dwight d. eisenhower presidential library & museum national archives & records...
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Dwight D. EisenhowerPresidential Library
& MuseumNational Archives & Records Administration
Abilene, Kansas
“Korea: Eisenhower’s First Cold War Crisis”
“Of the manifold problems confronting me early in 1953 none required more urgent attention than the war in Korea.”
—Dwight D. EisenhowerMandate for Change: 1953 – 1956
What to do about Korea?
Eisenhower Immediate Post-WW II
1946 – 1948: U.S. Army COS 1948 – 1952: Columbia
University Jan. 1951 – May 1952: NATO
Where was Dwight D. Eisenhower?
June 1950 – Columbia University
April 1951 – NATO, Paris Spring 1952 – Will he or
won’t he? May 1952 – Retires from
active military June 4, 1952 – Announces
candidacy
July 1952 – Wins Republican nomination
July 1952 – John Eisenhower to Korea
October 24, 1952 – “I Shall Go to Korea”
November 4, 1952 – Election Day
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 1952 – Trip to Korea
1952 Presidential Campaign
Republican Platform
KoreaCommunismCorruption
“I shall make that trip. Only in that way could I learn how best to serve the American people in the cause of peace.”
“I Shall Go to Korea”Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican NomineeOctober 24, 1952Detroit, Michigan
November 4, 1952
Mandate from the American people—end the fighting in Korea.
November 4, 1952
American casualties in Korea:
21,000 killed91,000 wounded13,0000 missing
Primary Issues
A Showdown with CommunismReunification of Korea 38th Parallel: Maintain or
expand?Limited War versus Total WarEscalation to WW III
Issues, cont’d
Bombing and napalm in North Korea
Relationships with allies Communists impossibly dug in Atomic weapons?Repatriation of N. Korean and
Chinese POWs
TRIP TO KOREA November 29 – December 5, 1952
President Rhee and President Elect Eisenhower
“Outdoor Luncheon” with troops of the 15th Infantry
Review of ROK troops
“The front ran roughly along the 38th Parallel, with the capital city, Seoul, included in the Allied lines. The forward elements of both armies were located in mountainous country . . . . . We used light airplanes to fly along the front . . . .”
—EisenhowerMandate for Change: 1953 - 1956
“My conclusion as I left Korea was that we could not stand forever on a static front and continue to accept casualties without any visible results. Small attacks on small hills would not end this war.”
—EisenhowerMandate for Change: 1953 - 1956
“Eisenhower’s visit to the Korean front and his own assessment of the war led him to the conclusion that the public was tiring of the war and probably would not continue to support it.”
—Herbert BrownellAdvising Ike
SyngmaS
Syngman Rhee, President, Republic of Korea
Reunite North and South Korea no matter what the cost—even atomic weapons were on the table.
Kim Il Sung—same viewpoint
Douglas MacArthur as Supreme Commander,
U.N. Forces in Korea, 1950 - 51
Absolutely opposed to a negotiated settlement. Willing to consider use of atomic weapons and to bomb strategic Chinese targets.
General Mark Clark, UN Commander, Korea
Opposed to a negotiated settlement
Willing to use extensive
bombing and napalm—and did use them—in the north despite widespread civilian casualties.
Senator Taft, Ohio (R)
Favored bombing China and bringing in Nationalist Chinese forces to invade China.
John Foster Dulles, Sec. of State
Korea is where the free world must take a stand to oppose the spread of Communism.
Did not favor a negotiated
end to the Korean War.
General James Van Fleet
So, what should President Eisenhower do about the Korean War?