Changes

On January 12, 1950, Secretary of State [[Dean Acheson]] gave a speech to the National Press Club excluding South Korea from the defense perimeter, though Truman denies any wrongdoing on his behalf.<ref>https://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/korea/large/documents/pdfs/kr-3-13.pdf</ref> Omar Bradley blamed Truman and Acheson in his memoir A General's Life, and historian Bill Shinn concurs.<ref>''A General's Life'' by Omar N. Bradley, pg. 528</ref><ref>''The Forgotten War Remembered, Korea: 1950-1953: A War Correspondent's Notebook & Today's Danger in Korea'' by Bill Shinn, pg. 52</ref> Acheson apologists cite the fact Stalin and North Korea already had contingency plans for invasion of the South; nonetheless Acheson's speech green-lighted a [[leftist]] takeover of a country most Americans never heard of, let alone were able to find on a map.

On January 12, 1950, Secretary of State [[Dean Acheson]] gave a speech to the National Press Club excluding South Korea from the defense perimeter, though Truman denies any wrongdoing on his behalf.<ref>https://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/korea/large/documents/pdfs/kr-3-13.pdf</ref> Omar Bradley blamed Truman and Acheson in his memoir A General's Life, and historian Bill Shinn concurs.<ref>''A General's Life'' by Omar N. Bradley, pg. 528</ref><ref>''The Forgotten War Remembered, Korea: 1950-1953: A War Correspondent's Notebook & Today's Danger in Korea'' by Bill Shinn, pg. 52</ref> Acheson apologists cite the fact Stalin and North Korea already had contingency plans for invasion of the South; nonetheless Acheson's speech green-lighted a [[leftist]] takeover of a country most Americans never heard of, let alone were able to find on a map.

[[Image:KOREA50.JPG|thumb|380px]] During his address to the UN General Assembly, Truman said, “The men who laid down their lives for the United Nations in Korea will have a place in our memory, and in the memory of the world, forever. They died in order that the United Nations might live” <ref>https://2009-2017.state.gov/p/io/potusunga/207324.htm</ref>

[[Image:KOREA50.JPG|thumb|380px]] During his address to the UN General Assembly, Truman said, “The men who laid down their lives for the United Nations in Korea will have a place in our memory, and in the memory of the world, forever. They died in order that the United Nations might live.” <ref>https://2009-2017.state.gov/p/io/potusunga/207324.htm</ref>

Late in 1950 China intervened unexpectedly, drove the UN forces all the way back to South Korea.  The fighting stabilized close to the original 38th parallel that had divided North and South. MacArthur wanted to continue the rollback strategy but Truman arrived at a new policy of containment, allowing North Korea to persist. Truman's dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur in April 1951 sparked a violent debate on U.S. Far Eastern policy, as Truman took the blame for a high-cost stalemate with 37,000 Americans killed and over 100,000 wounded.  

Late in 1950 China intervened unexpectedly, drove the UN forces all the way back to South Korea.  The fighting stabilized close to the original 38th parallel that had divided North and South. MacArthur wanted to continue the rollback strategy but Truman arrived at a new policy of containment, allowing North Korea to persist. Truman's dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur in April 1951 sparked a violent debate on U.S. Far Eastern policy, as Truman took the blame for a high-cost stalemate with 37,000 Americans killed and over 100,000 wounded.