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?