On The Back Of A Grasshopper: The XXIV Corps And The Korean Occupation
Abstract
This monograph explores the effectiveness of the American occupation of Korea in 1945. In 1945, the United States assigned the XXIV Corps to the occupation of Korea instead of the Tenth Field Army. The tactical nature of the corps' doctrine, structure and leadership were incompatible with the operational nature of the occupation. The XXIV Corps was effectively an independent corps responsible for negotiations with the Soviet occupied north and establishing Korea as an independent nation. By January of 1946, only five months after the three divisions of the corps arrived, the United States and Soviet Union reached an impasse signaled by the failure of the Soviet-American Joint Commission. Over seven decades later, the impacts of the occupation of Korea continue to echo in international affairs. The modern operational artist can benefit from appreciating the immense complexity facing a formation that was neither trained nor equipped to handle it. Additionally, it is important to understand that peripheral actions have a significant and cumulative effect. In Korea, those effects were apparent in the first four months and emerged fully over four years later with the onset of the Korean War.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 26, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1022025
Entities
People
- Ryan R. Kroells
Organizations
- School of Advanced Military Studies