemies including rustlers, ‘red Indians’, aliens and monsters, all of which for reasons undefined were out to slaughter them. 

3.  North Korean atrocities

We must not glamorise North Korea.  It might have been a nicer place to live for its citizens in 1950 than South Korea, but it was still a repressive state and the NKPA literally slaughtered its way down the Korean Peninsula.  In July 1950, for example, during the NKPA occupation of Taejon, around 5000 civilians, including government workers, police officers, intellectuals and suspected collaborators with the ROK government were bound, executed, and buried in a mass grave. 

4.  United States interests

Dean Acheson, US Secretary of State, had in January admitted that Korea was outside the US ‘defensive perimeter’ in the Pacific.  Now, however, he changed his mind, seeing Korea as strategically vital to the safety of Japan. 

Acheson also believed that it was a matter of prestige – that to allow the communists to win in Korea would belittle the US in the eyes of the world, cause US allies in the far east to lose faith, and thereby lead to the collapse of other far eastern states to communism.  He immediately called an emergency White House meeting, and drafted a statement for President Truman to read. 

Meanwhile, the US did not have a territorial empire, but it had a commercial empire, and Korea was strategically significant for US trade routes. 

5.  Racism

Historian Bruce Cumings points out the racism that underlay US attitudes to the Koreans, and Asians in general, referring to them by racist names, and ascribing to them negative traits such as laziness, cunning and ruthlessness.  For many Americans, the Korean War was the US sorting out the affairs of “primitive peoples” for their own good. 

6.  MacArthur’s Military Assessment drove the political decision

On 27 June at 9pm, General MacArthur flew into Korea to assess the situation for himself. 

He immediately designated US forces as the ‘Advance Command and Liaison Group in Korea’ (ADCOM); General Chae was ‘advised’ to move his ROK HQ into ADCOM HQ, and then sacked.  MacArthur next ordered the US Airforce (which was already shooting down MiG planes to protect Embassy Staff flying out of Seoul) to bomb NKPA airfields. 

Seeing the thousands of ROK soldiers fleeing south, MacArthur then informed the US government that the situation required the immediate deployment of US ground troops. 

7.  'Any means necessary' – The United Nations

How did the United Nations end up advocating a war against North Korea in 1950? 

a.  The Secretary General of the United Nations was Trygye Lie.  Lie was from Norway – a country which knew very well what it was like to be occupied by a repressive power; he instinctively sympathised with South Korea. 

b.  The United Nations had taken responsibility for Korea in Nov 1947.  Lie declared the NKPA invasion “a war against the United Nations”, arguing that the NKPA’s action directly threatened the postwar international order. 

c.  The UN called for an end to hostilities and, when this was ignored, the UN Security Council on 27 June passed Resolution 83 recommending members to “furnish such assistance to the Republic of Korea as may be necessary to repel the armed attack and to restore international peace and security in the area.”

d.  The USSR was at the time boycotting the UN because it refused to admit Communist China as a member, so it was not present to veto (as it would have done) Resolution 83 at the Security Council. 

e.  The US drafted the text of Resolution 83 and President Truman pushed hard for a swift resolution.  The US had huge support in the UN: many countries felt threatened by communism, and they still saw the USA as the defender of freedom and democracy.  When Resolution 83 was put before the UN General Assembly in November, a clause was added – the USSR having returned to the Security Council – which allowed the General Assembly to act in situations where the Security Council was deadlocked … it passed 52 votes to 5, with two abstentions. 

It is worth noting that the US military was actively fighting the NKPA from Day Two of the War; ie the US was going into the War whatever – with or without authorisation.  But the UN Resolution gave the US a ‘moral cloak’ under which it could fight the NKPA without being accused of wanting to risk a world war. 

It also had its drawback, as you will see. 

THE NKPA ADVANCE INTO SOUTH KOREA

The Americans arrived with an arrogant confidence, convinced the 'gooks' would turn and run as soon as they saw an American shirt. 

The NKPA paused for a week at Seoul, then resumed their advance south.  There was no ROK army to stop them.  On 5th July, ten miles south of Suwon, they faced Task Force Smith, a forward group of the us 24th Infantry Division being flown in from Japan.  The NKPA tanks rolled through unharmed, not even bothering to turn aside to return fire.  The Americans held up NKPA infantry for a few hours but eventually ran, and did not stop; Task Force soldiers were still reporting in all over South Korea weeks later. 

Next day the US 34th Infantry fought a chaotic battle at Pyongtaek.  The Americans had no weapon capable of stopping the tanks, no working radios, insufficient supplies and ammunition.  Officers did not communicate and issued conflicting orders.  The men were young recruits, and barely one in six had seen action; after the battle it was found that some had assembled their rifles incorrectly.  When the NKPA attacked, many were too scared to fire.  The order to retreat was the signal to run; some were too scared even to run, and simply sat in their fox-holes and were shot. 

At the battle of Taejon (16-20 July), the 24th Division suffered 3,602 casualties and 2,962 captured, including its commander. 

Defence line after defence line was set up, then abandoned. 

Slowly, more units arrived from Japan and the US, including tanks, anti-tank weapons and adequate supplies.  The USAF bombed bridges, roads, and NKPA depots & supply lines. 

In August the Americans appeared to have established a perimeter at the Natkong River around the port of Pusan.  Exhausted, the NKPA troops paused their advance. 

In September, however, the NKPA attacked again and began to drive the American forces back. 

The NKPA advance into South Korea, 1950.  Click on the map for a large version.

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