Foreign Policy Guided by Abstract Generalizations: The Korean War Case

Abstract

Foreign policy decision makers should avoid formulating objectives in abstract or generalized terms. Unfortunately, the generalization embodied in the policy of containment contributed directly to United States participation in the Korean War. In the most simplified terms the abstract generalization of containment meant that the United States must be ready to counter the expansionist moves of the Soviet-led communists everywhere around the globe. When North Korea attacked South Korea President Truman and Secretary of State Acheson automatically assumed it was a communist attack directed by Stalin. I believe that viewing events through the lens of containment distorted their perceptions and dictated automatic reactions. In my judgement the evidence indicates that the Korean War was actually a civil war fueled by the forces of nationalism working to overcome the arbitrary division of the country following World War II.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA258376

Entities

People

  • William O. Shewchuk

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Civil War
  • Cold War
  • Communism
  • Department Of State
  • Far East
  • Foreign Policy
  • Korean War
  • Military Budgets
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Second World War
  • South Korea
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Ussr
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Mathematical Modeling and Probability Theory.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Strategic Security Studies